End of January Update
1/12th of the way there!
Today marks the first completed month of my 2024 stationery no-spend, and I’m feeling proud of my progress!
How it’s Going
This challenge hasn’t posed too much difficulty for me so far. I think I’m still motivated by a sense of accountability while also riding the high of my Japan shopping spree. I’m fortunate to have stationery that still feels new to me, thanks to my Japan acquisitions and gifts from friends, and there has been little out there to truly tempt me just yet. Friends are doing their part in holding me accountable, which I am thankful for. Others are engaging in shorter no-spend challenges, creating a shared sense of camaraderie that keeps us all on track.
I know that will change and challenges will arise in the future, but for now, I’m pleased with my achievements. I’ve been catching up on my journals, using my supplies, and resisting temptations that have crossed my path.
I made some purchases this month, but they all fall under the replenishment and storage categories, so they didn’t count toward my allowance. One of my favorite purchases from the month is an antique letterpress tray, so I can display my stamps on the wall. I’m hoping this will help me use them more frequently, since having them in drawers and bins makes it harder for me to see what I have. Even when I was pulling stamps out to put them in the tray, I was finding stamps I’d completely forgotten I purchased. I also bought a picture hanging kit so I can hang the tray on the wall, but the kit comes with enough pieces to hang several dozen things, so it’ll be useful to have around the house for other projects.
I also bought some more paper for my Polaroid Hi-Print, since I’m on my last pack, and I bought an 8-pack of Polaroid film for a vintage Polaroid camera that I received as a gift. I’ve yet to test the camera out, but I’m hoping the vintage Polaroid aesthetic might be a fun addition to my journals. Though Polaroids are quite chunky, so I don’t expect I’ll put too many into the journal. I used a gift card to buy most of this stuff, so it didn’t cost me anything!
Using my Stuff
I finished my Japan trip journal! It’s a relief to be done, and I feel so accomplished. I love flipping through it and seeing all the photos and ephemera. I made a video to share the completed journal:
I also completed my 2023 Hobonichi Cousin! It ended up being quite the chonkster, but I’m happy to have no empty days and a fully completed book for 2023.
Finally, I finished 2023 in my A6 Hobonichi 5-Year journal. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the project in my five-year journal, I’m doing one small watercolor painting every day for five years. This is my first year in it, and I got pretty behind, but I’ve been pushing to get caught up! I blew past 2023 and now I’m almost caught up to the end of January 2024. My goal for January was to catch up in all my journals, and while I didn’t quite reach it, I got pretty close! If you’d like to see a flip through of all my 2023 paintings, check them out here:
Temptations
This section might not be for anyone who is also on a no-spend! If you don't want to be tempted or enabled, skip ahead to the next section or don’t click the links!
The biggest temptation for me over the last week has been the newly announced Yoseka Stationery Fest. This is an event that’s coming in the future, but I’m already having FOMO about it. One of my rules this year was to only attend pen shows I’m hired for and paid to work at, and something like a stationery show could arguably fall into a gray area regarding the rules. But even if I allowed myself to go, something like this would have high potential to destroy my budget. The biggest reason I want to go to a show like this is for the experience and to see friends, but with the show being on a Wednesday-Friday, it’s likely going to be difficult for me to afford the vacation time for it. It’s tough to let go of the idea of attending this event, but for now, I’m doing my best to resist the temptation. I’m sure the more news we see about the event, the more I’ll want to go. Will I hold strong?
Another temptation was the Kakimori glass nib. This isn’t a new item, but I got a chance to try a friend’s nib (thanks, Pei!) and I really liked how it wrote. The flow was so consistent, the nib such a pleasure to write with, and the line was a nice medium width that would be perfect for sheening and shading inks. I’m kicking myself for not buying one when I was at the Kakimori store in Tokyo! Unfortunately, the nib is half of my quarterly budget and I’m unsure of the nib consistency. What if I spend half of my budget and it’s not as good as the one I tried? So for now, I will hold off. It’s not going anywhere!
What I’ve Learned So Far
Recently, I’ve noticed articles and discussions about the decline of “third places.” If you’re not familiar with the term, a third place is somewhere outside of home and work where people gather socially. It’s a space for interaction, relaxation, and hanging out with others, especially regulars. Think coffee shops, barber shops, or neighborhood parks. I might show my age here, but back when I was a kid, it was the local bowling alley, skating rink, or arcade. These are disappearing social hubs where people used to meet, connect, chitchat about shared hobbies, exchange ideas, and spark creativity. But many of our old haunts are gone or forever changed, coffee is getting expensive, and it’s increasingly challenging to find safe, accessible, welcoming spaces where you comfortably socialize with like-minded people (without also spending a fortune).
But as I read about the decline of these spaces, it made me think of my local stationery stores. As someone who often complains about the challenges of making new friends as an adult, my local stationery stores have become the place I can regularly go to connect with “my people” right here in my city. At Dromgoole’s, our local fountain pen and stationery store, Saturdays have become the day where regulars come to mingle and chat. We delve into discussions about pens and stationery, share our journals, exchange thoughts on ink and pen news, and genuinely get to know each other. I’ve made so many friends and met so many interesting people at Dromgoole’s!
What makes Dromgoole’s special extends beyond shared love for pens and stationery. The staff, as well as other patrons, provide a welcoming atmosphere, everyone is friendly, and no one is rushing you out the door or pressuring you to make a purchase. They’re not fussy about bringing in food or drinks, or even your dog. You can pull up a chair and chat for hours, and no one bats an eye if you leave without buying a single thing. (Though many people do!) Dromgoole’s has a way of prioritizing community that makes the store a really special place, and it’s one of many reasons I feel so lucky to have a place like this practically in my backyard.
And speaking of community, Dromgoole’s hosts Space City Pen Club’s meetings, and they’ve hosted my Houston Journal Society’s meetings as well. All for no cost, and no obligation from the community. This also holds true for Little Craft Place, another stationery store in the Houston area, who allows our journal club to use their classroom for free. Places like this are vital to a thriving local community like ours. Throughout this whole no-spend challenge, I will continue to frequent Dromgoole’s, because I consider it my third place, and having that social hub will help me through this challenge and beyond. But maybe I’ll leave my credit cards at home—they’re super enablers!
Totals
I’m continuing to use my spending tracker, though I might start breaking the replenishment/storage items to another sheet so things don’t get too long. I spent $0 on stationery this month and $81.81 on storage and replenishment items, minus a $50 Amazon gift card I got for Christmas. The letterpress tray was something I’ve been looking at for a while, so while my spending was all allowed by the rules, it’s still a little more than I’d hoped to spend in January.
As always, you can monitor the tracker here, or copy it and use it yourself if you’d like!
Thanks for checking out this end of month update! Next update will likely be posted as I’m on my way to the California Pen Show, so I plan to talk about preparing for a pen show when on a tight budget.
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