Hi Friends! How’s it going today? I hope you’ve had a great week and are ready to reflect on and celebrate our risen Savior this weekend. I’ve been thinking about what I wanted to share with you this week and it’s totally unrelated to Easter, but I’m hoping you’ll still appreciate it: bible journaling on a budget.
I know those of us who bible journal are constantly on the lookout for fun, inspiring supplies to use while creating in the pages of our Bibles. I also know that can really start to affect the budget after a while. So today I wanted to share my top four tips bible journaling on a budget.
#1 – Know what you want
Ok, this might seem silly, but just hear me out. Have you ever entered a store without any idea of what you want to buy, just perusing for something that will catch your eye? And then what happens? Your cart ends up full of things you’ve bought on a whim that you half heartedly want and don’t end up using to their full potential. No? Just me?
I’ve made it a point to go shopping for bible journaling supplies only when I know exactly what I want. I’m heading into the store with a purpose and that helps me not get distracted by all the other pretty, shiny things in the isles of Hobby Lobby. Sure, I might pick up a few extra bits that I wasn’t planning on, but overall it keeps the random purchases to a minimum. Trust me, this helps keep the budget in check. I keep a running wish list of items I want and this is useful in the conjunction with some of my other tips.
#2 – Never pay full price
To me, this seems like a no-brainer but just in case there is someone out there who doesn’t know this, I have to include it. Hobby Lobby and Michaels both ALWAYS have a 40% off one item coupon. You can find this on their website and in their paper ads, but I use their apps on my phone. I have them on my phone and can easily pull the coupon up. It can only be applied to non-sale items, but that’s still great because you know you don’t ever have to pay full price for something from their stores. Either it will already be on sale or you can apply the coupon. Be aware that you can only use it on one item per purchase, so if there are two things you want to use it on, it’s best to pick one and buy the other another time.
#3 – Sign up for those annoying emails
I know we all get annoyed with spammy emails, but let me tell you that signing up for the rewards program with Michaels is possibly the thing that has saved me the most money in my shopping. I love Hobby Lobby, but their sales and coupons are nothing compared to Michaels. Michaels send you daily emails with the sales that are happening and coupon offers. This is great because often times they are better than the 40% coupon. From time to time they will offer 20-30% off your entire purchase (including sale items and you can still use your 40% off). Other times they will offer a 50% or even 60% off one item in lieu of the 40% – it’s a no brainer. If I didn’t get those emails, I would have no clue those were deals available to me.
This is also where the wish list of things I want comes in handy. I often wait to purchase items that I really want but are too expensive until I see a 50% or 60% coupon. For example, I just recently purchased a Jane Davenport Watercolor Palette that is normally $31.99 for just $13 with a 60% off coupon. Best. Purchase. Ever.
Michaels isn’t the only place I’ve recieved useful emails from either. If there is a store you like to find your supplies at, chances are they have an email list and send out periodical emails with great sales you wouldn’t otherwise know about.
#4 – Print it yourself
Most die-cut/ephemra pieces that are good for bible journaling are purchases that have to be made online. That can mean you’re not only paying for the product you’re also paying for shipping and that can start to add up. So buying printables is a great alternative.
This makes the most sense if you have your own color printer or a generous friend who will allow you to use theirs, but this can be a real money saver. Buy a pack of card stock paper and head over to Etsy and search “bible journaling printable”. I’m partial to the ones we sell in our shop, but there are endless options out there.
Although it does cost you more in time/energy, you can definitely save money by buying digital products. If the idea of using printables scares you check out this post Jeanna did on how to use printables. Then get started saving your moolah!
Well I hope this was helpful to you! Let me know if you use any of these tips and how they work for you. Do you have any money saving tips when it comes to buying bible journaling supplies? Comment below and share your tips so we can give them a try!
