Cindy, I'm so glad you're doing videos about planner FOMO and consumerism. These are important subjects and not many people are talking about it. I've tried very hard to stop watching hauls because they just make me want to buy lots more things that I don't need and can't afford. I would love to use a new kit every week but that costs too much. It's easy to get caught up in buying too much.
As a single parent I can relate to the FOMO but then I remember I literally have no extra money for crafting stuff. Sometimes just watching the hauls and craft room tours allows me to dream a little even if all I get is a sticker book and some washi tape as a gift once a year. Most people have no idea how fortunate they are to be able to buy into this, not everyone can.
I know right! People take it for granted. I'm a student and i have to strongly manage my budgets. I just watch them for entertainment because they feel soooooo good to look at and i know i can't buy it because neither can i afford them nor do i want to afford them right now because it is more than i'll use up.
I’m so glad to see someone speak up about haul videos/posts. I feel like it’s not just about getting the latest and greatest but also showing off how much money they spent. And that’s not to put down anyone for spending their own money - I’m not. But what does this subconsciously do to a consumer when the most popular posts/pics/videos are showing a $300+ haul when they can only afford to spend $25? It becomes this thing where it’s not just about getting items you like but also keeping up with others whom seem to have it better.
I was just about to order a Happy Planner sticker storage box until I saw their almost $8 shipping fee and the 7-10 day delivery TAT. I clicked off of the site. I was also in Michaels yesterday looking at sticker books and walked out empty handed. Told myself you already have enough books you don't use. Gotta do better... thanks for another pep talk.
I looove this video - including the f-bombs! 😂 I absolutely lost it around the 15:28 mark. I had to pause the video and try not to wake my husband with my laughing!! 🤣😂
Every time I want to buy all the things I try to think about my ecological footprint. Do I want to be part of all the waste? It sounds very lofty when I think about it but somehow just knowing that I'm not contributing to that little bit of extra waste makes me feel good and helps me resist FOMO.
I really appreciate your awareness of the ethical implications of this community/hobby, without crapping all over it and saying we are all bad for liking planners and paper. heck yeah
This is one of thise subjects that makes me eternally grateful that my planning style is pretty minimal- a pen and a planner is most of what i do. I only have two sticker books that i bought at goodwill and a discount store bc i had been looking at them for months when i saw them for like $3/$6 The only thing ive bought for myself recently is a new bullet journal for the start of the year and a new, bolder felt tip pen, bc i like the look and the pens i have dont flex enough to give the effect i wanted. The pens i use ive had for years, everything for my planning fits in two small containers, and i dont allow myself to get anythibg that won't fit in them. And although I swoon over some of the stickers and washi at the store, it often isnt really worth it for me to buy it bc it takes forever to use it.
insidiousChaos well you are now officially an influencer! I have got to slash and burn through the wilderness of planner crap until I reach the spacious clearing where you, your pen and your planner reside.
I loved buying the things until I realized two things: 1. I could never use it all at the rate I was purchasing the product. (Not to mention I didn't want my planner to be a carbon copy of someone else) 2. People are really not nice during launch releases. I have a happy planner in my planning lineup but I do not like the energy around the purchasing. My weekness is PENS! (It is bad)
This couldn’t have come at a better time. Just bought a bunch of planner stuff for no reason at all. I already have everything I need, and I’m on a tight budget, so I need to reel myself in! 😨
I added a little more to my stash, although I committed to not doing so in 2020. But I'm proud that I did drop 2 monthly subscriptions this month! Next month, I'll stay of of sub boxes and ALL other planning stuff spending!
6:55 oh my God, that’s the best description ever, happy planner is the Pokémon of our hobby! 🤣 TBH, they made a lot more money off of me when I first found them at the start of 2017 and there was a limited product line. I bought all of it, and because there wasn’t a ton and I could use all of it in one planning sesh, and so every time there was a new release Id continue buying every single thing. But once they really started expanding like you described, it became overwhelming. At first I kept buying everything I loved, but then I couldn’t flip through that many sticker books during one planning session, and I felt like everything was way too spread out, and I got to a point where I just had mountains and piles of sticker books stuffed away in drawers and filing systems and they never came out and saw the light anymore. That’s when I finally gave up and entirely stopped purchasing all together. With maybe one or two little exceptions here or there, I haven’t really purchased from them for probably a year and a half, aside from just one basic planner each year for product photography. like oh my god there’s school releases, then holiday releases, then new year releases, then spring time and end of the school year releases, then back to school releases again… it’s just too much. And then on the other side of things, I own a sticker store and I feel like I absolutely have to keep up and hit as many holidays as possible, or I’m disappointing my customers. That said, I have had holidays with huge releases of many different designs and multiple variations, and I’ve done other holidays where I release two or three specific things, and I feel like I end up coming out with relatively similar profit/sales. Probably for the exact same reason: If there are only a few things, it’s easy to want all of them and justify it. But when there’s just too much, I give up and shut down. My favorite sticker stores that I buy from religiously only offer a limited number of products at every release, and they can absolutely always count on my money. 💗 Oy. I am exhausted just thinking about it. All right… Back to the video.
I started a no buy/low buy year and don't really know what to think about all the journalling consumerism going on in the communities I am a part of. I am not a very active member, but it is nice to see other people's ideas and creations and join in on their enthusiasm. Don't get me wrong, I like nice things and I do have my own collection of stickers and tapes, but I never really understood the hype of releases and the lure of "you need this!" I am really happy people in different channels are starting to talk more and more about social media and peer influencers as marketing channels and I hope it makes an impact to get people more aware of how they make decisions.
I used to be a Happy Planner and I'll admit, I got caught up in all that hype and consumerism. But after a while, it gets EXHAUSTING and I accumulated years worth of supplies that I never used. NOW, I am an EC user and got rid of most of my Happy Planner stuff and now, I cant even stand to look at Happy Planner things anymore. LOL. Their releases are seriously ridiculous in the amount of things they come out with.
I had to stop myself when AmandaRachLee came out with her doodle planners. I was STOKED and high key about to buy 2. But a few things stopped me. 1) the price of it alone not counting shipping. 2) I only wanted it when I saw other people talk about ordering theirs. Otherwise I was perfectly okay with my cheap journal from Michael's that I only bought because it was on sale. 3) I felt like I was missing out because there was a limited amount and I mean it's AmandaRachLee! I didn't and dont NEED the fancy expensive doodle planner. I dont actually WANT the planner. A big deal was made about it and it seemed like everyone got one and I wanted to fit in.
Great video! The pressure to buy limited editions is so pervasive for planning as well as other hobbies. One thing that helped me resist the FOMO, was seeing people 20 years older than me trying to sell the cross stitch supplies that they bought in the eighties. They are shocked that no one wants the limited editions that they paid for and now have a tough time finding anyone who will take it off their hands for free. Now for planning, pens, and sewing hobby supplies, I try to buy just what I am going to use now. With a constant supply of new items, I know I can always find something new to feed my creative needs. Designers are constantly releasing new items, but I work full time, so I can’t possibly use everything that I like. In the cross stitch community we refer to the excess as SABLE (Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy).
Important message, thanks! I think the older I get ( cheers to 40 this year), the less I’m worried about FOMO. But it is the reason I have a huge freaking box of over 1000 washi tapes! BTW, Hair game on point! Looks beautiful!
Dianne Holst I have that many. But I’m slowly whittling the collection down by bringing the ones I don’t like to my classroom for my sixth graders. The problem is, I like them all! 😂
I am certainly guilty of this. I see new releases and instantly want it/ must have it all, though I have gotten better at figuring out whether I truly want this thing or need it. Happy Planner has truly become a company of quantity rather than quality and honestly I am finding that a turn off. I need my planner to stay organized and as a me time kind of hobby, but the amount of stuff being constantly released and how hard it is to find is exhausting.
First, your hair looks super cute! Second, you are so right! I've had to unfollow certain accounts that I love because I was just buying stuff because I didn't want to miss out! It was a bunch of shit I wouldn't even use, lol!
OMG thank you for making this video. I recently got hit with some serious fomo and anxiety over a limited edition anniversary collection and a strange mix of both shame over what I bought and sorrow over what sold out before I could get it. I let that shit go on for a while before I shook myself like "WTF are you doing??" I'm fairly new to the "planner community" but I quickly got into stickers and washi and hoards of crap that I never knew existed but suddenly NEED TO BUY RIGHT NOW. That's some BS right there.
This is something I could write an essay about. 1. I found myself REALLY wanting to be accepted by people, so I bought things THEY liked, so I would be “acceptable”. This has many parallels in my life. 2. The g-damn “exclusives “!!! 3. Pretty stuff everyone else has! I’m not cool enough to have friends to share supplies with so it ends up as a hoard So. This year I am using up what I have and making my own. I’m likely going to be banished from the “cool” tables now lol
My bestie and I are both doing a "no-buy, low-buy" challenge this year. We're making every effort to use up all the planner things we have and only buy something if it's a supply we use all the time and actually run out of, such as double-sided tape or glue sticks. Sometimes we'll buy from or trade with each other for things like TN inserts, Happy Planner stuff, specific colors of pens (she dislikes pink but I love it, so I often end up with her pink pens if she buys a colored pen set), and so on. This ties into the words we each picked as our words for the year. Hers is SIMPLIFY, while mine is CLEAR. We're both trying to downsize the clutter in our homes and streamline our planning systems. So far, it's working out pretty well for both of us. When you're working toward your goals, it really helps to have a best friend with goals that are similar to yours! It's like having a free life coach. lol I will admit, I loves me some organization porn, too. But for me, it's more like what you described as far as taking note of how the person organizes their things rather than specific products they're using. I'm always looking for better ways to organize my stuff. Most of the time, I'll DIY my own version of whatever I see whenever I can. That way it's even more special to me because I made it myself! Great video, as always! 😎
I was a child of the 80s - which meant I was in the original sticker craze. I had them all - puffy ones, scratch-n-sniff, etc. I had sticker books galore. And don't get me started on Hello Kitty stationery items. Then I grew up and put away the stickers and scented markers. Suddenly, two years ago I discovered that was it was perfectly normal for a woman in her 40s to collect stickers! And...well...this video got me. You are so right. I need to ONLY buy what I will actually use.
2020 is my no planner buy. For 5 years I’ve purchased relentlessly (budgeted for it but spent it all as well), trying to help small shops, because it was cute, because I love my friends with shops, etc. I realized, during some hard months, that I can do without a lot of this. So I deemed 2020 a “only if you NEED” year.
I know I have a major issue with new releases. Every season, I agonize with myself to not buy things I know I don't need. It takes weeks and months to constantly remind myself not to buy a thing. I usually win that battle over time, but then a new release comes out, and I see something pretty and new and the agonizing starts all over.
I started looking at planner videos 3 days ago and I literally just discovered you today. Oh my goodness! You give it up - straight no chaser. Thank you sooooooo much. You have saved me from falling in that deep planner rabbit hole. Your authenticity reaches my 59 year old soul and I'm subscribing to all your platforms girlfriend.
It's so nice to see someone talk about the consumerism in the planner community, I can't believe I haven't found your channel yet! I'm always feeling a little weird that my spreads look kind of samey (I only buy the sticker books when they're on clearance at joann, and even then I don't buy every clearance book I can find, just the ones I know I'll use) but it's really great to see someone else in the planner community that isn't obsessed with buying every new planner product all the time.
I had a reality check before December. I realized how much money I spend on planner items and seeing it on paper I almost had a heart attack. I always wanted everything then I realized I don’t need everything. The impulse buying is over. One of the reasons why my planner is now more simple this year. I still have so many things I haven’t used.
I remember back in the day when the Internet was decades away in the future, families went to one another’s homes to see every present given to them- Christmas was grueling and jealousy provoking- it was real live hauls. I remember one aunt showed allll her sweater sets - at five I thought I was better off going to the dentist! You are doing great things with these videos- I am using an EC planner for the first time and I only use whatever I have here. I’ve bought way too much in the past and it’s all sitting in a big white container. Never to be looked at again I suppose. This video message is one of the most important. Thank you xo
I KNOW I have a problem... sometimes. It’s not FOMO or peer pressure. Mine coincides perfectly with emotional issues! And I happen to overindulge in my two “passion” areas which are Planning and Makeup. I hate that I do it but I’ve finally decided to not hate myself for doing it. I’m going to have to not allow myself to “look” when I feel those times coming on. UGH
This video is awesome, and I realized I am actually using your advices every time I see something I "want. So much so that I only bought one thing on sale this month, a huge plaid at only 10€. And in France, it's sales times. I'm just not interested these days, and I think that's because of you. So thank you, because now that I'm using your method, I am saving so much money that I will be able to get something I really want and need.
Keep speaking the truth - my purchasing slowed down when I stopped following some key IG accounts and planner haul videos. Still get caught by those special sales. #anniversarybox #seasonalsurprise
Same, as I'm going along I try to ask myself how I feel after viewing every video or IG post -- do I feel inspired? Do I feel affirmed? Or do I feel anxious and consumerist? And if it's the last, stop right that minute and go un-follow.
I was so bad about this when I started “deco” planning 3 years ago... I’m trying to be more mindful & avoid planner “haul” videos. Thank you for this video!!! I’m downloading it & saving it when I get that bad FOMO. I watch beauty videos also and so many are cutting off PR for the same reasons because it’s overwhelming. Thank you for this Cindy!!! BTW you are absolutely glowing in this video!
I absolutely adore your videos. You are in my head, we get caught up in the new new so much that we don't get around to using the stuff we have. I have this talk when I buy stuff
This is one of the best videos I have seen regarding planner community topics. Unfortunately, in my 6ish months of joining the community, I have quickly realized how easy it is to be influenced and have fallen for some of the traps. I'm trying to be more aware moving forward, and so seeing your video definitely helps open my eyes to consumerism at its finest. Can't wait to keep seeing your future videos around this because I think they are so honest and true, and I appreciate it so much - thank you!
First of all, you look great and I hope you are feeling much better. Thank you for posting this -- I have been thinking along the same lines and have unsubscribed from several groups recently. One of my former favorite reviews upset me. When reviewing a new planner, it sounded more like a TV commercial than an honest review and that really turned me off. My biggest mistake was Power Sheets. I had been reading about them for a couple of years, and everyone loved them so I but them. I did the prep work. I did my first tending list. But after looking at my goals, they really didn't change. I learned the principles of goal setting from the original Franklin Quest, and still use them. So I have put my Power Sheets away. I'm sure that they were truly helpful for a lot of people -- I'm not knocking them. But I found that I didn't really need them. Thank you again for posting this.
I love how you are so straight up with us. I tend to make my own planners and stickers or buy my stickers from the dollar tree or other discount stores.
I love seeing how other people organize their lives and the things in their lives. It's fun to figure out how I can better organize the crafting supplies I have with the shelves I already own. If I think I need something then I write it down and wait for a sale. When a sale starts I revisit my list and it's something I truly want/need and will actually use I'll buy it. I also ask myself, "Will I use this within the next 3 months? How will I use this to better my life?". If I hesitate on the answers I don't get it. This is something that took me years to really integrate into my life, but I feel better about what I buy. Love your videos.
I really appreciate your message here. I'm sure you may take heat, but what you are saying is so helpful and important. I'm new to this decorative planning/art and a former scrapbooker. I need your voice in my playlist to keep my sanity and not completely lose control. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
I really appreciate you doing this video! The frenzy around buying stickers and accessories for planners is a little crazy IMO. I just started using a Happy Planner in December, and I love it. I'm using it for my budget. I don't have the fever of buying the latest planner accessories, but I do find myself wanting new stickers lol. WTF. I haven't wanted stickers since I was about 6. I just take a deep breath and tell myself "no" and find creative ways to substitute those "just right" stickers for my own handwriting. Works every time. :)
Best way to stop the impulse buying is to live in a country with a horrible postal service (it takes 2 months if I am lucky unless I pay a high postage) lucky move for me, i have finally used washi tapes started from 10 boxes to 1 box
Thanks for this! I also hate the term "influencer." So the rest of us are just here to be influenced? Nope, sorry. I have a big anti-establishment streak in me, so I purposefully don't buy things recommended by anyone who outright calls themselves an influencer.
I know I am very easily influenced. I have a very functional planner style but when I see all the pretty things I want them. Thanks for the video it’s good to know I’m not alone in my fomo. Also I love your curly hair.
I often tell my hubs and our D&D group that if I can resist buying ALLLL the stickers, I am not going to become a dice goblin. I appreciate the shiny math rocks, but like stickers, I appreciate what I already have even more and am particular about what I add to my collection. That being said, I'm a sucker for all the haul videos. Not a big fan of book haul videos, but planner supplies or organization videos? Yaaaasssss.
I will put every sticker, stamp, planner, pen, etc back just so that I can reward myself with a new set of clicky clacky math rocks. Hi, my name is Kris and I am a dice goblin.
Amen sister! I was falling into that trap in a BIG way. I suffer from anxiety and depression. Add FOMO to the mix and it is almost toxic! I accidentally found a way to side-step FOMO. One night I was working on a spread while the latest release was being advertised. As I flipped thru sticker books I already owned, I began to realize I already had BETTER stickers in my collection! Craft room tours are yummy. I’m over hauls. I only watch hauls from my favorite influencers. You almost got me with the big Krissyanne Designs release. But I was saved by the soft pastel shades. I’m into really bright stickers. Whew! But I must add some Steve stickers to my collection before long. And I have budgeted to buy your upcoming book in March. I’ll get the book upon release, because I love books even more than stickers! But Steve will have to wait for a few months. Sigh...I really want some Steve stickers in my life...😉
Thank you so much for posting and talking about his message. I’m brand new to this planner journey and could easily see myself overspending on things I don’t need. This has been helpful to ground me and remember why I set my budget in the first place. Your honesty and insight is greatly appreciated. 😊
Oh I love this. My biggest influence is plan with me. I will see something I like and be on the search also organization videos get me alot. They are bad because it's whole how and no subject seems to be off limits with them. Where as pwm are obviously its own thing. The one thing that balances me out though is I love declutter videos the most and I try not to buy alot because I don't want to be the person who 6 months later is decluttering the things I thought I wanted so bad lol.
Thank you Cindy for being completely honest and true to yourself with us, not gonna lie when the HP line comes out with new products 1) i check if i have the money to buy it 2) i ask myself if im really going to use it and in what way 3) will i fall out of loving this product BECAUSE i have scrape book paper collection out the wazoo (3yrs ago) n most i barely even touch and looking back at them in my head im like “what the hell was i thinking buying so much” so now im trying to use it to fill out my planner + BJ n what i know im not gonna even touch i just donate it
You last FOMO video helped me a lot especially since I had just ended up single after a 9 year marriage and broke after the bills. I am still broke but I no longer have FOMO! Lindsay's video spoke to me as well and I use what I have, shop what I have and do without. I have learned to plan for both sides of my brain and how to do my art and writing in one space with the bill pay area just outside of my creative space to reduce any anxiety of having both in one area and reducing my creativity. It's funny, Lindsay's newest video came across just after you said her name, lol. I am subscribed to both of you ladies and appreciate you both.
First of all I have to say that I love your style. Thank you for the advice of not getting sucked in. I have bought stuff because I watched someone unbox their haul. I almost bought a 49.99 box but the $30 shipping stopped me from finishing the purchase. I do like the happy planner book because I like the disc style. I will definitely be more aware of shopping online because I see something I love and think I need. Thanks again and keep on doing what you're doing.
Cindy, I feel this SO HARD. In 2015 I was a student when I first got into planners and I had a vertical ECLP. Didn't even stop to think before I bought it whether it would work for me in that setup or not. For nearly a year I had IT ALL. Every colour washi, SO MANY stickers, way more than I could ever use! I had the charms and the bookmarks and all I wanted was more. And then I got bored of my planner and stopped using it, and all that stuff went to waste. I recently bought the new ECLP as I'm now a teacher so I can use all the organisation I can get. But i researched planners and decided that the Horizontal layout of the ECLP was the best for me. I've bought 4 types of sticker from one shop on etsy. Now I look at the planners with all the fancy stickers and I'm like 'That's great but who the hell has the time'. I sure as hell don't and I'm not willing to take time from my family or my me-time to stick stickers in a book! I love your perspective. (Also can I just say your hair looks GREAT here! Mine is a similar curl but I am going through it with the frizz battle right now)
The trick that puts me in the open wallet mood is when shipping or postage costs are taken off. I live in New Zealand and our shipping is usually a gosh dang nightmare so when those costs are removed the items no longer seem so exorbitantly expensive. To fight that shopping urge, I instead cull my bloated wishlists on websites. I get the satisfaction of browsing goods and making decisions about what I may purchase, but without the actual purchasing bit. It's what DON'T I want instead of what DO I want. Let's face it, that item you added to your wishlist 5 years ago is not a thing you're going to buy. (Culling these lists also means there are fewer items to get promotional emails about which starts to curb the cycle too)
I think Cindy has been the influencer 😜 through this video that has put the burning need to go through stuff that has been "the precious" for years and gift a bunch of stuff to my daughter and others so that I am not holding on to all this stuff. I have at least stopped the bleeding as far as being far more conscious of what is coming in since going through the KonMari method in 2017. And I am a Happy Planner consumer. But since HP acquired a business partner, the marketing has been way more aggressive and I am seeing a lot of people are kind of over it. I see a significantly greater number of "anti haul" discussions, and it gives me hope that others are being a lot more conscious of how much they are amassing. There is a group I am in that has a no spend mission through April. Lots of great ideas going on to make use of what you have, and the vibe is awesome. People even using discs like sobriety chips like AA. 😂😂😂
I had my credit card cut a while ago. The best decision I've ever made. But, back in the day, you could have totally had me at "limited edition". However, even if I still had my cc, buying from abroad is a real nightmare in my country, so I can watch haul videos all day long.
I have gotten better now that I have found my "planner peace" but I am guilty of buying things and telling myself it's a functional purchase when its really not! Hoping to be better about extra spending this year for sure!
No joke, this video popping on my Roku while I sit here crocheting on a Saturday night is PROOF POSITIVE that the Great Google Gods are listening to our conversations. No less than 20 min ago, I was talking to my brother about how I've started writing out my expense tracking, and how it's making me more cognizant of my spending and how much I spend on bullshit (and how going to the Y to work out every day this week seems to have curbed my extraneous spending...not sure how that tracks). And now I'm watching you discuss this very topic with the erudite eloquence of a genius pirate. Thank you for being you; I've only just found your channel this past week, and I'm already a huge fan, even if we plan in very different ways 😁
amazing video cindy...you talk so much sense!! i have just weened myself off FOMO it was a very expensive addiction...I managed to max out a credit card (thankfully ive paid it off now!) I used to watch all the planner girls doing their spreads and i wanted mine to look just as pretty and arty as theirs....i dont do that now, i am just using all the stickers ive ever purchased and making my own style. the biggest influence i fell into was the pelle studio trend. I spent a fortune on one and waited about 4 months for it to arrive, then when it came i really was not into it at all so i sold it. ive stopped watching these certain girls and unfollowed them on instagram...it was the only way to go cold turkey!! anyway im loving your series on FOMO and looking forward to more. The subject of washi tape is a definate trigger for FOMO...especially simply gilded. I used to set my alarm for like 2am my time (belgium) so i could grab what i wanted and when i look at it now, i never used it lol. happy days! x
Girl. I don’t know who you are but this video is amazing. I’m new to this stationary stuff and already falling down the rabbit hole so I’m subscribing so you can tell me the truth all of the things all of the time. Hugs to you and everyone here💕✨
Oh Cindy, you grabbed hold of my heart and loved it tenderly when you brought up organizational videos. I feel you so hard on that one! And the craft room/office tours. Oh man the tours. I totally get off on seeing something well organized. I think the thing that makes me impulse buy the most would be haul videos. I think it's because I trust the people whose videos I watch, so if a product is good for them, it's good for me!
Last thing I impulse bought was only 1 or 2 months ago and it was the planner purse and I was sooooo excited. Immediately regretted it the second it came to my house because the quality of it. So I unfollowed every account that was the main influencers of that company.
The trap that gets me is a sale. I want to maximize my dollar and get all the things I can. Hauls with discount codes....kriptonite! I have more joy putting in the order than actually using it when it arrives. I have since logged out of Instagram so I don't see the sales.
For me it's when I keep seeing many people buy something that I start to think hmm must be a good thing, might need to get it. I used to get sucked in more by influencers showing off things but I stopped watching hauls & people who only use the newest of the new and that has helped a lot with that. A lot of the limited editions are either not really that limited or you can easily find in bst groups so I got over that quickly.
I have a couple of rules to keep it under control. First is never without a sale and preferably a coupon and a sale. Second, especially with hauls I’m stunned at how much money they spend. Then I think about the fact that it’s pretty much their job. Would I make that kind of investment in my job, yep. But that’s not my job. And my organization stuff usually comes from the dollar store. Finally, I review my finances nightly. I currently use 3 planners but it’s because I’ve got a ton going on right now. Not planning on keeping that going since my main planner already has detailed planning and is usually enough. Nice to hear this. It’s super easy to get swept up in all the new stuff!
You looked lovely in this video! I just had to let you know :). Also, great topic & reminders. I’ve been working on doing a contentment / spending challenge through March. But girl, seriously, that hair!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. There’s definitely a conversation to be had about being a responsible influencer! I’m just starting to delve into this platform and “plannertube”. I definitely want to be conscious about what I’m sharing.
I have stepped away from buying a lot of what I used to buy because I have accumulated so much stuff and decided no more until this stuff is used up. It is ridiculous the amount of stuff I have accumulated and not used.
I love you and your honest authenticity. I agree, organization videos....OMG I am totally distracted by the beautiful organization behind you. 😆😆😆 BTW your hair is lovely today!! You look great!
You look absolutely gorgeous in this video! Hair, makeup, everything on point!! I am a Happy Planner person and I ALWAYS wait out the craziness to see what I actually want, if it will work for me, and wait until I can get it on SALE if, after all of the waiting, I decide that I could really use it. Great video! So many people get so caught up in the hype.
How timely that this video hit. I’m currently decluttering my craft closet. I see all of the stuff I purchased in the past year that I haven’t used because my stuff isn’t organized and visible. If I was to add up the cost of my unused stuff I bet I could have had enough money for that bucket trip to Hawaii I’ve always wanted to go on. I’ve just cancelled all but one sub box so this is my year of using what I already have. Thanks for keeping it real Cindy!
Dang, Cindy, you just come out with exactly what I need to hear! Thanks for the great video! I think you were also very fair and not blaming or talking bad about influencers or companies or even the people who are #buyingallthethings ! There's nothing wrong with it. :)
I recently fell victim to this. I had surgery mid-December so I had some free time while I was home healing. I watched some haul videos and I got sucked right in. I honestly don't even know how many orders I placed for stickers. I'm receiving them now and I just shake my head. Now I need to get on it and use them!
Everything you say is so true! I am on a no spend for a while and I am doing very good actually but just because my boyfriend is very supportive😅 It's like an addiction that you can't escape. The hardest part for me is when I see other people having it and showing. It happened so many times that I was very determined NOT to buy whatever the hype was about, but then I go on Insta or Facebook and see ALL these people saying that I need this and that. I decided to mute the groups and the Insta Post until the hype is over and that helped me a lot!
I totally agree on the mindset thing. Because for me at the moment, haul videos lets me live the moment of getting a whole heap of stuff in the mail without having the commit to the purchase of storage of the items (more related to videos rather than photos, i tend to gloss over those). But I also sometimes have to stop watching because as you mentioned, next moment I have a tab open with 20 things in my cart.
This is so timely for me!! We're just far into the new year that the shiny has worn off of my planner stuff and I'm wondering if I made the right choice. Thank you for reminding me that I need to stick with what I have just a bit longer to see how I can make it work for me. The stickers are gorgeous and I want them all, but what if I decide to plan a different way and now the stickers aren't the right size, etc???
Here is the link to the Frugal Crafter video I mentioned: ua-cam.com/video/Tp0kBusSD_E/v-deo.html
I love her! You have a lot in common with her, the way you are both real and transparent.
thanks for posting it
Cindy, I'm so glad you're doing videos about planner FOMO and consumerism. These are important subjects and not many people are talking about it. I've tried very hard to stop watching hauls because they just make me want to buy lots more things that I don't need and can't afford. I would love to use a new kit every week but that costs too much. It's easy to get caught up in buying too much.
100% agree, this is a super important topic that very few people have the fortitude to tackle.
I watch a haul go straight to amazon order order order order ... and wonder whymy credit card debt is high!
As a single parent I can relate to the FOMO but then I remember I literally have no extra money for crafting stuff. Sometimes just watching the hauls and craft room tours allows me to dream a little even if all I get is a sticker book and some washi tape as a gift once a year. Most people have no idea how fortunate they are to be able to buy into this, not everyone can.
I know right! People take it for granted. I'm a student and i have to strongly manage my budgets. I just watch them for entertainment because they feel soooooo good to look at and i know i can't buy it because neither can i afford them nor do i want to afford them right now because it is more than i'll use up.
I’m so glad to see someone speak up about haul videos/posts. I feel like it’s not just about getting the latest and greatest but also showing off how much money they spent. And that’s not to put down anyone for spending their own money - I’m not. But what does this subconsciously do to a consumer when the most popular posts/pics/videos are showing a $300+ haul when they can only afford to spend $25? It becomes this thing where it’s not just about getting items you like but also keeping up with others whom seem to have it better.
Yes! And it's very clique-ish in the planner community.
I was just about to order a Happy Planner sticker storage box until I saw their almost $8 shipping fee and the 7-10 day delivery TAT. I clicked off of the site. I was also in Michaels yesterday looking at sticker books and walked out empty handed. Told myself you already have enough books you don't use. Gotta do better... thanks for another pep talk.
$8 shipping?!??! As an Aussie I dream of such numbers! $20 shipping is usually the starting point for us :-(
Honestly those sticker book organizers are silly junk
The dollar store has similar boxes if you need the storage
I get that! I can spend like $15 at Erin Condren and the shipping is twice that to the UK. It's not worth it!
I looove this video - including the f-bombs! 😂 I absolutely lost it around the 15:28 mark. I had to pause the video and try not to wake my husband with my laughing!! 🤣😂
Every time I want to buy all the things I try to think about my ecological footprint. Do I want to be part of all the waste? It sounds very lofty when I think about it but somehow just knowing that I'm not contributing to that little bit of extra waste makes me feel good and helps me resist FOMO.
it's totally on my mind as well.
I feel the same way. This is why I don’t buy things just to “support”
I feel like I’m sitting in church and the preacher is talking and it’s like he/she knows me or something
Exactly!!!
I really appreciate your awareness of the ethical implications of this community/hobby, without crapping all over it and saying we are all bad for liking planners and paper. heck yeah
I am SO glad I found this video
I’m pretty sure you’re my life coach at this point 🤷♀️😉
This is one of thise subjects that makes me eternally grateful that my planning style is pretty minimal- a pen and a planner is most of what i do. I only have two sticker books that i bought at goodwill and a discount store bc i had been looking at them for months when i saw them for like $3/$6
The only thing ive bought for myself recently is a new bullet journal for the start of the year and a new, bolder felt tip pen, bc i like the look and the pens i have dont flex enough to give the effect i wanted. The pens i use ive had for years, everything for my planning fits in two small containers, and i dont allow myself to get anythibg that won't fit in them. And although I swoon over some of the stickers and washi at the store, it often isnt really worth it for me to buy it bc it takes forever to use it.
which pen did you get? (haha ironic I'm asking this)
insidiousChaos well you are now officially an influencer! I have got to slash and burn through the wilderness of planner crap until I reach the spacious clearing where you, your pen and your planner reside.
@@christinecortese9973 😂😂😂👍🏼
I loved buying the things until I realized two things:
1. I could never use it all at the rate I was purchasing the product. (Not to mention I didn't want my planner to be a carbon copy of someone else)
2. People are really not nice during launch releases. I have a happy planner in my planning lineup but I do not like the energy around the purchasing.
My weekness is PENS! (It is bad)
This couldn’t have come at a better time. Just bought a bunch of planner stuff for no reason at all. I already have everything I need, and I’m on a tight budget, so I need to reel myself in! 😨
Inga M. SAAAME
I added a little more to my stash, although I committed to not doing so in 2020. But I'm proud that I did drop 2 monthly subscriptions this month! Next month, I'll stay of of sub boxes and ALL other planning stuff spending!
Omg, where did you get that sweater? I love that color. Also what lip color are you wearing? You look gorgeous today!!
Target! It's from their plus size line
Amanda Johnson Yes! Could be a Curly Girl promo video.
Yes! I so agree! Your hair is beautiful and you look so pretty in that color
Agree!
6:55 oh my God, that’s the best description ever, happy planner is the Pokémon of our hobby! 🤣 TBH, they made a lot more money off of me when I first found them at the start of 2017 and there was a limited product line. I bought all of it, and because there wasn’t a ton and I could use all of it in one planning sesh, and so every time there was a new release Id continue buying every single thing. But once they really started expanding like you described, it became overwhelming. At first I kept buying everything I loved, but then I couldn’t flip through that many sticker books during one planning session, and I felt like everything was way too spread out, and I got to a point where I just had mountains and piles of sticker books stuffed away in drawers and filing systems and they never came out and saw the light anymore. That’s when I finally gave up and entirely stopped purchasing all together. With maybe one or two little exceptions here or there, I haven’t really purchased from them for probably a year and a half, aside from just one basic planner each year for product photography.
like oh my god there’s school releases, then holiday releases, then new year releases, then spring time and end of the school year releases, then back to school releases again… it’s just too much.
And then on the other side of things, I own a sticker store and I feel like I absolutely have to keep up and hit as many holidays as possible, or I’m disappointing my customers. That said, I have had holidays with huge releases of many different designs and multiple variations, and I’ve done other holidays where I release two or three specific things, and I feel like I end up coming out with relatively similar profit/sales. Probably for the exact same reason: If there are only a few things, it’s easy to want all of them and justify it. But when there’s just too much, I give up and shut down. My favorite sticker stores that I buy from religiously only offer a limited number of products at every release, and they can absolutely always count on my money. 💗
Oy. I am exhausted just thinking about it. All right… Back to the video.
I started a no buy/low buy year and don't really know what to think about all the journalling consumerism going on in the communities I am a part of. I am not a very active member, but it is nice to see other people's ideas and creations and join in on their enthusiasm. Don't get me wrong, I like nice things and I do have my own collection of stickers and tapes, but I never really understood the hype of releases and the lure of "you need this!"
I am really happy people in different channels are starting to talk more and more about social media and peer influencers as marketing channels and I hope it makes an impact to get people more aware of how they make decisions.
I used to be a Happy Planner and I'll admit, I got caught up in all that hype and consumerism. But after a while, it gets EXHAUSTING and I accumulated years worth of supplies that I never used. NOW, I am an EC user and got rid of most of my Happy Planner stuff and now, I cant even stand to look at Happy Planner things anymore. LOL. Their releases are seriously ridiculous in the amount of things they come out with.
Janel Plans me too!! I cannot stand with Happy Planner stuff! It’s A LOT!!!
I feel the exact same. It only took a year of using happy planner for me to be Done with them!
I had to stop myself when AmandaRachLee came out with her doodle planners. I was STOKED and high key about to buy 2. But a few things stopped me. 1) the price of it alone not counting shipping. 2) I only wanted it when I saw other people talk about ordering theirs. Otherwise I was perfectly okay with my cheap journal from Michael's that I only bought because it was on sale. 3) I felt like I was missing out because there was a limited amount and I mean it's AmandaRachLee!
I didn't and dont NEED the fancy expensive doodle planner. I dont actually WANT the planner. A big deal was made about it and it seemed like everyone got one and I wanted to fit in.
Great video! The pressure to buy limited editions is so pervasive for planning as well as other hobbies.
One thing that helped me resist the FOMO, was seeing people 20 years older than me trying to sell the cross stitch supplies that they bought in the eighties. They are shocked that no one wants the limited editions that they paid for and now have a tough time finding anyone who will take it off their hands for free.
Now for planning, pens, and sewing hobby supplies, I try to buy just what I am going to use now. With a constant supply of new items, I know I can always find something new to feed my creative needs. Designers are constantly releasing new items, but I work full time, so I can’t possibly use everything that I like. In the cross stitch community we refer to the excess as SABLE (Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy).
You're speaking to me... I know it lol. Btw, your hair looks really good, the curly girl method is really working for you.
thank you!
Important message, thanks! I think the older I get ( cheers to 40 this year), the less I’m worried about FOMO. But it is the reason I have a huge freaking box of over 1000 washi tapes!
BTW, Hair game on point! Looks beautiful!
shyra7480 Sorry? 1000? Are you joking? No judgement just wondering.
Dianne Holst I have that many. But I’m slowly whittling the collection down by bringing the ones I don’t like to my classroom for my sixth graders. The problem is, I like them all! 😂
I am certainly guilty of this. I see new releases and instantly want it/ must have it all, though I have gotten better at figuring out whether I truly want this thing or need it. Happy Planner has truly become a company of quantity rather than quality and honestly I am finding that a turn off. I need my planner to stay organized and as a me time kind of hobby, but the amount of stuff being constantly released and how hard it is to find is exhausting.
First, your hair looks super cute! Second, you are so right! I've had to unfollow certain accounts that I love because I was just buying stuff because I didn't want to miss out! It was a bunch of shit I wouldn't even use, lol!
OMG thank you for making this video. I recently got hit with some serious fomo and anxiety over a limited edition anniversary collection and a strange mix of both shame over what I bought and sorrow over what sold out before I could get it. I let that shit go on for a while before I shook myself like "WTF are you doing??" I'm fairly new to the "planner community" but I quickly got into stickers and washi and hoards of crap that I never knew existed but suddenly NEED TO BUY RIGHT NOW. That's some BS right there.
Saaaaaame…..
Attacked, but I needed to hear it. FOMO in this community gets the best of me!
SUCH a relief to hear you talk about the term "Influencer." You may hate the word, but I love that you're not pretending it isn't a thing.
This is something I could write an essay about.
1. I found myself REALLY wanting to be accepted by people, so I bought things THEY liked, so I would be “acceptable”. This has many parallels in my life.
2. The g-damn “exclusives “!!!
3. Pretty stuff everyone else has! I’m not cool enough to have friends to share supplies with so it ends up as a hoard
So. This year I am using up what I have and making my own. I’m likely going to be banished from the “cool” tables now lol
are the cool tables really all that cool? haha you're always welcome at my suave ass table
My bestie and I are both doing a "no-buy, low-buy" challenge this year. We're making every effort to use up all the planner things we have and only buy something if it's a supply we use all the time and actually run out of, such as double-sided tape or glue sticks. Sometimes we'll buy from or trade with each other for things like TN inserts, Happy Planner stuff, specific colors of pens (she dislikes pink but I love it, so I often end up with her pink pens if she buys a colored pen set), and so on.
This ties into the words we each picked as our words for the year. Hers is SIMPLIFY, while mine is CLEAR. We're both trying to downsize the clutter in our homes and streamline our planning systems. So far, it's working out pretty well for both of us. When you're working toward your goals, it really helps to have a best friend with goals that are similar to yours! It's like having a free life coach. lol
I will admit, I loves me some organization porn, too. But for me, it's more like what you described as far as taking note of how the person organizes their things rather than specific products they're using. I'm always looking for better ways to organize my stuff. Most of the time, I'll DIY my own version of whatever I see whenever I can. That way it's even more special to me because I made it myself!
Great video, as always! 😎
I was a child of the 80s - which meant I was in the original sticker craze. I had them all - puffy ones, scratch-n-sniff, etc. I had sticker books galore. And don't get me started on Hello Kitty stationery items. Then I grew up and put away the stickers and scented markers. Suddenly, two years ago I discovered that was it was perfectly normal for a woman in her 40s to collect stickers! And...well...this video got me. You are so right. I need to ONLY buy what I will actually use.
2020 is my no planner buy.
For 5 years I’ve purchased relentlessly (budgeted for it but spent it all as well), trying to help small shops, because it was cute, because I love my friends with shops, etc. I realized, during some hard months, that I can do without a lot of this.
So I deemed 2020 a “only if you NEED” year.
I know I have a major issue with new releases. Every season, I agonize with myself to not buy things I know I don't need. It takes weeks and months to constantly remind myself not to buy a thing. I usually win that battle over time, but then a new release comes out, and I see something pretty and new and the agonizing starts all over.
I started looking at planner videos 3 days ago and I literally just discovered you today. Oh my goodness! You give it up - straight no chaser. Thank you sooooooo much. You have saved me from falling in that deep planner rabbit hole. Your authenticity reaches my 59 year old soul and I'm subscribing to all your platforms girlfriend.
WHOLE VIDEO IS A MOOD, I need in 2020
It's so nice to see someone talk about the consumerism in the planner community, I can't believe I haven't found your channel yet! I'm always feeling a little weird that my spreads look kind of samey (I only buy the sticker books when they're on clearance at joann, and even then I don't buy every clearance book I can find, just the ones I know I'll use) but it's really great to see someone else in the planner community that isn't obsessed with buying every new planner product all the time.
I had a reality check before December. I realized how much money I spend on planner items and seeing it on paper I almost had a heart attack. I always wanted everything then I realized I don’t need everything. The impulse buying is over. One of the reasons why my planner is now more simple this year. I still have so many things I haven’t used.
I remember back in the day when the Internet was decades away in the future, families went to one another’s homes to see every present given to them- Christmas was grueling and jealousy provoking- it was real live hauls. I remember one aunt showed allll her sweater sets - at five I thought I was better off going to the dentist!
You are doing great things with these videos- I am using an EC planner for the first time and I only use whatever I have here. I’ve bought way too much in the past and it’s all sitting in a big white container. Never to be looked at again I suppose. This video message is one of the most important. Thank you xo
Just wanted to tell you that your hair and skin look amazing! And this video was very refreshing and REAL! Thankyou!
I KNOW I have a problem... sometimes. It’s not FOMO or peer pressure. Mine coincides perfectly with emotional issues! And I happen to overindulge in my two “passion” areas which are Planning and Makeup. I hate that I do it but I’ve finally decided to not hate myself for doing it. I’m going to have to not allow myself to “look” when I feel those times coming on. UGH
This video is awesome, and I realized I am actually using your advices every time I see something I "want. So much so that I only bought one thing on sale this month, a huge plaid at only 10€. And in France, it's sales times. I'm just not interested these days, and I think that's because of you. So thank you, because now that I'm using your method, I am saving so much money that I will be able to get something I really want and need.
Keep speaking the truth - my purchasing slowed down when I stopped following some key IG accounts and planner haul videos. Still get caught by those special sales. #anniversarybox #seasonalsurprise
Same, as I'm going along I try to ask myself how I feel after viewing every video or IG post -- do I feel inspired? Do I feel affirmed? Or do I feel anxious and consumerist? And if it's the last, stop right that minute and go un-follow.
I was so bad about this when I started “deco” planning 3 years ago... I’m trying to be more mindful & avoid planner “haul” videos. Thank you for this video!!! I’m downloading it & saving it when I get that bad FOMO. I watch beauty videos also and so many are cutting off PR for the same reasons because it’s overwhelming. Thank you for this Cindy!!! BTW you are absolutely glowing in this video!
I watch beauty videos as well - I think currently my danger zone is purchasing skincare
You're right! Excellent color for you!
I absolutely adore your videos. You are in my head, we get caught up in the new new so much that we don't get around to using the stuff we have. I have this talk when I buy stuff
This was like a free therapy session. Thank you.
This is one of the best videos I have seen regarding planner community topics. Unfortunately, in my 6ish months of joining the community, I have quickly realized how easy it is to be influenced and have fallen for some of the traps. I'm trying to be more aware moving forward, and so seeing your video definitely helps open my eyes to consumerism at its finest. Can't wait to keep seeing your future videos around this because I think they are so honest and true, and I appreciate it so much - thank you!
First of all, you look great and I hope you are feeling much better. Thank you for posting this -- I have been thinking along the same lines and have unsubscribed from several groups recently. One of my former favorite reviews upset me. When reviewing a new planner, it sounded more like a TV commercial than an honest review and that really turned me off. My biggest mistake was Power Sheets. I had been reading about them for a couple of years, and everyone loved them so I but them. I did the prep work. I did my first tending list. But after looking at my goals, they really didn't change. I learned the principles of goal setting from the original Franklin Quest, and still use them. So I have put my Power Sheets away. I'm sure that they were truly helpful for a lot of people -- I'm not knocking them. But I found that I didn't really need them.
Thank you again for posting this.
Wow. This video just blew my mind!!! I applaud you on your honesty and insight.
I love how you are so straight up with us. I tend to make my own planners and stickers or buy my stickers from the dollar tree or other discount stores.
THE best dose of reality on the internet, ever! Love it, thank you for being so real.
I love seeing how other people organize their lives and the things in their lives. It's fun to figure out how I can better organize the crafting supplies I have with the shelves I already own. If I think I need something then I write it down and wait for a sale. When a sale starts I revisit my list and it's something I truly want/need and will actually use I'll buy it. I also ask myself, "Will I use this within the next 3 months? How will I use this to better my life?". If I hesitate on the answers I don't get it. This is something that took me years to really integrate into my life, but I feel better about what I buy. Love your videos.
I really appreciate your message here. I'm sure you may take heat, but what you are saying is so helpful and important. I'm new to this decorative planning/art and a former scrapbooker. I need your voice in my playlist to keep my sanity and not completely lose control. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
I really appreciate you doing this video! The frenzy around buying stickers and accessories for planners is a little crazy IMO. I just started using a Happy Planner in December, and I love it. I'm using it for my budget. I don't have the fever of buying the latest planner accessories, but I do find myself wanting new stickers lol. WTF. I haven't wanted stickers since I was about 6. I just take a deep breath and tell myself "no" and find creative ways to substitute those "just right" stickers for my own handwriting. Works every time. :)
Best way to stop the impulse buying is to live in a country with a horrible postal service (it takes 2 months if I am lucky unless I pay a high postage) lucky move for me, i have finally used washi tapes started from 10 boxes to 1 box
Thanks for this! I also hate the term "influencer." So the rest of us are just here to be influenced? Nope, sorry. I have a big anti-establishment streak in me, so I purposefully don't buy things recommended by anyone who outright calls themselves an influencer.
I know I am very easily influenced. I have a very functional planner style but when I see all the pretty things I want them. Thanks for the video it’s good to know I’m not alone in my fomo. Also I love your curly hair.
I often tell my hubs and our D&D group that if I can resist buying ALLLL the stickers, I am not going to become a dice goblin. I appreciate the shiny math rocks, but like stickers, I appreciate what I already have even more and am particular about what I add to my collection. That being said, I'm a sucker for all the haul videos. Not a big fan of book haul videos, but planner supplies or organization videos? Yaaaasssss.
Stephanie I am ALWAYS wanting new dice sets lol
@@ladyagent3556 I'm a sucker for the metal sets. I've seen so many pretty ones but they're not metal. lol
Lol dice goblin! 🙂💚
I will put every sticker, stamp, planner, pen, etc back just so that I can reward myself with a new set of clicky clacky math rocks. Hi, my name is Kris and I am a dice goblin.
@@kristie9144 lmao They do have a certain allure, don't they?
Your hair looks amazing today! I would love for you to do a WW video, I recently rejoined.
Amen sister! I was falling into that trap in a BIG way. I suffer from anxiety and depression. Add FOMO to the mix and it is almost toxic! I accidentally found a way to side-step FOMO. One night I was working on a spread while the latest release was being advertised. As I flipped thru sticker books I already owned, I began to realize I already had BETTER stickers in my collection! Craft room tours are yummy. I’m over hauls. I only watch hauls from my favorite influencers. You almost got me with the big Krissyanne Designs release. But I was saved by the soft pastel shades. I’m into really bright stickers. Whew! But I must add some Steve stickers to my collection before long. And I have budgeted to buy your upcoming book in March. I’ll get the book upon release, because I love books even more than stickers! But Steve will have to wait for a few months. Sigh...I really want some Steve stickers in my life...😉
I adore this video and am so excited for more! Thank you for this mental guidance back to reality. I really appreciate it!
Thank you so much for posting and talking about his message. I’m brand new to this planner journey and could easily see myself overspending on things I don’t need. This has been helpful to ground me and remember why I set my budget in the first place. Your honesty and insight is greatly appreciated. 😊
Oh I love this. My biggest influence is plan with me. I will see something I like and be on the search also organization videos get me alot. They are bad because it's whole how and no subject seems to be off limits with them. Where as pwm are obviously its own thing. The one thing that balances me out though is I love declutter videos the most and I try not to buy alot because I don't want to be the person who 6 months later is decluttering the things I thought I wanted so bad lol.
Thank you Cindy for being completely honest and true to yourself with us, not gonna lie when the HP line comes out with new products 1) i check if i have the money to buy it 2) i ask myself if im really going to use it and in what way 3) will i fall out of loving this product BECAUSE i have scrape book paper collection out the wazoo (3yrs ago) n most i barely even touch and looking back at them in my head im like “what the hell was i thinking buying so much” so now im trying to use it to fill out my planner + BJ n what i know im not gonna even touch i just donate it
You last FOMO video helped me a lot especially since I had just ended up single after a 9 year marriage and broke after the bills. I am still broke but I no longer have FOMO! Lindsay's video spoke to me as well and I use what I have, shop what I have and do without. I have learned to plan for both sides of my brain and how to do my art and writing in one space with the bill pay area just outside of my creative space to reduce any anxiety of having both in one area and reducing my creativity.
It's funny, Lindsay's newest video came across just after you said her name, lol. I am subscribed to both of you ladies and appreciate you both.
First of all I have to say that I love your style. Thank you for the advice of not getting sucked in. I have bought stuff because I watched someone unbox their haul. I almost bought a 49.99 box but the $30 shipping stopped me from finishing the purchase. I do like the happy planner book because I like the disc style. I will definitely be more aware of shopping online because I see something I love and think I need. Thanks again and keep on doing what you're doing.
Cindy, I feel this SO HARD. In 2015 I was a student when I first got into planners and I had a vertical ECLP. Didn't even stop to think before I bought it whether it would work for me in that setup or not.
For nearly a year I had IT ALL. Every colour washi, SO MANY stickers, way more than I could ever use! I had the charms and the bookmarks and all I wanted was more.
And then I got bored of my planner and stopped using it, and all that stuff went to waste.
I recently bought the new ECLP as I'm now a teacher so I can use all the organisation I can get. But i researched planners and decided that the Horizontal layout of the ECLP was the best for me.
I've bought 4 types of sticker from one shop on etsy.
Now I look at the planners with all the fancy stickers and I'm like 'That's great but who the hell has the time'. I sure as hell don't and I'm not willing to take time from my family or my me-time to stick stickers in a book!
I love your perspective.
(Also can I just say your hair looks GREAT here! Mine is a similar curl but I am going through it with the frizz battle right now)
I just recently found you and everything you say is spot on and I love that you talk like I do. Swearing and real talk!
The trick that puts me in the open wallet mood is when shipping or postage costs are taken off. I live in New Zealand and our shipping is usually a gosh dang nightmare so when those costs are removed the items no longer seem so exorbitantly expensive. To fight that shopping urge, I instead cull my bloated wishlists on websites. I get the satisfaction of browsing goods and making decisions about what I may purchase, but without the actual purchasing bit. It's what DON'T I want instead of what DO I want. Let's face it, that item you added to your wishlist 5 years ago is not a thing you're going to buy. (Culling these lists also means there are fewer items to get promotional emails about which starts to curb the cycle too)
I think Cindy has been the influencer 😜 through this video that has put the burning need to go through stuff that has been "the precious" for years and gift a bunch of stuff to my daughter and others so that I am not holding on to all this stuff. I have at least stopped the bleeding as far as being far more conscious of what is coming in since going through the KonMari method in 2017. And I am a Happy Planner consumer. But since HP acquired a business partner, the marketing has been way more aggressive and I am seeing a lot of people are kind of over it. I see a significantly greater number of "anti haul" discussions, and it gives me hope that others are being a lot more conscious of how much they are amassing. There is a group I am in that has a no spend mission through April. Lots of great ideas going on to make use of what you have, and the vibe is awesome. People even using discs like sobriety chips like AA. 😂😂😂
Just found your channel I'm doing a no buy on planner supplies and makeup this year. You are so refreshing, funny and on point thank you
What gets me is when I see how people use the new shiny things. That makes me want to go shopping more than promo videos or hauls.
Omg TRIGGERED with the Happy Planner call out 😅😅😅😅😅
I had my credit card cut a while ago. The best decision I've ever made. But, back in the day, you could have totally had me at "limited edition". However, even if I still had my cc, buying from abroad is a real nightmare in my country, so I can watch haul videos all day long.
Super happy you're bringing this matter to the forefront. Well received. Thanks so much, Cindy!
I have gotten better now that I have found my "planner peace" but I am guilty of buying things and telling myself it's a functional purchase when its really not! Hoping to be better about extra spending this year for sure!
No joke, this video popping on my Roku while I sit here crocheting on a Saturday night is PROOF POSITIVE that the Great Google Gods are listening to our conversations. No less than 20 min ago, I was talking to my brother about how I've started writing out my expense tracking, and how it's making me more cognizant of my spending and how much I spend on bullshit (and how going to the Y to work out every day this week seems to have curbed my extraneous spending...not sure how that tracks). And now I'm watching you discuss this very topic with the erudite eloquence of a genius pirate. Thank you for being you; I've only just found your channel this past week, and I'm already a huge fan, even if we plan in very different ways 😁
HP is DEFINITELY the Pokémon of planners 🤣 I think I’m finally over trying to “catch em all” phase and being more aware of what I will actually use.
amazing video cindy...you talk so much sense!! i have just weened myself off FOMO it was a very expensive addiction...I managed to max out a credit card (thankfully ive paid it off now!) I used to watch all the planner girls doing their spreads and i wanted mine to look just as pretty and arty as theirs....i dont do that now, i am just using all the stickers ive ever purchased and making my own style. the biggest influence i fell into was the pelle studio trend. I spent a fortune on one and waited about 4 months for it to arrive, then when it came i really was not into it at all so i sold it. ive stopped watching these certain girls and unfollowed them on instagram...it was the only way to go cold turkey!! anyway im loving your series on FOMO and looking forward to more. The subject of washi tape is a definate trigger for FOMO...especially simply gilded. I used to set my alarm for like 2am my time (belgium) so i could grab what i wanted and when i look at it now, i never used it lol. happy days! x
Girl. I don’t know who you are but this video is amazing. I’m new to this stationary stuff and already falling down the rabbit hole so I’m subscribing so you can tell me the truth all of the things all of the time. Hugs to you and everyone here💕✨
Oh Cindy, you grabbed hold of my heart and loved it tenderly when you brought up organizational videos. I feel you so hard on that one! And the craft room/office tours. Oh man the tours. I totally get off on seeing something well organized. I think the thing that makes me impulse buy the most would be haul videos. I think it's because I trust the people whose videos I watch, so if a product is good for them, it's good for me!
Last thing I impulse bought was only 1 or 2 months ago and it was the planner purse and I was sooooo excited. Immediately regretted it the second it came to my house because the quality of it. So I unfollowed every account that was the main influencers of that company.
The trap that gets me is a sale. I want to maximize my dollar and get all the things I can. Hauls with discount codes....kriptonite! I have more joy putting in the order than actually using it when it arrives. I have since logged out of Instagram so I don't see the sales.
For me it's when I keep seeing many people buy something that I start to think hmm must be a good thing, might need to get it. I used to get sucked in more by influencers showing off things but I stopped watching hauls & people who only use the newest of the new and that has helped a lot with that. A lot of the limited editions are either not really that limited or you can easily find in bst groups so I got over that quickly.
I have a couple of rules to keep it under control. First is never without a sale and preferably a coupon and a sale. Second, especially with hauls I’m stunned at how much money they spend. Then I think about the fact that it’s pretty much their job. Would I make that kind of investment in my job, yep. But that’s not my job. And my organization stuff usually comes from the dollar store. Finally, I review my finances nightly. I currently use 3 planners but it’s because I’ve got a ton going on right now. Not planning on keeping that going since my main planner already has detailed planning and is usually enough. Nice to hear this. It’s super easy to get swept up in all the new stuff!
You looked lovely in this video! I just had to let you know :). Also, great topic & reminders. I’ve been working on doing a contentment / spending challenge through March. But girl, seriously, that hair!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. There’s definitely a conversation to be had about being a responsible influencer! I’m just starting to delve into this platform and “plannertube”. I definitely want to be conscious about what I’m sharing.
I have stepped away from buying a lot of what I used to buy because I have accumulated so much stuff and decided no more until this stuff is used up. It is ridiculous the amount of stuff I have accumulated and not used.
I love you and your honest authenticity. I agree, organization videos....OMG I am totally distracted by the beautiful organization behind you. 😆😆😆 BTW your hair is lovely today!! You look great!
Great video and very true. Thanks!!
You look absolutely gorgeous in this video! Hair, makeup, everything on point!!
I am a Happy Planner person and I ALWAYS wait out the craziness to see what I actually want, if it will work for me, and wait until I can get it on SALE if, after all of the waiting, I decide that I could really use it. Great video! So many people get so caught up in the hype.
Your hair. Amazing, I’m literally in awe.
I am 100% in agreement on haul videos and posts. I hate them. They're just showing off. No redeeming value.
How timely that this video hit. I’m currently decluttering my craft closet. I see all of the stuff I purchased in the past year that I haven’t used because my stuff isn’t organized and visible. If I was to add up the cost of my unused stuff I bet I could have had enough money for that bucket trip to Hawaii I’ve always wanted to go on. I’ve just cancelled all but one sub box so this is my year of using what I already have. Thanks for keeping it real Cindy!
Dang, Cindy, you just come out with exactly what I need to hear! Thanks for the great video!
I think you were also very fair and not blaming or talking bad about influencers or companies or even the people who are #buyingallthethings ! There's nothing wrong with it. :)
Thank you! It's my 2020 goal to not purchase new planner supplies (except a 2021 planner), and use my shit.
I recently fell victim to this. I had surgery mid-December so I had some free time while I was home healing. I watched some haul videos and I got sucked right in. I honestly don't even know how many orders I placed for stickers. I'm receiving them now and I just shake my head. Now I need to get on it and use them!
Everything you say is so true! I am on a no spend for a while and I am doing very good actually but just because my boyfriend is very supportive😅 It's like an addiction that you can't escape. The hardest part for me is when I see other people having it and showing. It happened so many times that I was very determined NOT to buy whatever the hype was about, but then I go on Insta or Facebook and see ALL these people saying that I need this and that. I decided to mute the groups and the Insta Post until the hype is over and that helped me a lot!
Just popping in the comments to say , you look GORGEOUS today, not that your not everyday. Your hair and eyes are on point.
I totally agree on the mindset thing. Because for me at the moment, haul videos lets me live the moment of getting a whole heap of stuff in the mail without having the commit to the purchase of storage of the items (more related to videos rather than photos, i tend to gloss over those). But I also sometimes have to stop watching because as you mentioned, next moment I have a tab open with 20 things in my cart.
Good grief! You are so right about all of this. I know it and have gone down the hole so many times. Thanks for this reality check.
This is so timely for me!! We're just far into the new year that the shiny has worn off of my planner stuff and I'm wondering if I made the right choice. Thank you for reminding me that I need to stick with what I have just a bit longer to see how I can make it work for me. The stickers are gorgeous and I want them all, but what if I decide to plan a different way and now the stickers aren't the right size, etc???