How much have you spent in a single order?

[John Harris]

Yup. Totally agree. Life is too short for that.

If you can still pay your bills comfortably, and you’re not into nefarious activities, feed your soul with more scent and more color!

LOL

 

[cerelife]

My most expensive single order was around $650, but my highest expenditure for one day was a little over $900 split between 3 companies.
I love your hobbies! They sound like a lot of fun
And whenever you start to beat yourself up, think of me:
I belong to a Mardi Gras Krewe in New Orleans and I spend at least $2K/year to ride on a float and throw things to total strangers!! And I'll keep doing it until I'm too old to climb onto the float!

 

[melinda48]

I have a pending order with Candora Soaps for $502. It's been sitting in the Checkout box for over a week. I keep telling myself, "Don't you dare click on that Place Order button!" I always get SO carried away with my hobbies.

Am I crazy to think of placing an order that big? What is the most that you have ordered at one time?

Is soaping a hobby or a business? Can you afford to spend that much? Actually, the second question is the only one that matters. If this brings you joy and if you can afford to spend it, do it. Life is short - live large!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I feel increasingly inspired to hit submit for my Nurture cart

eta: Done! I can’t make Christmas soap without Trial by Fire and I‘ve been planning to buy Winter Wonderland forever.

 

[melinda48]

I have a pending order with Candora Soaps for $502. It's been sitting in the Checkout box for over a week. I keep telling myself, "Don't you dare click on that Place Order button!" I always get SO carried away with my hobbies.

Am I crazy to think of placing an order that big? What is the most that you have ordered at one time?

I just checked out the site. Would highly recommend you look at New Directions Aromatics. I think you will find their price points are better and their products are top notch. I live in the US and order several items from them because, even with shipping, the quality/prices make it worth it.

 

[Carly B]

I just checked out the site. Would highly recommend you look at New Directions Aromatics. I think you will find their price points are better and their products are top notch. I live in the US and order several items from them because, even with shipping, the quality/prices make it worth it.

I just went to their website for the first time. Their prices are INSANE---the first fragrance I clicked on was $4.38 for 3.3 oz!!! That's almost what BB charges for a half ounce sample. How much is shipping, generally, to the states?

 

[Orebma]

You mean, like on supplies?

Even when it was a hobby my orders were pretty big, but now Every January right after I do inventory, calculate my taxes, etc., I order for the year and I usually end up paying like $2,500 or right around that, but I'm pretty much set for the year at that point and rarely do I have to put in any other orders unless it's a "want" type thing...

wow - that is so organised! Love it.
I'm still in the mad flush of trying ....and buying lol. At this point soap is a very expensive hobby for me
It's the trying thing that seems to cost so much. I don't want to buy large quantities of scents or colours etc until I know what they smell like, how they react etc etc so I buy the small sizes and the prices aren't cheap. I'm kind of filtering atm then I'll order what I know I like in larger quantities - budget permitting!

 

[Orebma]

Mine are not the$2500 supplies. Mine are the $502 supplies. Plus $50 of that is shipping.

My last order was $200 but I also had other orders delivered in the same few days so I think I wasn't too far behind you there lol

 

[gardengeek]

... And whenever you start to beat yourself up, think of me:
I belong to a Mardi Gras Krewe in New Orleans and I spend at least $2K/year to ride on a float and throw things to total strangers!! And I'll keep doing it until I'm too old to climb onto the float!

That made me LOL!

 

[Carly B]

wow - that is so organised! Love it.
I'm still in the mad flush of trying ....and buying lol. At this point soap is a very expensive hobby for me
It's the trying thing that seems to cost so much. I don't want to buy large quantities of scents or colours etc until I know what they smell like, how they react etc etc so I buy the small sizes and the prices aren't cheap. I'm kind of filtering atm then I'll order what I know I like in larger quantities - budget permitting!

That's what I did when I started. I now have hundreds (seriously) of bottles of fragrance in sizes from half ounce to 2 oz (it seems that's now the smallest size with some vendors). I'm just beginning to get bigger bottles of fragrances I want to keep, while still working through the small bottles (and even still getting new ones).

All I can say is I wish monitors were "scratch and sniff." Some fragrances sound so enticing but aren't, and some that you wouldn't consider from the description are gorgeous.

 

[jcandleattic]

wow - that is so organised! Love it.
I'm still in the mad flush of trying ....and buying lol. At this point soap is a very expensive hobby for me
It's the trying thing that seems to cost so much. I don't want to buy large quantities of scents or colours etc until I know what they smell like, how they react etc etc so I buy the small sizes and the prices aren't cheap. I'm kind of filtering atm then I'll order what I know I like in larger quantities - budget permitting!

It helps that I have been making candles since '97, and soap since '03. So I pretty much have it honed in on what I'm buying and how much of it I need, etc., So all that helps.

 

[TheGecko]

I have a pending order with Candora Soaps for $502. It's been sitting in the Checkout box for over a week. I keep telling myself, "Don't you dare click on that Place Order button!" I always get SO carried away with my hobbies.

Am I crazy to think of placing an order that big? What is the most that you have ordered at one time?

I paid $40 for a skein of Cashmere/Merino Sock Yarn. Spent a total of $200+ for 5 Skeins total.

I think the most I have ever spent at one time was $600 between three orders. I had extra money and stocked up. Dry colorants don’t go bad. Properly stored FOs will last a long time. You can freeze a lot of oils and butters.

 

[AAShillito]

What are you ordering? My biggest single order was over $200, but that was when I ordered a loaf soap cutter, and I only ordered it because I had been lusting after one and it was 20% off. Usually I make smaller orders--more expensive on shipping sometimes, but it stretches out the fun of getting new fragrances and stuff, as well a being easier on the budget.

Make no mistake, I order a LOT of stuff for just being a hobbyist. But a) it's what I do for fun (I'm also a yarnaholic--I've moved to fragrances and micas, which may not be an improvement. I have an attic full of yarn), and b) hubby loves to give it for gifts. Will I sell someday? I don't know. But even if I don't, I have come to learn it's OK if you can afford it to treat yourself to things that will bring you pleasure and spur your creativity.

Hubby has his hobby where he also buys lots of bits and pieces online (he does vacuum tube audio amplifier construction). Before that, he was brewing beer. But it makes him happy, and in fact, when he gets supplies, we now refer to it as his "soap", and we both get a chuckle.

This is a long winded way of saying that yes, it's a lot of money, but if it's in your budget (I recall you were looking for an inexpensive way to color your soap), and makes you happy, why not? I have spent that much over a period of a several months, but there are months and months when I don't get anything. The thing is, if you decide to do it, don't beat yourself up over it--that totally defeats the purpose of having fun.

I just have to say I taught myself knitting basics in 2018 and although I am a turtle knitter I have 6 large tote bags of yarn tucked away our of sight!!!

 

[Carly B]

I just have to say I taught myself knitting basics in 2018 and although I am a turtle knitter I have 6 large tote bags of yarn tucked away our of sight!!!

So my immediate image was of someone knitting turtles, and I thought that was cool. I crochet, and I made my kids a big octopus when they were growing up. And I'm sure I have a pattern for turtles somewhere.

So yeah, I think you mean you knit slowly, but I liked the other idea better.