Failing in Frugality

I love to read books about frugality.  To read blogs on saving money.  To make budgets and watch the numbers work magic.  I love to think that I am frugal...  However if being frugal were a class, I would have got an F this week.  I was browsing on etsy (mistake numero uno) and saw these super cute "un" paper towels.  I am not a fan of disposable paper products when they are not absolutely necessary.  So automatically I loved the idea of "un" paper towels.  I added a bunch to my cart (mistake numero dos) in my usual fashion.  Typically while on etsy I will add a ton of items to my cart and then narrow it down to one or two.  The average cost for a set of towels was over $50.  I thought that was ridiculous.  $50 for paper towels?  I can make that for less money!  So off I went to the fabric store (mistake numero tres) without a plan.  I figured 2 yards of the print would be good.  Then I bought terry cloth for the reverse side.  I decided my towels needed to be like the ones on etsy complete with snaps.  So I bought snaps.  And snap pliers.  When I went to check out, my bill was over $70.  Yikes!  I had to pay since the fabric was cut already.  So much for trying to do it "cheaper".  My consolation is that now I won't have to buy the snap pliers again, so that cost should be factored in at less.  And 2 yards was waaay more fabric than I needed.  I was able to make a bunch more projects and even gained $20 by selling two of my sandwich bags (which I did not intend to sell but gladly did).  So that brings my total down to $50 which is what I would have paid on etsy, and I got way more than one etsy listing.

  All in all it worked out ok, but the most important frugal lesson here, was that I should not be allowed to browse etsy or pinterest without locking up my debit card (good thing I don't use credit cards or I could have got in serious trouble!).  I would have saved the $70 if I never thought I needed "un" paper towels in the first place.  Hopefully I have learned my lesson (and I have some cute towels!).