5 Tips on Saving Up for an American Girl Doll

Picture belongs to American Girl! I just put text on it. :)

 

Hello everyone. Since we're coming up to a new year which means new stuff, I thought I'd give you all some tips on saving for an American Girl doll since AG keeps hiking up the prices for no good reason Did you know that the dolls used to sell for about $82? Yeah. And I got my first doll in 2009, when she was only $95... it's only a $15 dollar different from dolls today, but the quality really hasn't changed much... at all...
But anyway, here are my 5 Tips on Saving Up for an American Girl doll!

1. Get a budget.
Seriously. These dolls are pricey. Make and plan, and stick to it. Calculate how much money you get in your daily life, allowance, birthday money, etc. Count it all up. G Get an idea of my much money you make. Do you have to buy the cat's food? Does the dog need flea medicine? Write it all down. Now's a good time to figure out how much your American Girl is going to cost as well. Go to the AG site and stick the doll in the cart, so you'll know how much the doll, shipping and handling and tax will all cost you in the end (shipping and tax can really catch you in the end.) Start putting aside a majority of your money for what you're saving for, and then some 'free money' to be able to spend on random little things occasionally. (personally, I think if you've got enough money, it's a good idea to set aside a chunk for emergencies)  and then...

2. Be smart!
As you save, try to spend as little money if possible, if not any. (I know this isn't easy, as some of us do have to pay for cat food and flea medicine) For your budget to work, you need to stick to the amount of money you've got set for different areas in your life. Do you really need a brand new pair of boots? If you do, maybe you can find a pair at a thrift store for a much cheaper price, but still good quality. Do you really need that brand new thing all your friends have? Most likely not. Do you really need a pack of gum, a 32oz soda, or anything else you see as you come to register? Be careful with this one, it's easy to spend all your money on trinkets and candy. If you really struggle with this,  give all of your money except for your tiny bit of 'free money' to your parents, so you'll be less tempted to spend it all on that shiny thing you just saw.

3. Earning the Money.
If you don't have an allowance, or any other steady flow of money, talk to your parents. Maybe you could work something out or do odd jobs that aren't just cleaning out the toilet, like painting the living room, or cleaning the gutters.
If you have younger siblings, (and of course, if you're the right age) talk to your mom and dad about babysitting, or possibly watching other peoples children. And especially this time of year, you can ask your neighbors if they need someone to shovel their driveway or salt their steps. If you're not reading this in December, mow lawns! Rake leaves! Take a look around a see what you can do. Remember not to be greedy about this, or nasty. If you like to craft, consider opening an etsy, or selling things that you make to friends.
4. Keep at it.
Don't give up. I know it's hard, and it might take awhile. It took me several months to save up for my iPad, and I had a job and ran an Etsy business at the same time! It took me six months to buy Kanani, and I still split the cost with my grandma. (she paid shipping while I paid for the doll.) This is a great life tool you're learning, something you'll be able to use for a long time to come.

5. Don't rule out Ebay and Craigslist as options!
Just because the dolls been loved by someone else before you, doesn't mean you shouldn't by them! You can often find great American Girl dolls for much, much lower prices than you can get them from American Girl. Be careful that you don't spend too much money on these sites though. A used $80 doll that's still for sale on AG for $115 can be tempting... but is it worth it?
 If if you're up for the challenge, you could even get a TLC doll that needs some fixing up. There are hundreds of tutorials you can find online for removing pen, cleaning up vinyl, re wigging and much more! And if it gets to crazy, the doll hospital is always an option.

So there you go, my five tips for saving up for a doll. I hope this helps, and these tips can be applied to almost anything... I've used these tips to save up for my Camera, tablet, etc. I'm not claiming to be an expert, just sharing stuff that's worked for me.
Just don't give up! :)
Have you ever save up to buy a new doll, or something else? Tell me about it below!
-Jeneca

5 Tips for Taking Photos in the Snow (with dolls)

(sorry if this post was ghost for awhile, I published before completed!)

Admit it, its a daunting and dangerous thought, especially if you've never done it before. Well, truth me told, it is. Snow is fluffy water, the exact thing you're supposed to keep your doll miles away from, right? Well, yes, but it can be done!
Before I even start this list, I'm going to say this: ASK YOUR PARENT OR GUARDIAN BEFORE DOING ANY OF THE LISTED BELOW!
Your parents will know you much better than I, and will be able to give you the better answer if you, as a unique person, should take your doll outside in that frigid wet snow.
(I'm not responsible if your doll is ruined, either. I'm not telling you to go out there, only giving you some suggestions)
Alright, that said, let's start!

1. Prepare for the worst! That's right, your doll could fall face first into the snow. It's happened to me before, when I wasn't prepare, and I freaked out. Thankfully, nothing came of the matter, but better safe than sorry. Bring along a small hand towel if you plan to stay out long.

2. Make sure your doll is ready. Put some clothes on her! Give her some sturdy shoes, so she stand better. As long as your careful, she can wear anything, but just like a human coat keeps the snow off of our bodies, the right doll coat can do just the same for your doll. If you're feeling a little OCD about it, you could stuff some plastic wrap under her shirt, to help keep of the water, but no biggie.

3. Get yourself ready... That's right. If you're taking pictures, don't wear something to constraining, but you'll want to dress warm. Taking a good picture doesn't take 30 seconds (usually)

4. Keep your Camera safe! Bring out its case, or a small bag to set it in, in case you need to set it aside for posing purposes. Don't forget your touch screen gloves if you've got a mobile deceive, or if you have one, a sturdy tripod.

5. Set that camera before you go outside. It'll be a lot easier than fumbling around with it in the cold when you'd like to just return to the comfort of indoors. If you have a point and shoot, look for a snow setting on your camera. If you've got a DSLR, do a little reading on taking pictures in snowy scenes. Auto might not give you the look you want, so be prepare to change up your white balence so things don't looking funky colored, f stops and whatever else.

Alright then! I hope that gave you a few ideas, and now, if you have permission, get out there a shoot!

-Jeneca