Or a prioritized wishlist — depends on the angle you look at it. I wanted to write it down so I thought I’d go ahead and blog about it.

So if you’ve known me for a bit, you know I’m really strapped for money — my mom is on welfare and that’s basically the family’s sole source of income (though my grandma and aunt help us out), so if I want to invest in my work, I have to figure that out myself. Which is what I’ve been doing this year, little by little. Priority #0 was a new laptop, which I got through my Indiegogo campaign, so this is some of what I’ve got left now, somewhat in order:

1. Custom-printed Spoonflower fabric (and other supplies, not pictured) for my campaign rewards.
2. A tripod for my Canon and a remote control so I don’t have to depend on my mom for product modeling and outfit shoots. The tripod will come in handy for more than that, though, I’m sure.
3. A serger machine. This is a Bernette 610D from Bernina, which I’ve heard great things about from seamstresses, but I don’t have my heart set on any particular one.
4. A new winter coat, preferably gray or green. This one is from Ruche, which has the most gorgeous selection of clothing.
5. This — is not exactly what it looks like, but basically: going legal as self-employed. I can register for taxes fine, but to be officially self-employed, I have to register for social security fees, which are over 500€ a month, which is about seven times what I’ve made all year (Indiegogo campaign notwithstanding). I want to do this properly, but I can’t afford to do this properly, but I’d like to at some point. Even though a part of me would like to think I’ll be in England by that point, which means I should research their self-employment requirements and fees. I’m so new at all of this, you guys. It’s terrifying. But anyway, for starters, I should renew my expired ID.
6. A printer. Not necessarily large format, since I can get those prints at my lab and I do love their quality — but a printer for graphic design and photo cards would be pretty fantastic. This one is an Epson, which I’ve heard  great things about from photographers. Mostly about the Stylus range, and this one is a workforce printer, but I think that would work all right for my current purposes.
7. A new lens. I haven’t settled on one, but anything’s better than the 18-35 mm default my Canon came with.
8. Plane tickets! To London to meet Annemari in January or February, with the added cost of a place to stay… and possibly no return ticket for me. Who knows, y’all. Again with the terrifying, but I want to relocate so badly, even if I’d miss my cat and my mom and my sister with a passion. But I feel like it’d be the least scary way to move there, not really meaning to stay and then just seeing how it goes. I don’t know.

A place of my own while I get there (until I get my room back to myself in December or January) wouldn’t be amiss, either. Even if it’s a tiny studio apartment. As long as I’m alone, I’m good.

So that’s my priority list, for anyone wondering why I rarely buy anything and why, when I spend money, I feel sort of like shit. I’ve been considering running a follow-up campaign when I’m done with these rewards to fund the serger and the fabric, but the last campaign was a huge headache so I’m not sure about that. I’ll see how the shop does first. I’ve also been thinking about doing a fixed-funding campaign later on to fund my move to the UK where all the rewards are photo shoots (product, portrait, etc.), which I really like the thought of. But again, that’s for later. (Even though pushing a move earlier would mean postponing the printer — weight — and the social security registration, possibly.)

Anyway, right now, this is what I’m looking at. If you have any advice for getting these things or want to recommend any particular brand or model, I’m all ears! Otherwise, I’d love to know what you’re currently prioritizing — are you saving for anything? What do you have your eye on?