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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2019 23:46:58 GMT
I know there have been the "frozen peas" threads but I haven't seen one for a while. I was just wondering if there was some good advice for going on a crafting spending freeze. The obvious answer is, "Don't spend any money!" but I was looking for more advice/support. Do you track what you would like to buy once you are off the freeze? One of my biggest issues is that some scrappy stuff is a flash in the pan. Take Prima Nursery Tales. Hubby scoffed at me buying 2-3 pads, 4 things of flowers, etc..Can you get your hands on that now? No. And is it my go-to for baby stuff. I love it. So what do you do? I am not broke-I am lucky and can still buy stuff if I want. But there are other things that I want too, that scrappy money could go toward. Also, I am literally running out of room. I did the big purge, cleaned it all and kept what I loved. Problem is I love a lot. I have got to use some of this stuff before I buy new, and I need to redirect my fun money. So I am open to any advice!
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GiantsFan
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Post by GiantsFan on Aug 5, 2019 0:09:12 GMT
I'm pretty aware of my spending but I do need to be reined in occasionally. Like now! For me, when I know I've been spending too much I delete before reading any blog or store emails and stay off IG or P or whatever.
I also challenge myself any of the following: I challenge myself to make xx cards before I can buy new stamps. (I'm doing this now) I challenge myself to use the new background dies. I challenge myself to use my Silhouette to cut something. I challenge myself to use two unused techniques (think alcohol inks or Nuvo paste) before I can buy another new technique. I challenge myself to use my 6x6 paper pads before buying any more. I challenge myself to start using solid cardstock for card bases. I challenge myself to go two weeks with no craft purchases no matter how good the sale is. I challenge myself to make 1 card a day for a month/week/two weeks. (I'm doing this for the month of August)
No more Christmas sets, period!
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amom23
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Post by amom23 on Aug 5, 2019 0:23:47 GMT
When I am trying to reduce extra misc. spending I just reduce the time I spend shopping - either in person or online. I delete store emails without reading them. It also helps to go into my scrapbook room and look around at just how much I already have and realizing I can never possible use it all. I really have eliminated impulse buying so I really do love what I have and I never have let myself buy more than my space can hold. I hate clutter so I work hard to keep it out of my house.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2019 0:32:27 GMT
Love those ideas and advice. GiantsFan, I am going to pretty much do your list for at least a month. Esp the 6x6. I think I really have a problem there, esp as the price is so good at TM. I don't actually love to shop, I think it is just the fear of "not getting the paper pack" or whatever that spurs me to spend. Like the poster who was asking for the Basic Grey South Pacific paper. I passed on that when I was on a spending hiatus, and now deeply regret it. Edited to add, so I think that is what I am really struggling with. Except if I say to myself, "Only buy what you love" then I will buy a lot, lol. That is why I think I just need to say no...but how not to have regrets...
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 5, 2019 0:43:15 GMT
Maybe just do a big chill. Allow yourself one thing a month you want or a set amount you will spend on craft stuff. In addition, see what you already have that inspires you right now. I'd keep a list of things that make you ooh and aaaah and when you have purchased the other items (non crafting) that you need or want, then treat yourself to a little craft splurge.
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amom23
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Post by amom23 on Aug 5, 2019 0:51:12 GMT
Love those ideas and advice. GiantsFan, I am going to pretty much do your list for at least a month. Esp the 6x6. I think I really have a problem there, esp as the price is so good at TM. I don't actually love to shop, I think it is just the fear of "not getting the paper pack" or whatever that spurs me to spend. Like the poster who was asking for the Basic Grey South Pacific paper. I passed on that when I was on a spending hiatus, and now deeply regret it. Edited to add, so I think that is what I am really struggling with. Except if I say to myself, "Only buy what you love" then I will buy a lot, lol. That is why I think I just need to say no...but how not to have regrets... You won’t know what you missed out on buying if you stop shopping. Spend time scrapbooking and using what you already have. Try to find satisfaction in knowing you used your stash and saved money. Just because you can afford to buy something doesn’t mean you should.
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Post by joblackford on Aug 5, 2019 1:01:03 GMT
I'd agree that it's best to focus on using what you have and making as much as possible, and avoiding shopping and all kinds of advertising. Especially avoid TM and other shops where you *might* find something you "need" but more likely you'll see something that you could use but never really thought to want before. Avoid the TM thread and don't go into TM and you'll never know what you missed out on. Unfortunately hanging out here just makes me want more stuff, and so does YT, so I really need to get down to work and stop spending time here.
There's always new stuff, better stuff, slightly different but basically the same stuff coming out, and there are people destashing and RAKing. I know there are some exceptions, like the discontinued lines. But for the most part if you don't get one thing you can get something similar at another time.
We crafters can make good use of everything if we try hard enough and it's hard to pass by something with potential (and it all has SO much potential). That's our creativity at work. But we can also channel that creativity into figuring out ways to use what we have to achieve what we want to do.
You've got to have a good motivation though - whether it's financial or space-based or something else. Keep that front of mind.
Clearing out a crafter's space after they have passed away was enough to cure me of any kind of hoarding tendencies I still had. It was full of potential, well organized, but too too much, and sadly she collected things to use "someday" but that day never came and she ran out of time...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2019 1:01:16 GMT
I'd keep a list of things that make you ooh and aaaah This is great advice. That way, maybe the desire to get it will fade, or I will realize I don't "need" it. Thank you.
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pilcas
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Post by pilcas on Aug 5, 2019 1:01:38 GMT
The best way is to stop looking at what’s available. Go cold turkey. Unsubscribe from the sales emails. Challenge yourself to several months freeze. Beautiful things will continue coming out after your freeze.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2019 1:03:00 GMT
Clearing out a crafter's space after they have passed away was enough to cure me of any kind of hoarding tendencies I still had. It was full of potential, well organized, but too too much, and sadly she collected things to use "someday" but that day never came and she ran out of time... Wow-that's so sad. I am sorry you had to go through that...yeah, I don't want to be there.
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Chinagirl828
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Aug 5, 2019 10:20:52 GMT
I'd keep a list of things that make you ooh and aaaah I do this by keeping a running cart at scrapbook.com I add things that I like and then periodically go through and either "save for later" or delete the things that no longer excite me. Sometimes I see a thing so often that by the time I finally click the buy button I'm well and truly over it. It helps that I only really buy from them a couple of times a year - I do not recommend doing this somewhere you shop frequently. The other thing you could try is to recreate a collection from your stash. Janet from RTS had a series of videos where she took images of the new collections and then went through her stash to build a replica kit. She had another series where she bought one key piece from half a dozen lines, and then created the rest of those collection from her stash. I've done something similar when I had really bad FOMO on a kit subscription but was trying to freeze. I think with everything, the goal is balance. If I tell myself I can't buy anything it's all I think about. If I tell myself I can spend on the Black Friday sales I'm happy to fill and review my online cart and work on using my stash at the same time.
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Post by kiwifarmer on Aug 5, 2019 11:34:26 GMT
I “pay myself” for projects competed. I have a money box in the craft room, and every time I complete a layout or other proje t I pop some money in the box.After my set time I can then use that cash to buy new craft supplies or whatever spins my wheels. It’s a great way to get through some of the stash.
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Post by scrappyem on Aug 5, 2019 12:18:58 GMT
Tons of good ideas. I am another one who has a category every month for arts supplies in my budget (I use "You Need a Budget Software", better known as YNAB). If I don't spend it, the money rolls over into the following month. I use this when I'm saving to buy something bigger, like the Scan N Cut or my sewing machine. I also try and really think about if I will use something. There's some products I really love, like Maggie Holmes stuff but never makes it on my layouts. It's just not my style. I no longer buy that type of stuff. That has probably helped me the most. The other thing I try and do now is use my favorites first when I do buy something. I have to use up what I have coming in before I can get anything extra. It is time for another purge though. It's been almost a year, so it needs to happen. Purging also helps me buy less & know what I already have and want to use.
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christinec68
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Post by christinec68 on Aug 5, 2019 12:40:57 GMT
When I first started doing freezes, I committed to making a certain number of layouts before I could buy anything new. A time limit wouldn't work for me because I was not solving the problem of having too much if I didn't make anything while I didn't spend. I started with 20 pages and have set challenges up to 50. It worked in that I used a lot of what I had and I also noticed what I reach for and more importantly, what I don't. I've been doing this off and on for years and frequently go several months without buying anything random. I am still going to buy staples (for me that would be white cardstock and adhesive) and if I need something for a gift project. Now, I try to take a little more care in what I purchase so I don't end up with a lot of things I won't use. I also have never regretted not buying something. Trends change slowly so something that is available now will likely be available in some form a year from now. If not, I am positive there will be something else I like just as much if not more. Good luck!! I “pay myself” for projects competed. I have a money box in the craft room, and every time I complete a layout or other proje t I pop some money in the box.After my set time I can then use that cash to buy new craft supplies or whatever spins my wheels. It’s a great way to get through some of the stash. That's a great idea! I remember a while ago, there were people who tried to calculate how much each page cost by keeping track of what they used on a page but it was overly complicated when it came to things like sticker sheets, letter stickers, etc. But still, a similar concept.
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Post by mikklynn on Aug 5, 2019 12:54:28 GMT
I am in the same boat. I need to use up more of what I have. I don't have the space to keep collecting. I usually try to freeze for a month at a time. Then, I'll do another month. I also do what Chinagirl828 does - I add and delete things from my shopping cart at ACOT for months at a time. I'll look at what is in my cart and wonder why I thought I needed those items.
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Post by LisaDV on Aug 5, 2019 13:09:14 GMT
I've done scrappy budgets, I only get $X to spend this month. No more. I did what christinec68 did when I first did freezes. I had X number of layouts before I could buy anything other than adhesive, usually 25 or 50. It also meant I was more motivated to get those pages completed so I could buy something new. As to shopping, avoid it and enabling threads here. Also remember, that you will find other collections you love. I bought sets when I didn't have time to scrapbook, and then when I did have time, I realized my style had changed. I didn't care for the distressed look anymore, I wanted truer colors and crispness. Then I wasted all that money on stuff I'm not crazy about anymore. Clearing out a crafter's space after they have passed away was enough to cure me of any kind of hoarding tendencies I still had. It was full of potential, well organized, but too too much, and sadly she collected things to use "someday" but that day never came and she ran out of time... That's sad, but it will be me, because I like a lot of stuff. DH & I went to an estate sale recently and I had the same idea about the rest of our house. The sale had SO much stuff! All types of stuff. Kitchen dishes galore. I like to collect kitchen dishes too. DH like to collect stuff too. I told him right there and then that was it. I wanted to get rid of our vast dish collection. I want our everyday set and one set I love. I don't want to just pile stuff up & in our new home, it has to be something we love or sentimental.
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thwarth
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Post by thwarth on Aug 5, 2019 13:23:37 GMT
I will also second using ynab. For me it helps that I have my spending priorities listed from top to bottom, so as the money comes in I allocate money to different categories. If there are other things more important to me than scrappy spending( like new couches) they get their allotment first and then I fill in the scrappy spending with what is left. I then use the same decision making process based on priorities for my scrappy spending. If I love it I buy it, if I only like it or I feel FOMO I have to really consider if it's what I want to spend my limited funds on. I have found this has developed in me the opposite of FOMO where I am afraid that something I really love will be coming down the pipeline so I save my money just in case.
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Post by joblackford on Aug 5, 2019 15:25:51 GMT
Clearing out a crafter's space after they have passed away was enough to cure me of any kind of hoarding tendencies I still had. It was full of potential, well organized, but too too much, and sadly she collected things to use "someday" but that day never came and she ran out of time... That's sad, but it will be me, because I like a lot of stuff. DH & I went to an estate sale recently and I had the same idea about the rest of our house. The sale had SO much stuff! All types of stuff. Kitchen dishes galore. I like to collect kitchen dishes too. DH like to collect stuff too. I told him right there and then that was it. I wanted to get rid of our vast dish collection. I want our everyday set and one set I love. I don't want to just pile stuff up & in our new home, it has to be something we love or sentimental. We all have a lot of stuff - life is full of stuff! I think the reason my MIL's situation was so hard was because she hadn't actually done the crafts she collected for a couple of decades, but she was still accumulating. If she had used and loved it I think it would've been a lot less sad. But it was a LOT. I didn't mean to make anyone feel bad about their stash/mortality (unless that helps!). I'm personally uncomfortable with having stuff that I'm not using and enjoying but everyone has a different tolerance for stuff. I donate and gift as much as possible to keep my stuff in the bounds of the space I have, but it's still challenging. I can only name a couple of things which I've gotten rid of that I wish I had back but I try not to dwell on it. Just like "mistakes" sometimes these things are opportunities in disguise. You make do with what you have and sometimes the result is actually better than it might have been. Another trick I use to stop shopping - pin stuff to a Pinterest board/wishlist that I rarely look at. The action of adding stuff to a wishlist or pinning can feel exactly like online shopping. You get the buzz without spending the money. Once you close out of the session you feel sort of satisfied and in a week (when the stuff would normally arrive) you'll probably have already forgotten about it. Actually, I've even had 2 day amazon parcels arrive and been surprised that I can't remember what I bought! So if I'd pinned those instead I probably wouldn't have ever thought of them again. If you are still thinking about the thing it might mean you really do want/need it, but it's worth examining why. Often I fixate on things that other people feel they need for their crafts - like stamps for cardmaking. But if I get down to work I remember that I much prefer die cuts and patterned paper and stamping is just a PITA. So I like to examine where the desire came from and what my brain is telling me I need this thing for. Then I can see that I have other stuff that will meet the same needs.
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Post by Citygirl on Aug 5, 2019 15:31:42 GMT
I would say FOMO is the cause for about 90% of my purchases so the only way I’ve ever successfully frozen spending was by completely unsubscribing, unfollowing, etc. I need to do it again.
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Post by dasmith2 on Aug 5, 2019 15:35:31 GMT
I unsubscribed to sale emails etc that has helped a lot. I also keep a running cart at Scrapbook. Com , I find after a little while things aren’t as appealing. Luckily my TM is over an hour away lol also I think setting a budget and goal(10 pages or x amount of supplies used before shopping ) helps too. Best thing for me is to spend less time on the internet lol
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Post by LisaDV on Aug 5, 2019 18:44:42 GMT
I didn't mean to make anyone feel bad about their stash/mortality (unless that helps!). I wasn't saying I was uncomfortable with my stuff or felt bad. I was just saying my kids will most likely have to deal with my craft stuff. And maybe the act of buying is what your MIL really liked and you shouldn't feel sad at all. I love the idea of adding things to a Pinterest board to get the shopping buzz. I've done the wishlist, but then the stores start sending you emails.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2019 18:50:27 GMT
Thanks everyone for all the great ideas-I am going to use a lot of them!
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Post by sleepingbooty on Aug 5, 2019 19:16:03 GMT
Like others have said, unsubscribe, unfollow. The less you hear, the more removed you are from the sales cycles and the better off you are.
You can also apply the one-in-one-out technique. So you like a lot of stuff? Good. But if you don't use it, it isn't bringing much value to your life. Before purchasing something, either use up the same amount of stuff in your stash before you get to hit the buy button or donate/sell a similar amount. Mind you, this is just a stash management technique. It won't actually help you reduce the amount of stuff you have except if you adapt it (like 1 in, 2 out).
Have you thought about a little pocket money budget instead of a complete freeze? My experience on this board tells me that those who freeze completely can sometimes feel very frustrated and go wild with their purchases when they unfreeze. Like a yo-yo diet, if you will. To help the brain cope, it's better to give yourself a little taste of scrappy sweetness here and there. By giving yourself $30-50 for the next, say, 3 to 6 months (not sure what your usual spend on the hobby is), you are learning new tools: how to budget for this hobby, how to work out what you really want and will use versus FOMO purchases, how to be happy with less (and not necessarily force yourself to fake contentment with nothing new), etc.
Good luck!
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scrapnnana
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Post by scrapnnana on Aug 5, 2019 20:50:24 GMT
I know there have been the "frozen peas" threads but I haven't seen one for a while. I was just wondering if there was some good advice for going on a crafting spending freeze. The obvious answer is, "Don't spend any money!" but I was looking for more advice/support. Do you track what you would like to buy once you are off the freeze? One of my biggest issues is that some scrappy stuff is a flash in the pan. Take Prima Nursery Tales. Hubby scoffed at me buying 2-3 pads, 4 things of flowers, etc..Can you get your hands on that now? No. And is it my go-to for baby stuff. I love it. So what do you do? I am not broke-I am lucky and can still buy stuff if I want. But there are other things that I want too, that scrappy money could go toward. Also, I am literally running out of room. I did the big purge, cleaned it all and kept what I loved. Problem is I love a lot. I have got to use some of this stuff before I buy new, and I need to redirect my fun money. So I am open to any advice! You’ve stated what I have been thinking. My current strategy is simply to stay out of any store that sells paper crafts. On my way back from the doctor this morning, I was considering stopping at the Tuesday Morning that is sort of on the way back home. I kept repeating to myself that I don’t need anything. I don’t want anything. I don’t have room for anything. I did manage to drive straight home, but it was more tempting than it should have been. I wish us both luck!
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 5, 2019 22:53:44 GMT
When I go, my kids already know that they have a lot to clear out in my scrap room. I taught them to use the potty and how to read. I taught them their multiplication facts and how to win at the slot machines. I figure we'll be even. . Now when I go on vacation, I always leave the name and number of a good scrap buddy. She knows that she is responsible for selling it all and taking half the profits. Seems fair.
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Post by Citygirl on Aug 6, 2019 2:38:40 GMT
When I go, my kids already know that they have a lot to clear out in my scrap room. I taught them to use the potty and how to read. I taught them their multiplication facts and how to win at the slot machines. I figure we'll be even. . Now when I go on vacation, I always leave the name and number of a good scrap buddy. She knows that she is responsible for selling it all and taking half the profits. Seems fair. Can you teach me how to win at the slot machines? Lol
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msliz
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Post by msliz on Aug 6, 2019 3:33:58 GMT
I've done scrappy budgets, I only get $X to spend this month. No more. I add to my scrap budget whenever I'm due a gift for holidays, etc. I'm down to nothing right now unless I give myself an early birthday gift. I don't get too strict about it, but it helps me to avoid spending if I can possibly wait it out.
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 6, 2019 4:01:36 GMT
When I go, my kids already know that they have a lot to clear out in my scrap room. I taught them to use the potty and how to read. I taught them their multiplication facts and how to win at the slot machines. I figure we'll be even. . Now when I go on vacation, I always leave the name and number of a good scrap buddy. She knows that she is responsible for selling it all and taking half the profits. Seems fair. Can you teach me how to win at the slot machines? Lol Haha. When my kid was in first grade, he went to a brand new teacher for advanced reading and she had them write how-to XXX. My kid wrote and illustrated the correct way to win at slots (it involved dollar bills, pulling the handle and waiting for the rewards). This teacher turned in my kid's paper to the principal as a concern because she felt it was too accurate for a kid to make up. (It was.) I got called into the office to discuss this and both my principal and I had a great laugh. He's been to Vegas at least 10 times since then and can hold his own in craps and roulette. He stays away from the slot machine unless he's trying to get free drinks.
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Post by mikklynn on Aug 6, 2019 12:14:52 GMT
Haha. When my kid was in first grade, he went to a brand new teacher for advanced reading and she had them write how-to XXX. My kid wrote and illustrated the correct way to win at slots (it involved dollar bills, pulling the handle and waiting for the rewards). This teacher turned in my kid's paper to the principal as a concern because she felt it was too accurate for a kid to make up. (It was.) I got called into the office to discuss this and both my principal and I had a great laugh. He's been to Vegas at least 10 times since then and can hold his own in craps and roulette. He stays away from the slot machine unless he's trying to get free drinks. I was always waiting for the teacher call after my children spent time with my parents. They'd let them order kiddy cocktails and do pull tabs!
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flatfish
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May 26, 2019 3:17:27 GMT
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Post by flatfish on Aug 6, 2019 14:16:05 GMT
There are tons of great ideas on this thread - thank you everyone. Another thing I’ve done for many many years is to teach a free card making class at a senior center or for a non profit. It’s a way to use up my stash from when I taught at scrapbooking stores. I’ve downsized (after a divorce) 90% of everything I owned but still have a heathy craft supply. I’m selective on what I buy now but paper crafting is a hobby I love.
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