Budget-Friendly Ways to Preserve Photos

This post was updated in 2022.

Because I hear so many people lament about {not having time} for preserving photos and memories, I write a lot of posts about time–ways to make time, myths about “not having time,” and such.   After the topic of time, though, the runner-up of memory-keeping obstacles I hear about is money.  We’re all on a budget.  Preserving photos needs to be affordable.  How do you preserve your photos without breaking the bank?  Aren’t there some budget-friendly ways to preserve photos and memories?  Actually, yes!

I think one reason that people automatically think that memory-keeping is expensive is because they assume memory-keeping means scrapbooking.  It can mean scrapbooking, certainly, but it doesn’t have to.  Hopefully you know that {memory-keeping= scrapbooking is a myth}.  There are other ways to preserve pictures.  Photos have been around for 200 years, so there are obviously other ways to preserve them.  {Scrapbooking is not a requirement for memory-keeping}!

Here's the thing.  I’m all about solutions.  I want to give you something you can DO.  

So let’s really break it down and look at the most cost-effective ways of getting your photos out of the no man’s land of your computer (or phone) and getting them SEEN.

We'll look at 3 different ways.

1- THE COST OF TRADITIONAL PAPER SCRAPBOOKING

Scrapbooking is an art (or at least a craft).  It’s usually creative people who choose to preserve their photos via the creative method of scrapbooking.  Some people even go to weekend scrapbooking retreats.  There are big scrapbooking expos with hundreds of vendors.  Scrapbookers love scrapbooking.  I saw a meme once that said, “Blessed are the children of scrapbookers for they shall inherit the scrapbooks.”  And that’s the truth!  They are precious for the photos and memories they contain, for the lives documented there, but they’re also works of art.

As it turns out, traditional (paper) scrapbooking is actually the most expensive way to preserve your photos and memories.  The cost of scrapbooking in a somewhat basic style like this one pictured includes several different kinds of papers, a binder of some kind, sheet protectors, pens, a trimmer or paper cutter, adhesive, and –of course– the photos themselves printed out.  There additional options, too, such as stickers, punches, and borders.  There are scissors and punches of all kinds, as well as crafting machines to create die-cuts and vinyl stickers.  

So you can really embellish the dickens out of a scrap page if you choose.  This is why it’s hard to pinpoint a true per-page cost of traditional (or paper) scrapbooking.  If you buy a 30-sheet pack of paper, will you use it all or have some you’ll never use?  If you buy a punch, will you use it 300 times or 3?  So I’ll just do my best with the cost breakdown.

Here’s an approximation of what one basic traditionally-scrapbooked page costs (without any stickers or other embellishments):

• 2-4 pieces of scrapbook paper:  $3
• 4 printed photos:  $1
• page protector:  50 cents (depending on size and quality)
• PLUS one-time purchases that would be prorated for a per-page cost breakdown (though one-time purchases do need replacing):
• adhesive:  $4-$5
• paper cutter or trimmer with blades:  $20
• pens:  $3-$4 each (may want multiple colors or styles)
• binder/album:  $10-$40

This doesn’t include storage boxes or travel totes, but for a basic scrapbooked page, the cost comes out to around $4.50-$6.00 with ZERO embellishments.  Add stickers, punches, borders, die cuts you’ve created with your own machine, etc., for another $1-$6, which brings the total to $5.50-$12 per page.  

Keep in mind that with traditional scrapbooking, you are really in charge of the per-page price.  If you’re looking to save some money, the simple/basic style is your best bet.  I have a friend who doesn’t buy anything unless it’s on sale.  (And I’m not kidding you!)  That’s also a good rule of thumb for keeping the price low on traditional scrapbooking.

2- THE COST OF SIMPLE ALBUMS

Craft stores and even big-box stores sell albums you can just stick your photos in.  Some come with pages (somewhere to put your photos) included and some don’t.  There’s a huge variation in cost, but an average is about $15-$40 for an album with 20 pages in it.  The big key to remember here is that you still need some good quality paper and pen!  Unless the album you choose has space for you to write details of the photo and your memories, you’ll have to add that on your own.  Of course, 4 printed photos still cost around $1, so don’t forget to add that cost in, too.

And one other big key to remember is that while cheap is often attractive to the pocketbook, there is definitely such a thing as too cheap.  Buying high-quality homes for your precious photos and memories is definitely worth it in the long run.

One page of photos and memories preserved via simple albums would cost around $2-$3 per page.  Again, it depends on the kits or papers you use, but this is a rough estimate.

And please, I beg of you, check the quality before you buy anything from a big-box or craft store.

Sometimes cheap is good, but usually cheap is just cheap.  I don't recommend bargain-bin type products for your precious memories and photos, no matter which of these 3 options you prefer.  If you have to go to all the work to re-create and pay for your digital photo books all over again a few years from now, you're not actually saving anything--time or money.

3- THE COST OF DIGITAL BOOKS AND DIGITAL SCRAP PAGES

Again, there is a wide variety of methods to preserve photos and memories in digital books or pages, so it’s impossible for me to give an exhaustive price comparison on digital memory-keeping.  There are digital scrapbooking companies that require you to buy art collections (the digital version of stickers and embellishments), and there are several really simple ways to print up your photos and memories in digital books, too.  Each option would have to be looked at individually, because not all digital memory-keeping methods are created equal.  $25 spent at one company might give you something better (higher quality) than $25 spent at another company.  

Quality and cost are just two things to consider.  I had a friend tell me that she stopped using a particular digital photo book company because she found out that they reserve rights to any photo you upload to your account there–so they legally have a right to use your photos if they would like.  Or sell them!  (And some have!)  Just know {what you're really signing up for with digital photo storage} is all I’m saying.  That link will help.

Because quality is a big issue for me (why bother spending time and money on something that will fall apart 5 years from now?) as well as flexibility, photo storage, privacy, and cost, I love and use Forever products because:

• I know the print and binding is top-of-the-line high quality.
• They offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
• My photos (and videos) are privately, securely stored (triple-backed up with bank-encrypted security) in my Forever account.
• I get a PDF version of my book, too, so I have both a hard copy and a digital copy (that is shareable).

Of course, with digital printing you eliminate the cost of printing your photos at a photo-processing center, too.  The only cost is for the item itself, so defining an actual cost per page is a lot easier.  There are two different options, though, depending on if you want something quick & easy or if you prefer full-on creative digital scrapbooking.  

This book was created using a free Design & Print template.

I'll give a price breakdown for both using an average-size (10x10) book, so keep in mind 8x8 books will cost a little less per page and 12x12 books will cost a little more.  Keep in mind that I'm listing full price, and books are often on sale, anywhere from 20%-50% off.  In addition, many Forever users are Forever Club members (a free program) and save an extra 5%.

 

AUTOPRINT or DESIGN & PRINT

• free software with free templates
• price for the average-size book (10x10) with 21 pages and best-in-the-industry binding at full price is $1.67 per page for a softbound book and $2.62 for a hardbound book
• Books come with 21 pages but are expandable to 99.  

This book was created using a free Design & Print template.

If you are looking for more than templates and snap-of-a-finger memory-keeping--if you prefer creative and flexible pages--you may fall as much in love with Artisan digital scrapbooking as I have.  It's a little harder to pin down a per-page price since the software and design isn't free, but I'll outline it below anyway.

ARTISAN DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING

• Artisan software to purchase and download to your computer (start with the 30-day trial, if you want), currently $184 with the 20% discount, but sales can be as high as 40% off  (so, $138), and sales change every couple of weeks.  Forever Club would be 5% more savings. 
• Digital art collections are downloaded and installed in Artisan.  There are quite a few free collections, or you may choose to buy some.  Digital art has a huge price range because it depends on how many papers/embellishments/alphabets are included in the collection, anywhere from $3 to $50.  
• The prices for Artisan and digital art should be included in the per-page price breakdown, but it really just depends.  Again, for the average-size book (10x10) with 21 pages and best-in-the-industry binding at full price is $1.67 per page for a softbound book and $2.62 for a hardbound book
• Books come with 21 pages but are expandable to 199 in Artisan.  

page from a 12x12 scrapbook created using Artisan software and digital art

That price breakdown is just a sampling because there are a lot of other sizes and options (such as lay-flat bindings), but if you’re on a budget –and aren’t we all?!– this gives you a good idea of how digital memory-keeping fits into the mix.

If either of those Forever options look fantastic to you, click here to get started--I've got a step-by-step outline for you there.

HOW THE 3 MEMORY-KEEPING OPTIONS COMPARE

The digital books are pretty much tied with simple albums as the cheapest way to preserve your pictures, and traditional paper scrapbooking definitely comes out on top as the most expensive.  (Maybe that puts it at the bottom?)  And digital has a lot of additional perks such as the ability to get multiple copies at the touch of a button or the ability to re-order more in the future.  That may influence your choice.

By the way, there are definitely bargain-bin type options online for digital photo books that might be cheaper than these shown, but the majority of them--in my experience--don't have the same quality as the options I recommend here.  As I said before, sometimes cheap is fine, but sometimes cheap is just cheap, and you might be sorry later.

So what's your favorite?

Do you like the hands-on traditional scrapbooking style, the simple photo albums from a store, or digital memory-keeping?

I always cringe a little when people tell me {they “can’t” preserve their photos because they don’t scrapbook}.  There are a lot more things out there besides traditional paper-and-scissors scrapbooking.  We’ve looked at several methods today, and there’s something for every budget.  

Being short on cash or on a tight budget doesn’t make your memories and photos less important than anyone else’s.  Your photos and memories are a gift to you, so find whatever best-quality method you can to preserve them.

Your preserved photos and memories aren’t important only if they’re scrapbooked.  They’re important because they’re yours.  Whether that means a simple album, a creatively scrapbooked page, or something in between, you’ve done it right.  You’ve done what works for you and given your family and yourself a priceless gift that lasts generations.

Save and share by Pinning, Tweeting, or Sharing to Facebook. 

This post was originally published at www.livegrowgive.org on August 11, 2017, by Jennifer Wise.

You can find more #familyhistoryfriday posts by clicking the hashtag below next to Labels.