Soooo I know I said I was going to try not to spend any money on clothes this month, because I went over last month's budget by about $80. I tried. I failed. Hard.
1. OU sweatshirt from College Bookstore in Athens. I went down to visit my sister for Sib's Weekend early last month, and the first place we stopped was the bookstore for some OU apparel. I found this gem for a steal, and it's the comfiest thing ever. | $18.04 (the year OU was founded, natch) {exact}
2. OU flannel PJ pants from College Bookstore. Speaking of comfy...woah. I love these pants and have been wearing them pretty much nonstop. | $26.99 {exact}
I was going to make the above my only purchases for the month and still try to save some face in terms of my budget...and then I discovered ThredUp. It's an online consignment store and I swear it will be the death of my clothes budget forever. I snagged a first-time shopper discount and used it to get the following steals:
3. White House Black Market dress. I've realized that peplum is just My Thing. I had a huge aversion to it at first, which is unfortunate because us hip-less gals need a little oomf in our figures. This one has a great cutout on the back. | $13.80
4. Ab Studio dress. Wrap dress ftw! I can't believe I didn't already own one of these. | $8.10
5. Saks Fifth Avenue skirt. This was totally unnecessary and I wasn't even sure it'd fit, but I loved it and that was enough for me. Bonus: It does fit! | $17.08
Grand total, with tax: $93.47. So I mean, I'm *technically* under-budget for the month. That's something, right? Right??
Here's hoping you all did better on your spending goals than I did this month...or if you failed like me, here's hoping you at least got some good deals :)
P.S. ThredUp gave me an "invite friends" offer. I can send you a link to get $10 off your first purchase (and I get $10 off too). Shoot me an email at verbal.melange {at} gmail {dot} com if you'd like one! (This post isn't sponsored by or affiliated with ThredUp. I just found something I really like and wanna share it.)
Oh man you guys, I was bad this month. My clothes budget is $100; I spent $186.30. And I spent it all in one place: At REI's Garage Sale on January 2. I mean, I guess it could have been worse; I managed not to spend any more on clothes the rest of the month (despite several Target excursion). And I did score some sweet gear!
1. REI Co-Op down jacket. I've been wanting a midweight down for a while, and something like this is perfect for a trip to Europe that Matt and I are planning for later this fall. We'll be flying in to Reykjavik, Iceland, and eventually making our way down to Italy and Barcelona, so I needed something that would be both warm and easily packable for when it's not needed. Bam. | $60 {exact}
2 & 3. REI Merino wool socks. These were a total impulse snag as I was waiting in the 20-plus-minute checkout line. (Garage Sales get CRAZY.) But I only have one pair of Merino wool socks for hiking/camping, so they weren't an unwarranted purchase. I got one of the long pair and two of the short. | $9 long, $7 short {exact long, exact short}
4. Mammut Traleika soft-shell pants. So the whole reason I braved the Garage Sale was to find a good pair of winter-weight soft-shell pants. These babies are PERFECTION. They're windproof but breathable (with vents in the sides in case you get too warm on a tough hike) and they're super comfortable. They're great on their own when the temps are near freezing, and layered with a pair of leggings (fleece-lined or regular), they're indomitable in colder temps. They've been a lifesaver at the dog park and on walks when the thermometer is in the teens. Best purchase ever, and they're still on sale! | $70 {exact}
Not pictured: A light purple Columbia down vest that was in the Garage Sale simply because it hadn't been sold first round. Most Garage Sale mega-discounts are on items that have been returned, but not this one. It was such a sick find. And it was only $20! {similar}
(It's worth noting that in addition to sale prices, I got an additional 10% discount on my purchases because Matt works at REI and spouses get to share employee discounts. I hope Matt never quits this job, haha.)
So there you go. Way overbudget, so I probably won't spend much (if anything) on clothes in February. #worthit
How did you do on your clothes budget this month?
Another month, another Budgeting Bloggers linkup! This month was more or less on target, though considering how underbudget I was last month, a little wiggle room is fair to me. Shall we, then?
1 & 2. Forever 21 sweatshirts. Why yes, those are identical to the sweatshirt I bought back in August. It was just so comfy and all-purpose, I had to have more colors. I like dressing them up with a pretty, delicate necklace and skinny jeans (outfit post to come, whenever I get around to taking some photos). | $10.90 each {exact}
3. Hunter fleece boot socks via Nordstrom. I wound up replacing the Original Tall Hunter boots I bought back in September with a pair of Huntress boots, which are made for gals with wider calves. Turns out that rock climbing gives me big calves in addition to big biceps. Who knew. Anyway, these Original Tall socks should still do the trick this winter. | $30 {exact}
4. Target sunnies. Because I love my cat-eye sunglasses so much that I'm constantly losing/breaking them. | $16.99 {exact}
Not pictured: I hit up the "seven for $27.50" table at Victoria's Secret, but no one needs to see that. I also bought a $5 pair of yoga pants at Forever 21, which promptly ripped on the side seam. I'm still wearing them, because the hole is small and I'm lazy, but it was annoying nonetheless.
Grand total this month: $108.24, just a few dollars over my $100 budget.
Usually, I end these posts with a "So how did you do on your budget this month?" thing, but today I'm going with a different question. Do you guys enjoy these posts, or are they kinda boring? I'm not sure if I feel like keeping up the series in 2016, though if you all find them interesting I'll obviously do so. Let me know :)
November has been nuts, and it really reflects in my spending habits for the month. Usually this would be a really negative statement, but today I'm happy to say that it only means I didn't have much time to shop this month!
1. Mossimo flannel shirt from Target. I was in the store to buy dog food or something and I mysteriously wound up in the clothes section. Funny how that happens, isn't it? Anyway, I saw that the plaid shirt I bought last month was back in stock in other colors, so I snagged a blue one too. The Cartwheel app gave me an extra discount so I felt a little less guilty about the impulse buy. | $18.53 {exact}
2. Merona messenger bag from Target. I carry a messenger bag to work with a few notebooks, my iPad, my lunch and sometimes my laptop in it. My old one finally gave out, so I snagged this one online with a $10 off coupon. | $15.31 {exact}
Grand total for the month: a whopping $33.84! I did want to pick up a pair of boot socks for my Hunter boots, but since my car is in the garage (again), I guess I'll just put that on the list for December.
How did you guys do on your clothes budgets this month? Find any great deals?
Back again with another link-up to Fran's Budgeting Bloggers. I stayed pretty well within budget this month, but that's mostly because I couldn't find the time to go out and shop for much on my list. October was a month of weddings and photo shoots, trips and networking. But I did find time for a Target run, where I picked up a few basics.
1. Mossimo flannel shirt. I have no idea why it took me so long to get a nice flannel, but I've been wearing this one constantly. Obviously I'll need to get more. | $15 {exact}
2. Denizen jeans. I've had a great pair of Denizen boot-cut jeans for a while now — the fit is perfect and they come in a long inseam option. They started wearing out, so I picked up a new pair (on sale thanks to the Cartwheel app). | $20.99 {exact}
3. Denizen jeans. While looking for a pair of medium-wash every day perfect-fitting jeans, I saw this dark wash too and totally caved. Fortunately this, too, was on sale with the app! | $20.99 {exact}
Grand total, with tax: $61.48...nearly $40 under budget. It's been a while since I could say that, haha!
It's a short one this month; just one item purchased (and yet I still managed to go overbudget). I had a $50 Zappos gift card to burn after returning the defective winter boots from last year. So for this year, I decided to go all-out and invest in some quality rain boots that could double as winter boots, thanks to the addition of a yet-to-be-purchased pair of boot liners.
They were $160 + tax on Zappos, (get them here), but I paid $120 out of pocket with my gift card. So, $20 over budget for this month, but I'm not complaining.
Afraid that's all I have for today...it might be Sunday, but Cam is exhausted from a mile-and-a-half walk yesterday + a full afternoon romping with her friends at doggie daycare, so I'm going to take advantage of her snoozing to do some transcribing, laundry and groceries. The fun never ends, I tell ya ;)
Well, little Cam has been in our house for just over two weeks now and it's been...interesting, to say the least. I've never had a dog before, so I'm learning as much as she is and poor Matt is just waiting for us both to catch up.
ecap But I'm not here to gush about our puppy (I mean I totally am, but not today). Today's my monthly clothes budget recap, and it was a rough one. Mostly necessary, but still a little rough.
1. Journee pumps via Target. My sister, Ellen, is getting married this month and she wanted her bridesmaids to wear gray shoes. I didn't have anything suitable, so I bought these and a pair of flats. The flats won out for all-day wearability, but I decided to keep the pumps for work, where I sit at a desk most of the day. | $39.99 {exact, on sale!}
2. Odell ballet flat via Target. Enter the flats that won out! A near miss, too; they're not available anymore. | $14.99
3. Salomon Ellipse GTX hiking shoes via REI. Matt knew I've been looking for a good pair of trail shoes, so when he saw these after work at an REI Garage Sale, he called me right away. They had been returned because the previous owner didn't like how they squeaked (really?!) so I snagged them for a steal. | $24.90 {exact}
4. Forever 21 sweatshirt. I was bad with this one. My friend Emily and I planned a girls' weekend in D.C. for the end of August (back before I realized the puppy of our dreams was coming to our house — pics soon!) and by the time it rolled around, I had maxed out my clothes budget and then some. Things were fine, until Emily realized she forgot to pack a cardigan for her outfit. We were staying at Tysons Corner, a huge mall, so we popped in to find her something to wear. And I may have accidentally walked out of Forever 21 with this, the comfiest sweatshirt ever. I tried to tell myself that a cozy around-the-house sweatshirt was on my list anyway so it's okay, but it only kind of worked. | $10.90 {exact}
5. H&M skinny jeans. I bought a few pairs a while back from Forever 21, but the fit is not great on them and honestly? They're just not comfortable. These fit the bill much better. | $19.99 {exact}
6. & 7. H&M t-shirts and 8. Old Navy t-shirt. My basic white tee mysteriously disappeared, so I snagged these two H&M v-necks on sale for $5 each. I also picked up the old faithful, a scoop-neck white tee from Old Navy. | $5, $5 and $7.50 {exact H&M, exact Old Navy}
not pictured: H&M three-pair earring set. I swore I'd stop buying cheap earrings that turn my ears colors, but these were too cute. (I can't find a picture online and I already gave a pair to Emily, so no pic.) The two I kept are a pair of small rose gold bars and a pair of thinner, longer silver bars. Another wardrobe hole I've been meaning to fill! | $5.99
Total damage (with tax): $141.10. Ouch.
How did you do on your clothes budget this month?
It's that time again! This month, I tried to buy clothes to fulfill specific gaps in my closet; namely, wedding- and bridal-shower-appropriate dresses. It was another all-Target month (color me surprised), and I did things a little differently. Instead of going to the store, trying everything on and buying a few pieces, I ordered several dresses, tried them on at home, and returned what wasn't working. Ultimately, that left me with two dresses and the cutest pair of moto boots, as my old pair (seen here) finally kicked the proverbial bucket.
1. Melonie T fitted dress. This photo doesn't do the dress justice; it's sophisticated and, despite the pattern-mixing, not overwhelming. Perfect for weddings (I have four coming up this fall) and for more formal bridal showers. | $49.99 {exact}
2. Mossimo shirt dress. This baby will be perfect for showers, work and a more casual wedding. All four of the weddings I'm attending this fall will be Catholic ceremonies, but I'll probably wear this to more than one shower. (I actually already wore it to Ellen's the other weekend.) | $20.99 {exact}
3. Z London Combat/Moto boots. Oh man, these boots. I can't even. They didn't have my size, so I wound up ordering a half-size smaller, but fortunately they're still wearable. I love the lace detail (again, color me surprised) and the fold-down detail is pretty cool, too. I feel like I could stomp the earth in these shoes! | $31.99 {exact}
Total this month: $105.33. Bam! How did you do on your July clothes budget?
Well, June is nearly behind us, and what a month it was. I didn't do much shopping this month, which is probably for the best. I've decided to focus my clothes budget on re-wearable staples and basics, rather than the one-off, frivolous, impulse items I've been buying the last few months.
1. Mossimo shorts and 2. Denizen shorts, both from Target. I lost a few pounds before the wedding, first on purpose and then indirectly because ALL THE STRESS, so first up was buying shorts that weren't a few sizes too big. Originally I was just going to get a denim pair, but a bogo half-off sale convinced me to get a white pair, too. So much for being un-impulsive. | $32.13 for both {exact 1, 2}
3. Mossimo Lenia sneaks from Target. I realized that while I had a lot of flats and some running shoes, I was severely lacking in the "true" casual shoe department so I got a pair of basic black, and... | $21.49 {exact}
4. Converse All-Star Chuck Taylors from Famous Footwear. I mean, look at that double tongue. Just look at it. So perfect. | $48.36 {exact}
Grand total: $101.98, aka right on target. In my quest for more good basic pieces and fewer too-trendy impulse buys, I made a shopping list of sorts for the next few months' budgets. Here's hoping I can stick to my plan :)
In true trying-to-do-too-much-at-once fashion--aka my daily struggle--I had to blow off a few to-dos in late April and early May. One of those things was my Budgeting Bloggers post, which is a (relative) shame because I had a crazy haul in April! In comparison, I didn't technically buy clothes in May...but I did use some honeymoon spending money to pick up a couple cute souvenir-type pieces while we were in Mexico. So, better late than never, here's my April budget breakdown:
1. Adorbs t-shirt from Target. I was shopping with my sister and grandma, hungover, the day after my bachelorette party. I practically sprinted to this shirt, the last one in the store, and realized it was miraculously in my size. I've been wearing it almost nonstop ever since. (Including on my wedding morning, natch.) | $12.99 {exact}
2. Lace-trimmed t-shirt from H&M. Another totally frivolous, unnecessary impulse purchase that I don't regret in the slightest. | $9.95 {exact}
3. "Cold Shoulder" top from Express. My first non-warehouse/thrifted Express purchase. Hayley and I were shopping for a dress for her to wear to my bachelorette, and I decided I NEEDED DIS for my pre-bachelorette shindig in Athens. | $34.90 {exact}
4. Ankle-strop flats from Forever 21. Another "this is perfect for Athens" shopping spree spoil. Though walkable, Athens has a ton of brick streets and heels are a definite no. While these were a pain to break in (literally, the buckles cut my ankles wide open), they're super comfy to wear now. | $15.90 {similar}
5. Sidekicks roll-up flats from Party City. Yes, I bought shoes from Party City. But with the heels I was wearing for actual bachelorette party in Columbus (see #6), I knew pack-a-flats were a must. I regret nothing. | $15 {exact}
6. BCBGeneration Cynthia pumps via Macy's. These were exactly what I was looking for. The mesh itself is much finer IRL; it's less of a fishnet and more of a sheer black material. They were on super sale, plus I had a gift card, so my total out-of-pocket was a whopping... | $5.67 {exact, for $30.99)}
7. Tote from Target. Purchased last-minute when I realized I didn't have a beach bag to take on the honeymoon. Doubled as my "bag of emergency crap" that I made my sister lug around the day of the wedding. | $14.99 {exact}
8. Bachelorette party dress from H&M. Because no bachelorette is complete without a lacy, short, see-through-on-top, totally skimpy dress. I've never worn a dress like this and honestly? I felt like a million bucks in it. I have nowhere else to wear it but I love how it looked on me so much, I'm just gonna keep it. Maybe I can dye it black? | $29.95 {exact}
9. Calvin Klein dress from Nordstrom Rack. So I originally had planned to rewear the white Calvin Klein dress I bought secondhand for $10 (worn first at my family bridal shower) to my rehearsal dinner. Then I saw this beauty and fell in love. The hurriedly-taken photo doesn't do it justice; this is another dress I can't quite get rid of because I felt freaking fantastic in it. | $48.16 (with tax)
10. Gold necklace from Old Navy. This was a bad month for impulse buys. I blame my "spend all the money" from last-minute wedding purchases and vendor checks. This grabbed my eye as I was buying flip flops for all my bridesmaids, as you do, and I just snagged it. To be fair, I've been looking for a good, inexpensive, chunky gold necklace for like two years now. Justified? | $12
And that's April! Grand total, including tax: $201.97. Okay so technically I did spend my May budget...just a month early. Oops. The three items I bought in May were all purchased when Matt and I realized we converted way too much wedding-present cash to pesos for our trip. We figured eh, we'd written it off already, and we didn't want to pay the fees to convert it, so we did a fair amount of shopping. We bought a ridiculous amount of Mexican tchotchkies, like the obligatory shot glasses, hot sauce and the like. Matt got a dude-necklace, and I got...
1. THIS GORGEOUS DRESS. I saw it hanging in one of the vendor market stalls outside Tulum before we went in to the ruins themselves, and it sat in the back of my mind for the next hour as we walked around. Naturally, I had to have it by the time we left. I scored the dress, but not without some gentle haggling on the price, of course.
2. Mother-of-pearl and abalone necklace. Kind of cheesy, sure, but I love both of those types of shell and think they make lovely jewelry. This guy had a stall right out on the beach and had tons of shell, shark-tooth and other sea-themed jewelry. I got a few compliments on it already, so I figure it was worth it.
3. Pearl necklace. This was one of those "buy an oyster and crack it open and there's a pearl inside" deals (which came with the necklace itself), which I've always thought was really cool. The resort's gift shop had a ton of these. The packaging said the pearls ranged in color, but I lucked out with a pure white one.
4. Sun hat. Another gift shop purchase, on our second-to-last day when we started to realize how many leftover pesos we had. Ridiculously overpriced for a straw hat, but we were on our way to Tulum and I wanted some extra sun protection for my face. Gotta keep this face youthful and wrinkle-free!
Can we just take another look at that red dress again? I can't even. I have no idea where else I might wear it, what with the whole can't-wear-a-bra-and-v-neck-plunging-down-to-my-sternum, but it makes me feel sexy as hell and I love it to pieces. (Though I wasn't wearing makeup in these pictures so I just cropped my face out, haha.)
And there you have it, folks. Check yet another item off my to-do list...even if it is a month late.
Well hey there! Popping in with a quick Budgeting Bloggers post here. I didn't forget to do this last month; I just stuck to my guns and didn't buy anything! I wasn't going to buy anything this month, but I realized I was severely lacking on swimwear for our honeymoon and swim separates were BOGO half off at Target...I walked in for some groceries and a birthday card, and after 20 minutes in the store the only things in my basket were two bikinis. Story of my life.
I also scored a sweet deal on a secondhand Coach watch thanks to a buy/sell/trade group I belong to on Facebook. I was going to be done for the month after the bikinis, but I've been wanting to wear watches for a while now (I'm so sick of going to check the time on my phone and getting distracted by a million other things and forgetting to actually look at the time), and this deal was too great to pass up.
1. Coach watch with interchangeable bands via secondhand. It's like three watches for (less than) the price of one! | $25
2. Navy striped two piece separates via Target. The top comes with a removable halter string thing, which I prefer as a "just in case my boobs aren't big enough to actually hold this thing up" backup. | $26.98 for both with BOGO {exact top, exact bottom}
3. White two piece separates via Target. Because a trip to Mexico is apparently incomplete without a sexy white bikini. | $28.98 for both with BOGO {exact top, exact bottom}
(Not pictured) I also bought some underwear at Target with their 5 for $20 sale, but I don't like to post pics of my underthings. I'll show you my bikini, but not my bikini briefs. I don't get my logic either. | $21.30
Grand total: $102.26 with tax. Right at my $100 budget, but still more than I had planned to spend this month. Oh, well. At least I'm set for swimwear!
How did you do on your clothes budget this month?
I'm so late to the game for January's clothes budget, but better late than never, right? Sure. This month was on point, you guys...for a minute. I was right at my $100 budget after a massive Forever 21 shopping spree with my mom and sisters at the beginning of the month. I had gone on a shopping hiatus in December to help finance my holiday gift-giving, so by the time January started I had a nice long list of basic must-haves. I knocked it all out in that one trip.
Aaaand then I realized how sartorially unprepared I was for a mid-January 5k, even if it was in South Carolina. The forecast was calling for temps in the 30s during the time of the run, so I had to run back to F21 for some inexpensive cold-weather layers. Fortunately, I managed to only get what I needed, despite seeing a ton of other pieces I really wanted. Matt was with me, which really helped me not go into shop mode. He got bored in the time it took me to find the three pieces I had pre-selected online, haha.
All items are from Forever 21 this month.
1. Basic sweater in taupe. The biggest hole in my closet was simple sweaters. I've been wearing the same few sweaters on constant repeat lately and it got sooo old. | $12.90 {exact}
2. Mustard cardigan. This has been on my shopping list ever since I accidentally shrunk my last one (from The Limited). Now if this one shrinks, I at least am not wasting a ton of money. | $8.90 {same sweater, other colors and similar}
3. Basic sweater in gray. It's kind of boring, but gray is basically my favorite color for clothes. It goes with ANYTHING. | $8.90 {exact}
4. Marbled blue sweater with lace/crochet cutouts. Need I say more? | $13.90 {exact}
5. Basic long-sleeve tee in oatmeal. Because I only had three long-sleeve tees. For shame. | $5.80 {exact}
6. Moisture-wicking athletic top. No one likes a sweaty t-shirt when you're running in the cold. | $12.80 {exact}
7. Track jacket. Also moisture-wicking, this turned out to be exactly perfect for the just-above-freezing temps. | $24.90 {exact}
8. Moisture-wicking, mesh-paneled leggings. These also were basically perfect. A little too warm for indoor runs, but great for chilly outdoor temps. | $19.90 {exact}
9. Teal v-neck sweater. Sadly, the sleeves on this one are just a *tad* short for me, but it looks cute with them bunched up to mid-arm. | $13.80 {exact}
10. Basic leggings in gray. Bought mainly for workouts, because the thin material doesn't do so well in the "not showing your underwear" department. | $3.90 {exact}
11&12. Basic leggings in black. A little better coverage than the gray, I bought the last medium and large pairs in the whole store--everything else was a small or extra-small. | $3.90 each {exact}
13. Skinny jeans. I've been losing some weight lately (hooray!) and needed new skinnies. Turns out, F21 wasn't the best place for them; the only pairs that fit my calves are still way too big in the waist. Ah, well...they're cheap. | $12.80 {exact}
14. Dark skinny jeans. See above; these are even cheaper, thankfully. | $7.90 {exact}
Grand total with tax: $165.87. Over the $100 budget for sure, so I'm not buying clothes again in February. Womp womp :( Still...worth it!
How did you do on your budget(s) last month?
Hey guys! Kind of got completely distracted this weekend and totally failed on posting this during the actual month of November. But between two Thanksgiving celebrations, two car crashes in my immediate family (everyone's fine!!), a "family fun day" with my parents/siblings, a KILLER football game between OSU/Michigan (GO BUCKS!) and a whole day of much-needed house-cleaning, I just could not squeeze this in.
Anyway, another comparatively frugal month because life = expensive in every other way. I kept it to just the essentials in November:
1. Khombu boots via Macy's. I needed a good pair of warm, waterproof boots like WOAH. My days of frozen toes at the bus stop are over! | on sale for $58.04 w/ tax {exact, full price $75}
2. Target beanie. When you have super-short hair, there is NOTHING you can do when you have a bad hair day except rewash it or throw on a hat. Obviously, this hat's keep-me-warm capabilities pale in comparison to its hide-a-bad-hair-day capabilities. | $8.60 w/ tax {exact}
Aaaand...that's it! In all, I came in a whopping $33.36 under budget this month. Not bad! I'm thinking I'll probably put the clothes shopping on hold for December to help finance Christmas, but we'll see how that holds up...haha.
How did you do on your November budget?
Taking a break from my break to share with you all my October clothes budget! I know you've been waiting on the edge of your seats for this and I wasn't about to let you all down. You may recall, because you read with rapt devotion, my saying that I wanted to try to only buy a pair or two of boots this month, without blowing my $100 budget. I'd say in that respect, this month was a mild success. See for yourselves:
1. Merona "Morgan" boots via Target. I noticed that my black slouchy boots were seriously scuffed on the toes. As in, the toes were wearing through completely. I could have colored them in with marker, but I wanted a boot that a) wasn't slouchy and b) would keep my toes dry if it rained. Problem, solved. | $39.99 {exact}
2. Madden Girl Elsiee boots via Famous Footwear. My cognac slouchy boots were in even worse shape than my black ones. I realized that I wore my cognac boots more than any other pair last year, so I decided to invest in a nicer pair this year. These were a little more than I usually pay for boots, without taking up my whole month's budget. | $69.99 {exact}
3. Sunnies via Target. To replace the identical pair I've been wearing forever, including when riding Perdita the Scooter. The original pair has a lot of scratches, so they've been designated my official scootin' sunnies. | $13.49 {exact, but a different price for some reason}
Grand total with taxes: $133.16. Okay, so it's a tad overbudget. But considering what I got, I'm not at all disappointed :)
Disclaimer: I also bought a dress for my Halloween costume that I might be able to rewear, but I'm not counting it. Because Halloween.
How did you do on your budget this month?
So as I've said before, my spending has been a wee bit...shall we say, extravagant, these last few months. I blame wedding planning; after you start shelling out hundreds or a thousand dollars at a time for things like deposits and wedding dresses, a few $30 clothing or makeup purchases seem like nothing at all. But they add up, and when they're added to all those wedding purchases, well...it's bad. So this month, I tried really hard to not buy any clothes. I *almost* made it.
Merona maxi skirt via Target. I love my gray one SO MUCH that I had a complete moment of weakness while picking up a friend's bridal shower gift one weekend. I may have accidentally purchased the juniors version, but it fits so okay then? | $17.99 {exact?}
But that's it! One item! I'm debating whether to continue my shopping ban into October, but truth be told, I could really use some new boots. A pair of winter boots — something waterproof and lined for those wet, cold waits at the bus stop when it gets too cold to scooter to work — and a pair of stylish cognac boots to replace the pair I wore through last winter. The latter could probably wait until November; I have a pair of crappy galoshes and thick socks to tide me until the real snow comes. But if I find a pair of great cognac boots on sale in October, well, I'm not making any promises!
Welp, it was another rough month, clothing-wise. I would have been okay, but I had to buy a couple of bras. Why the heck do those have to be so dang expensive, anyway? I mean, I do shop Victoria's Secret, and they were running a special that got me a free weekend tote with my $100 bra purchase, so I guess that's kind of nice, right?
1. H&M dress via garage sale. Don't worry, this isn't a bed bug risk; my friend had a garage sale and I loved this. | $4
2. Shirt via garage sale. Because I can never have too many striped shirts, right? | $2
3. Merona maxi skirt via Target. I seriously don't want to take this off, ever. It's the comfiest. Can I has one in every color? Seriously on clearance alert for this one. | $19.99 {exact}
4. Mossimo bikini top. Because it's been three years since I bought a new one. | $17.99 {exact, now on sale}
5. Mossimo bikini top. Because one bikini top just isn't enough! | $19.99 {exact, now on sale}
6. Mossimo boyshort bikini bottom. My old bottoms were still cute and fit, but I like having a slightly more full-coverage option too. | $19.99
7. Etsy necklace. My friend Corinne has an Etsy shop, and I bought this awesome necklace. I love the long chain and the cute pendant! | $8.96 {link to shop}
8. Two Victoria's Secret bras, not pictured because I'm weird about that. Still, they're great bras and I definitely recommend them. No picture of the weekend bag, oops...| $48 each {exact}
Total: $196.97 with tax. Okay so maybe September will be a no-clothes-shopping month, haha. How did you all do on your budgets this month?
First off, a plea for help. I know this post often brings in a lot of folks who don't regularly read this blog--welcome, everyone!--thanks to Fran's linkup. If any of you do self-photography with a Nikon and a remote, could you pretty please read my previous post and send any advice you have my way? I'll love you forever.
Okay, now on to July's clothes budget! Initially, I didn't intend to buy anything this month. But then a week before our engagement photos, I was hit with a serious case of I-have-nothing-to-wear-itis, and had to go shopping. I kept it mostly under control, though!
1. Victoria's Secret dress via Discount Fashion Warehouse. I never thought I'd wear something from VS that the general public would see, but here it is. The gorgeous tulip hem and faux-wrap style are unlike anything else in my closet, and I love it. | $22 {same dress, different colors}
2. Striped 3/4-sleeve top via TJ Maxx. I love the gold zipper down the back, and I especially love how soft and comfy it is. | $14.99
3. White tee via Target. Needed something for the Color Run (which I've just realized I have yet to do a post about. Oops!) | $9 {exact}
4. Michael Kors capris via TJ Maxx. I don't know what I loved best about these pants: that they're MK, that they were so inexpensive, or that they were a size I haven't squeezed into in years. Either way, they're a win all around and I'm terrified to wear them because I just KNOW I'll spill something. | $20
5. BCBG sandals via TJ Maxx. I had exactly one pair of brown shoes (or rather, boots) and these looked so great with the MK pants and the striped top! | $34.99
6. The Limited knot earrings via DFWh. Bought to replace a pair I've had for ages and have since tarnished beyond salvation. The only non-essential purchase I made this month! | $5 {exact}
7. The Limited gold necklace via DFWh. To go with that gorgeous green dress, natch. | $7
Not pictured:
1. A nude-colored backless/strapless sticky bra from Target. Halfway through my dance performances earlier this month, my existing backless sticky bra just kind of gave up. I rushed to Target in the few hours I had between shows and picked up another...this time with replaceable sticky parts. | $30.98 (with extra sticky things) {exact}
2. Earrings for my two newest cartilage piercings. The existing hoops were wayyyy too big and noticeable. Fortunately, a local tattoo/piercing shop was running a BOGO sale, so I got two for the price of one. | $10.75
Total spent, including tax: $162.51. Yikes. I'd say August will be a no-buy month, but I desperately need a new everyday bra (yawn) and a bikini or two for our beach trip (yay!). Oh, well.
Do you keep a monthly clothes budget? How'd you do?
I'm not gonna lie, I'm exhausted from this weekend (we went to the New River Gorge and didn't get home/to sleep until almost 2 a.m. Sunday night/this morning--pictures and stories to come!) and pretty much computered out (from work and post-work freelance work), so I'm keeping this post short. I did fine on this month's budget in that I stayed under my $100 limit by about $5, but not so fine in that I made a rather unwise purchase.
1. Lace Pinup Fitted Dress from Lily Boutique. I originally pinned a dress from this store to buy as a wedding rehearsal/bridal shower dress, but it sold out. So when I saw this one, I snapped it right up. Who cares if I have to wait nine or ten months to wear it? | $48 (with shipping) {exact}
2. Merona Crossbody Bag from Target. I've been wanting a crossbody bag for a while; my old hobo-esque one was killing my shoulder. | $27 {exact, now on sale}
3. This was the unfortunate purchase. I bought a CrowdSavings deal for a "Swarovski Elements Trio Set." Originally $200, it was a "limited time only" sale for $20. When it arrived, I realized what I should have known all along; this is no Swarovski set. This is what I got:
Uh, yeah. Obviously, I'm trying to return the set, and I've reported the original seller (a website called eFizzle) to Swarovski for marketing knockoff jewelry as Swarovski-brand. Worst-case scenario, I've lost 20 bucks and gained a valuable lesson. Best-case scenario, I get my money back and a valuable lesson. You get what you pay for!
How did you on your June budget? Here's hoping your purchases were more savvy than my dud :)
So I had originally intended to get this post up yesterday and an outfit post up on Friday, but my internet at home had other plans. As in, plans to crap out entirely. I called my service provider, who tried to troubleshoot it for a few minutes, but couldn't connect to my modem. She then gave me a few more instructions and told me if they didn't work, I'd have to troubleshoot my wireless router. It sounded fishy, like she was just trying to get rid of me (end of her shift, maybe?) and sure enough, her instructions didn't work. After troubleshooting my router for an hour, I called my service provider back and spoke to a very helpful guy who gave us a $20 credit on our bill and scheduled a tech to come out and look at the modem, which was probably faulty. So, there's that.
The tech comes out tomorrow; I write this now from a booth at Panera. Oh, the "sacrifices" we make for blogging ;)
Anyway, I had a pretty good month, budget-wise. I filled a few gaping holes in my closet and even snagged an item I've been coveting for months at a crazy-deep discount. So, without further ado:
1. and 2. Women's Perfect Crew-Neck Tees from Old Navy. I needed to replace my white one, and I snagged the blue (which is a much darker navy IRL) to get the $6 each deal. | $12 {exact}
3. Sequin Detail Striped Cotton Tee from LOFT. I've wanted this for AGES but couldn't justify dropping $40 on it. So whenI saw that Whitney was selling hers, I snapped it right up. | $12 {exact}
4. Denizen jeans from Target. Supposedly I bought the "Celestial" jeans, but these "Afterglow" ones look more like what I actually bought. Either way, I've been needing some dark wash bootcut jeans for way too long. | $29.63 {exact}
5. Mossimo Vikki Pointed Toe Studded Flat from Target. If these look familiar, it's because this is the third time I've bought them. I just wear them so often, they wear right out. Worth the re-buy, every time. | $20.43 {exact}
6. Pleated skirt from LOFT. Another item from the Whitney purchase, and another "why haven't I bought this yet?" item. | $10 {similar}
7. Rock & Candy Huntington flats from Famous Footwear. In a desperate search for cute, casual shoes, I stumbled into Famous Footwear for the first time. How have I never shopped here before?? My next month's budget might consist of only shoes. And that would be fine by me. | $21.49 {exact}
Total spent: $105.55. Not too shabby at all, I say!
Do you have a monthly clothes budget? How did you do?
So I think I mentioned previously that some overspending on various things in March led me to put myself on a shopping hiatus for April. I actually did pretty well, though I did snag this skirt from Forever 21 using a store credit I had from a return. Total cost out of pocket? A whopping 80 cents. (The skirt itself is $10.80 full-price, so you can and should totally snag one yourself!)
I suppose technically I did also buy some items from Whitney's closet cleaning-out sale, but I bought them yesterday and haven't received them yet, so I'm just gonna count them as part of my May budget ;)
Once again, I'm joinig Franziska's Budgeting Bloggers link-up. Head over there and check out all the other bloggers' sweet scores!
