One (sold out, similar) | Two | Three | Four
Five | Six (sold out, similar) | Seven | Eight | Nine
Bringing Back My Style Budget Series
Hi guys! It’s been quite awhile since I posted my purchases each month. I have a clothing BUDGET! Yes, the B word! I have been using it since 2012 and blogging about it since 2016 but I fell off that wagon in 2018. You know how it goes, life happens 🙂 But the good news is that I still track my purchases and wanted to share with you what I bought in August!
Black Blazer- old (similar) | Jeans | White Top
Why have a Budget
First off, why should anyone have a budget? There are so many advantages to having any sort of budget to keep you in check and not overspend which are pretty obvious reasons. But for me, having a clothing budget allows me a few freedoms I had never thought about in the past:
Buying quality over quantity: I was a cheapskate! I was that girl that looked for sale signs while browsing at shops and bought a bunch of things “on sale” because I thought I was getting a deal. Well these cheaper sale items didn’t last 1 season and the fit was not so good. I realized over time that I wasted $50 on 3 “cheap” items vs. buying 1 “good quality” item that fit great and lasted through the wash and for several years. I always felt guilty for spending more than $30 on shoes at Old Navy (I still like ON but you get my drift-haha) but began to realize that if I had a budget, I could buy higher quality real suede boots (still on sale) that were amazing and buy less items and still make my budget! Yeehaw!
Flexible Spending: Keep in mind that a budget is an ANNUAL thing. Of course I try to stay in budget monthly, but if I spend more one month to buy this kick arse jacket (I would never spend that much normally-haha), I can easily reel it in next month as long as I meet the final budget for the year. Woohoo! That makes me happy!
Targeted Buying: With a budget, I have been more strategic in what I am buying. I would make a mental note when dressing for the day of what would be nice to complete an outfit and buy my voids. This keeps me from wandering in stores to randomly buy items I really didn’t need.
Keeping Only What You Love: I still buy things that I thought I would like or fill a void. But for some reason the fit isn’t perfect or I didn’t love the shoes on my feet. With a budget, I return items that don’t really work vs compromising on it. As I know if there is something off about an item, I won’t wear it and it will languish in my closet and that costs me money!
Black Tee | Military Jacket | Denim Shorts | Black Sneakers
White Top (sold out, similar) | Leopard Skirt (sold out, similar)| Black Heels
White Birks (sold out, similar) | Gray Jeans (returned for a better fit)
With those reasons in mind, you should definitely start a clothing budget. Be proactive vs passive in your purchases and you’ll always have something to wear!
Thoughts on What I Bought
- White Birks (similar) -seriously love these white birks! They are perfect for the pool and beach and the style really gives an outfit an edge. I always get asked how do I keep them clean and honestly unless you bump into things, the tops and sides stay white!
- Black Sneakers-I’ve been wanting a pair of black sneakers for fall and I have never bought Nike shoes before because I have wide feet but these come in WIDE-woohoo for the wide feet crew!
- White Convertible Sleeve Top– This top is awesome as you can roll it up to wear now, or pull down when it get chillier. I love the draw string detail and the material feels like a cotton/linen blend. I love the lightweight perfect for layering.
- Denim Block Heels-I cannot wear any heels over 3″ ever! But these are 3.25″ and am shocked that they are super comfortable! The block heel and strap gives lots of stability.
- Black Heel Sandals-I have a pair of these in nude and wear them so much I knew a black one would be just as good. These used to be made of real leather but now they are a manmade material-just FYI
- White Tee-I actually have the V neck version of this distressed tee but it’s sold out. Comes in lots of colors. Shown in the crew neck version. Super soft and oversized for leggings.
- Black Tee-Haha, I am a basics type of girl. I wanted a vneck tee and this is soft and retains the black coloring even after washing.
- Dark Denim Jeans-These fit like a glove! So chic and comes in short for us shorties! I actually used a gift card on these so they didn’t impact my budget.
- Distressed Jeans-These also fit perfectly and love how the length is 26″ inseam. Yess finally a short girl can show her ankles! LOL
My Budget
August Spent: $249
Annual Budget: $2400 (which is $200 per month)
Bought to Date: $1699
Left for the year: $701
Thanks for stopping by! Let me know if you want pricing breakdown of each item next time! As always, I appreciate you visiting my little space on the web!
Chau