Now that we’re finally into spring and embracing the fresh start the season brings, I thought I’d give my financial situation a bit of spring cleaning. With house projects (which are all more expensive than you think they should be), savings goals, and travel dreams, I’ve got to button down on the sartorial front and keep myself to a more reasonable amount. I’m going to start with $200 per month, and put $50 per paycheck into a “splurge” savings account for whatever captures my fancy down the road. (That, along with blog revenue, is how I saved for my Gucci bag.) I feel like I’m in a really good spot with the foundation pieces in my wardrobe, so $200 should be plenty of money to freshen up my collection and add a few nicer pieces over the months.
TOTAL SPENT: $169
(Budget: $200; $31 rolling over to next month)
PURCHASED
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.
- Old Navy bow-topped slides in gingham ($15) – Aren’t these adorable?! They fit true to size.
- New Look ruffle strappy jumpsuit ($32; worn here) – With black slides and statement jewelry, this jumpsuit is perfect for warmer days. I went up a size because I liked the looser fit.
- Target short sleeve mini dress ($33) – As with most Target purchases, this was an impulse buy when I ran to the store for household needs. It’s such a sweet dress and well made for the price point. It’s lined and has great attention to detail with the ruffled hem. I’m not crazy about the sleeves and tried it with the sleeves tucked under, which I thought was much cuter and I’ll likely get it altered. It runs large. (I’m typically a size 8 and went with the small.)
- Anthropologie Lucite tassel necklace ($68; pictured above) – We stopped at Anthropologie while we were waiting for our dinner reservations in London, and I fell in love with an oversize Lucite beaded necklace with a tassel pendant. I almost didn’t purchase it since I hate buying things overseas that I can get here, but I couldn’t bear the idea of not having it in my collection. As it turns out, it’s a good thing I bought it because it’s not on Anthro’s website.
- London street vendor earrings and ring ($21) – I bought an oversize silver and lapis ring at Brick Lane Market and a pair of circular brass earrings at Old Spitalfields Market that will probably irritate my ears, but they were super cute and cheap.
DIDN’T WORK OUT
Things I tried and didn’t love.
- Gap mid-rise skinny jeans in black – I own the blue version of these jeans, but for some reason the black pair ran exceptionally small. I couldn’t get them over my hips.
- J.O.A. striped mini dress – I wanted to love this dress and even tried it in three different sizes to see if it could work. The medium was way too small, despite the claim that a medium fits a size 8. I tried the large and couldn’t breath with it zipped up. And I even tried the XL, which was too large in bust and waist. Sigh. It’s super cute, though!