January Purchases | Budgeting Bloggers

1. J.Crew Factory Rolled Turtleneck Sweater- $88.00 $21.99 (43.98 total)

2. Uniqlo Heattech Socks- $12.90

3. Uniqlo HeatTech Sleeveless Top- $12.90 $9.90

3. Uniqlo HeatTech Leggings- $19.90 $14.90

4. Uniqlo Fleece Zip-Up Jacket- $29.90 $9.90 

TOTAL: $91.58 ($43.98 fun clothing + $47.60 winter essentials)

January was a great month for my wallet! I had a very little urge to go shopping and I only picked up two items that I had been watching for a few months when the J.Crew factory had a sale on clearance items. I am obsessed with these turtlenecks and I want to wear them everyday. They are soft and warm and easy to throw on with a pair of jeans and head out the door. I almost managed to finish off the month with no other purchases but once I got back to New York just days before the blizzard, I decided to stock up on some winter layers for the season. I don't know if I should really count these since they're more functional than stylish, but I thought I would include them anyways! 

My feet are always freezing so I got a pair of Uniqlo's heattech socks with the hopes that they would leave my feet toasty warm. I think my hopes were too high because although they keep my feet warmer than normal socks, I'm still left with frozen toes after a day outside. Does anyone have some sock recommendations? While the socks were kinda a bust, their leggings do keep me quite warm and are great at keeping in body heat. I also picked up a scoop neck shirt to wear underneath sweaters to let me go longer without washing them by being keeping my sweat and oils away from the sweater itself. I think my favorite winter purchase however would be this fleece jacket. It is the softest, warmest thing I have ever put on my body and I wear it around my room all the time because my room is always cold! It's a little bit short in the body, but since I only wear it at home I don't mind. I can also see this being a great layering piece under a puffer vest or alone once the weather starts to warm up. 

I've yet to make an official budget yet, but it looks like my clothing budget will be around $70 a month so this month was a bit above that but I did have some extra cash this month and most of the purchases were necessities so I'd say I did pretty well. I just haven't really been in to shopping lately and I'm working on making more thoughtful purchases instead of impulse buys. On my list now are a pair of black jeans, new ankle boots because my old ones are totally worn out, and a new backpack that's a bit larger than my TOMS Backpacks. I also need to get rid of some items in my closet that are just taking up space. What are your favorite ways to sell old clothes? Hopefully next month comes with some more space in my closet and a new staple item or two! What have y'all been buying lately?

Linking up with Franish 

Budgeting Bloggers: September Purchases

1. Adidas Running Shoes- $75 purchased for $31 (via amazon)

2. GapFit gFast shirred 16" cropped capris- $60 purchased for $13 (on sale)

3. Gap Shaker-stitch long cardigan- $70 purchased for $24 (on sale+gift card)

4. H&M A-Line Dress- $30 purchased for $0 (on sale+gift card)

5. J.Crew Pixie Pants in Black- $88 purchased for $4.50 (on sale+gift card)

6. H&M Fine Knit Cardigan- $13

7. Topshop Ribbed Crop Top- $14 purchased for $12 (student discount)

8. 8 inch LL Bean Boots- $109 purchased for $0 (sale+paypal)

9. H&M Top with Ruffled Hem- $13 each purchased for $0 (on sale+gift card)

TOTAL: $97.50

Time for a round up of my clothing purchases this month! As you can see, I tried really hard to add tons and tons of color to my wardrobe ;) I looking back, I actually spent a lot less than I thought I did, but going forward I really need to limit my impulse purchases, even if they are great items. 

I don't remember the last time I bought a new pair of tennis shoes but I love these adidas sneakers because they're great for running, walking miles around the city, and they look cute with casual outfits! It's so nice to have footwear that as stylish as it is functional. To go along with my sneakers and to encourage me to go run more, I picked up a pair of workout capris from Gap. Mine also have pockets with zippers on the front which is the perfect place to hold my key, phone, and ID.

I'm trying to pay attention to what I actually wear to class and events so I can know what works for my closet and what I should invest in, and what I'm just not loving as much. I've noticed myself leaning more towards button downs, sweaters, and nicer tops and not wearing my simple but cute t-shirts as often. I also realized that I was in desperate need of a few more cardigans since the it's usually pretty cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon and the temperatures will only drop from here on.

I picked up this cardigan from H&M after falling in love with the style, but it's on the thin side and I know I'd only be able to wear it for a few more weeks during the daytime. I decided to pop into Gap with a friend where I saw this cardigan and all my dreams came true. It's a nice thick knit, nice length, super cozy, and it has pockets (!!!). I had to ask an employee to check the size of the cardigan on the mannequin because they only had mediums and larges on the rack and lo and behold the mannequin was wearing an extra small which is my size so me and this cardigan were basically meant to be. In store they also had this in a camel color which I'm honestly considering getting if another good sale rolls around.

I wanted to pick up a few things I could wear to go out or dress up for events since it's very easy to feel underdressed here in the city. I'm imagining wearing this dress with ankle boots, tights and a cardigan or even heels and a blazer. I love this little crop top because it shows the right amount of skin and I'm excited to get these tops in the mail! They're nicer than a regular tank top and are incredibly easy to dress up or down. I'm curious to see how they'll look underneath a cropped sweater.

To top off my purchases for the month, I also picked up a pair of pixie pants which are a godsend when getting dressed for my 8am class, and I went ahead and bought a pair of winter boots because this texan has no clue to handle the winter and I want to be prepared! Also bean boots tend to be back ordered for months every year so I wanted to make sure I could get them before the real cold set in. 

I'm trying to limit my clothes spending next month, but I do want to stock up on some basics like tops to layer with, a nice pair of black jeans, and a few more bras (Nicole's post really makes me want to go get measured!). What have y'all been purchasing lately? Have you bought anything exciting or got a really good deal on something? Let me know!

*Linking up with Franish!

July Purchases

1. J.Crew Merino Wool Crewneck Sweater in Olive (formerly the Tilly Sweater)- $75 on sale for $17
2. J.Crew Factory Gingham Button Down Shirt- $65 on sale for $25 (purchased by brother :) )
3. J.Crew Factory Sketched Cotton Tee With Vertical Stripes- $40 on sale for $9
4. J.Crew Factory Long-Sleeve Striped Boatneck Tee- $50 on sale for $11
5. J.Crew Lookout High-Rise Jean in Grady Wash- $125 on sale for $25
6. J.Crew Dannie Pant in Dark Loden- $90 on sale for $16

TOTAL: $106

Hello friends! I decided to finally jump on the bandwagon and participate in the budgeting bloggers link up because I am about to become a college student with a very limited budget. I've never been one to really adhere to a budget, but I rarely spend more than $20-30 on any item and I try to buy things I know I'll get a lot of wear out of. I'll admit that all these purchases were bought on the spur or the moment, but I'm trying to make my closet feel a bit more cohesive before I head out to college!

If this month's purchases had a theme, I'd say its J.Crew, stripes, blue, and shades of olive. Seriously, when did I become such a J.Crew snob? I blame their near daily sales for that one. I picked up a few shirts to wear casually to class or out and about and a lightweight sweater partly because I can't resist a cropped sweater, but mainly because people have been bashing this sweater left and right and I just had to try it out for myself.

Pants are a bit finicky for me so I picked up another pair of Dannie pants to replace my cheap and thin olive pants from H&M and I decided to try out a pair of J.Crew jeans because the price was right and they actually had my size!

I'm trying to make a list of some closet essentials that I want to pick up before I move out and i'm hoping to stick to my shopping list next month! With my 18th birthday coming up very soon, I feel like I should have a little bit of extra spending cash for the month of August. I haven't figured out what my monthly clothing allowance will look like, but I'm hoping that if I can make some key purchases next month that I'll be able to shop a lot less the rest of the year and only have to buy super basic essentials like thick socks or leggings to get me through winter.

I've always loved reading Nicole and Fran's monthly budget posts, so I'm excited to start doing them myself!