August Budget

Every month I post about my clothing budget. My budget per month is $300, which to some may seem like a lot and to others a little, but feels just right for me. You can read my thoughts on my 2014 budget here. 

Happy Friday!! Can you believe it's the end of the month already? Where did summer go?!?

This was another month were I was 100% sure I was going over budget - I purchased about $500 worth of stuff and returned almost half. Some of the disappointments - this poncho (it was so oversized it just looked silly & sloppy) and that infamous J.Crew vest (the color is different this year and it just felt cheap). I think it's probably for the best though, the things I returned were trendier while I kept more classic pieces, helping me to build a wardrobe that will last.

The main benefit I've found to keeping a clothing budget and sharing it here every month is that it makes me much more thoughtful about my purchases. Instead of just getting something because it's cute, I think more about how it will fit into my lifestyle and whether it will fit a hole in my closet. Like these heels for example - I love them, but I just couldn't justify keeping them since I rarely wear heels and even more rarely require sparkly ones.

So what did I buy this month? Here's the damage for August:

Old Navy Skirt - originally $26.94, on sale $14.30. I wanted a skirt that could work for warmer and cooler fall days, and I think this one will do the trick!
Kate Spade Bag - $128. This was more of a want than a need, but I love that the stripes will add a fun element to any outfit I pair it with.
LOFT Colorblock Tee - originally $29.50, on sale $17.70. I'm excited to wear this now with shorts, and all through the winter with leggings and riding boots.
LOFT Drapey Tee - originally $49.50, on sale $29.70. This is basically the perfect blouse - it's a bit oversized but has the most flattering drape to it. I can see wearing it dressed up and dressed down. I love it so much I may have just ordered it in berry and black too ;)
Gap Skinny Jeans - originally $69.95, on sale $29.39. These haven't actually arrived yet but I'm guessing they're going to stick around, because dark wash skinny jeans are a must-have for me.
Old Navy Bowler Bag - originally $27.94, on sale $18.16. I have been wanting a larger cross-body bag that would match my fall & winter coats but was still large enough to carry my iPad mini for over a year now. I love the convenience of cross-bodies, but most of mine are too small for my iPad, which is sad because I like to read wherever I go. This coral bag does the trick for spring & summer, so I'm excited to get a lot of use out of this black one for fall & winter.
Banana Republic Factory Sweater (pictured here on the left) (similar-ish) - originally $54.50, on sale $38.15

Total Spent: $275.40
Total Saved: $110.93

Under budget again, thanks to all of the amazing sales this month! I'm pretty intense on monitoring sales - are sale updates something you would be interested in seeing in this space? They definitely help me stay on budget and get more for less.

In August I was clearly in fall mode when it came to shopping, and it's only going to get more intense in September. I'm going to be looking for a new pair of dressy black booties, but besides that don't have any particular purchases in mind.

Did you budget this month? How did you do?

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