Wednesday, December 26, 2012

December Budget

1. Target Sweater {seen here}: on sale for $13
2. Julep Clutch & Nail polish: $30 - $20 credit = $10
3. Thrifted Wool Sweater {seen here}: $3
4. J. Crew Excursion Vest {seen here}: $110 x 30% off = $77
5. Madewell Tote {seen here}: $168 + 30% off + monogram fee = $135
6. Thrifted Cardigan {seen here}: $3

= $241 - $230 sold on eBay after fees = $11

This month I did go over budget, but I knew I was doing a lot of selling on eBay so I consider it a trade-off for my closet and budget.  I mentioned that I sold a smaller purse in exchange for my new Madewell tote, which is a purchase I've been contemplating for a long time now. I feel that a large tote bag is something I'm going to get a lot of use out of, which I can't say about the smaller green crossbody I sold (which I've only used three times in the 6 months I owned it). The vest was a purchase I've also been thinking about for a while as I wanted a thinner vest for layering in the winter, so I'm glad I bought it while I could before it sold out, but still during a sale. I realized that on days that I'm pressed for time when getting ready, I always grab for my dark grey v-neck sweater, so buying the Target sweater only made sense (plus it's so soft and so inexpensive). The Julep clutch was a Christmas promotion that had 1 sparkly clutch (something I didn't have at all but realized I would like in my closet), 3 nail polishes and a few little extras. The two thrifted items have already born worn a ton in the short time they've been in my closet, so I'm happy I got quality pieces for such a small amount.

Overall, I'm really pleased with how this month panned out. I sold some items that hadn't gotten any use in months/years, and have added pieces I know will be worn a lot. Next month I intend to buy some of the holes in my closet -  black pumps for interviews coming up (somewhat of a bummer to spend money on something I won't get a lot of use out of right away but something I need), possibly a black blazer that Audrey recommended, and I'm going to be on the look out for suede boots if I can find some in a decent price range. If not, that'll have to wait until February.

So how did you do this month? Did Christmas shopping mean you didn't spend much on yourself, or did the post holiday sales help you score some great deals? Link up below! Please make sure you link back so your readers can discover other budgetting bloggers.