Saturday, April 27, 2013

april budget

  1. Gap Pique Academy Blazer, originally $88, on sale for $54: I haven't actually received this blazer yet, so I don't have much to say about it other than I really really want it to work. I first saw it on Kendi, and then on Anne, and just feel in love with it. I didn't want to pay full price for it (which is the complete opposite when it came to this blazer. I have no reasons why this is) so I was happy to get it for $54. It is currently on sale for under $50 with this weekend's 40% sale items promotion going on if you are interested! I'll keep you updated on if it works - I ordered it in a tall so I'm not sure how it will fit. I think it's the colorful blazer I wanted from the floral blazer, but in a style that will be a LOT more versatile.
  2. Gap Round Belt, originally $40 + 30% off = $28: I also haven't received this belt but I've felt it up every time this month I've gone into the Gap. I should have actually tried it on, but I took a chance ordering it online and hope it works out. From the pictures and from looking at it in real life, it is exactly what I was looking for when I said I wanted a nice brown leather belt. Fingers crossed!
  3. J.Crew Factory Linen Cotton Mini [seen here], originally $70 + 50% off = $35: I have six full weeks off this summer which means: FREEDOM FOR MY LEGS. No safety regulations and no dress code means I can wear whatever I want, and what I wanted to wear is this skirt. It is really comfortable and an easy way to dress up a casual look. 
  4. BDG High Waisted Cigerette Jeans, originally $60, on sale for $15: These jeans are my absolute favorite jeans. I was pretty upset a few months ago when I finally wore through my mid-rise pair, and then those were sold out so I got the high rise just to test it out, and I ended up liking those even more! They do a really great job of smoothing out the belly area, they are super comfortable, and ordering them longer means I could get them hemmed to the exact length I wanted. When I saw that these were being sold for $15, I immediately ordered a second pair. Because my normal size was no longer available during this selling out period, I ordered a size up which I think works out well. They are just a bit looser in the calves. I plan on hemming these just a little bit longer too, so I'm hoping I can wear them to school as they are "pants" and not jeans ;)
  5. Gap Printed Tunic, originally $55 + 30% off = $38.50: I tried this shirt out on a whim and ended up really liking it. I originally purchased it in store for $45 because I had a $10 reward, but then I when I went to go order the blazer and belt, I ordered it as well to get it another $7 cheaper. I plan to do a switch around with returns since I have already worn this shirt (and LOVED it - see it here).
  6. J.Crew Factory Tee, originally $26 + 50% off = $13: I don't have a lot of short sleeved shirts, I liked this color, and it was relatively cheap. 
  7. Banana Republic Engineered Tee [seen here], originally $45, on sale for $14: I ended up combining a few promotion codes to get this purchase down to less than $14. I (obviously) really like stripes, and I know that this light grey/white combo will get a lot of wear. Banana Republic is currently having a 35% off online special which would bring this shirt down to just over $14 if you are interested in it. I do a bit more of a review on it here.
= $198 - $110 worth of clothing sold = $88**

Not too shabby this month! If I end up keeping both the blazer and the belt, I will still be $60 under budget "technically". Last month I said I wanted to do a bit less shopping, and I think I did a pretty good job sticking to that goal. I made a few other purchases this month from my school wardrobe fund, but I will write a separate post on the progress on that in a few weeks. Overall, I feel good about the pieces I purchased.

Next weekend Chris and I are going to the Twin Cities to have a little weekend getaway. We are going to the Mall of America, so I'm excited to get to some stores that we don't have here. I plan on "rolling over" money from this month (so at least $60, maybe more if I return either of those items) into next month's budget. I am really hoping I find some jeans at Nordstrom Rack (we don't have one in Wisconsin), an emerald scarf, and some nude ballet flats (similar to this pair), or maybe even a low wedge (like this pair - safety regulations be damned!....kidding. kind of). Other than that, I don't have any big needs in my closet right now. 

How did you do this month? If you are interested, please feel free to add a link to your spending recap below. I ask that you please link back to this post so that your readers can read about other budgetting bloggers. You guys all inspire me every month with your dedication to looking great on a budget, so I want your readers to be able to feel the same way.

EDIT: I went to the mall today to do a bit of birthday shopping with my sister, and I ended up finding the round belt in a bit of a lighter color on final sale + 40% off for $7. I also bought these leopard loafers for $18, so my overall money spent didn't change since I'll be returning the darker brown belt that was $28. I'm pretty excited about both finds!