Budgeting Bloggers: March

 

March Budget Breakdown

 

A good portion of my budget this month went to keeping Ann, Inc. in business, as I got a whopping 10 items from Ann Taylor and Loft. The last time I went a month without shopping at either of those stores was November. Between Ann Taylor/Loft, J. Crew, and Target, my closet is set. Sometimes I wonder if I should make an effort to switch it up more often, but when certain stores just “get” your style, you know your size, and the price is right…it’s just so much easier. I took advantage of some stackable sales at Ann Taylor, and I used my store credit card (strategically) and earned a $20 reward certificate. I used that reward to cut down an already-on-sale purchase from Loft even further. Oh and I ended up getting the belted v-neck top (top row, middle) for free because they shipped me the wrong shirt the first time. Win!

This month I tried to keep focusing on building my work wardrobe (another reason I spent a good chunk of time and $ at Ann Taylor), and I think I did a bang-up job. Look at all those fancy pants and blazers! But nothing’s bland or boring. More winning!

As for the budget, if you have a freakishly good memory, you know I’ve been WAY under budget the last 2 months. Normally I carry over unspent money to the next month and then add that to my normal “starting” budget of $150 per month. I had $295 left over at the end of February, so I decided to be frugal (well, my version of frugal anyway) and put March’s $150 in savings. I also did a major closet clean-out and after a very long wait at the consignment store, I walked out with $220! Add in a little blog income, and I didn’t miss that $150 at all. In fact, I was still $71 under budget! Hashtag all of the winning!

So let’s get down to the nitty gritty…

My Budget

  • ~$295 (the excess I built up over the past couple months – didn’t add my usual $150 starting budget!)
  • ~$220 (cleaned out my closet and sold a ton of old clothes)
  • ~$186 (blog income)

     = $701

What I Spent (most pictured above, starting top left)

     = $630 (total retail value $1145)

What I Received

Stop by Franish to see the rest of the Budgeting Bloggers!

Hey There, Stud.

 

(1) Tai // (2) Kate Spade // (3) House of Harlow 1960 // (4) Marc by Marc Jacobs

I’ve really been on a stud earring kick recently. When necklaces started getting bigger and statement-ier, I ended up foregoing earrings altogether because I didn’t want to overdo it on the bling around my face. But now I realize that when my hair is pulled back, I really like a little something on my lobes. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, and it could even be something a little cheeky (like my pretzel studs).

The best part is I can keep my little collection of studs in a bowl on my bathroom sink and just grab a pair as I’m putting on my makeup. Of course, the challenge is making sure I find 2 of the same earring, but then again, mixing and matching is a thing now, right?

Anyway, over the past couple months I’ve been growing my little collection, and it’s mainly Shopbop‘s fault. They always have about a billion adorable stud options, and half a billion of those are super affordable. These are some of my current favorites. All are under $100, and most are under $50. Happy shopping, stud.

Row (1) // Tai ($35-60)

Row (2) // Kate Spade ($38-78)

Row (3) // House of Harlow 1960 ($28-35)

Row (4) // Marc by Marc Jacobs ($38-42)

Please note that Shopbop is a current sponsor of this blog, but – as always – I am in control of the content on this blog and these opinions are my own. My name is in the title, after all.