At the beginning of the summer, Kristy and I created wishlists and set budgets for our summer shopping. I set a monthly budget of $150 and managed to find everything on my wishlist for $122, which left me with $28 to add to my July budget! I also cleaned out my closet towards the end of June and sold some items at Buffalo Exchange. I chose to be paid rather than take store credit; thus, I was able to add another $98 to my monthly budget.
July is typically when I begin to focus my shopping efforts towards purchasing a few key pieces to help soften the blow of having to return to work as the commencement of school approaches. After a good cleaning of my closet, I decided I really wanted to add 1)a few more printed tops and cardigans (Can a girl ever really have too many prints in her closet?), 2) some printed pants and/or skirts (I have plenty of printed denim but only had one pair of printed work pants. I know; I was shocked too!), 3) a fun shoe, and 4) a new bag to haul work back and forth from work to home!
The grand total for my wishlist items was $455.40, so it was fortuitous that many of my favorite retailers had some amazing sales and promotions that I took full advantage of to begin adding some of my wishlist items to my closet. Curious how I did?
1) Printed Tops: $43.75
- Animal print cardigan: $29.75 I picked up this super comfortable and cute cardigan at one of Loft’s 50% off events! I’ve already used it as a layering piece when going in and out of places this summer and am dreaming of styling it with an adorable shirt with a bow tie this fall!
- Polka dot chambray shirt: $14 I spent the better part of June trying to hunt down the Gap’s polka dot chambray shirt with no luck, much to my dismay. And while I know there are some amazing DIY’s out there about adding dots to a plain chambray shirt or jeans; frankly, I have neither the interest nor the time to undertake such a project, so I was beyond thrilled when I found the Old Navy version when shopping with a client. Fortuitously, I had a $10 off coupon, so I was able to get this adorable shirt at a bargain basement price. (I have not seen the shirt on Old Navy’s site, but there is this, albeit more expensive, option from J.Crew or this option from Gap!)
2) Printed pants and/or skirt: $90
These pants were another great buy at one of Loft’s 50% off events. When I tried them on I immediately got a Betty Draper/Mad Men vibe and knew they had to come home with me! Here is how I’ve styled the plaid pants recently!
- Cheetah Print Pencil Skirt: $30 Not to sound like a broken record, but I also purchased this skirt during the most recent 50% off event at Loft. Do yourself a favor, finish reading this post and then get yourself to your local Loft and pick up this skirt! It fits like a dream and is an easy way to add a print for fall. (Stay tuned for how I style a look around this skirt!)
3) Fun Shoe: $18
- I know it’s a problem, but I cannot resist a fun shoe! When I put this on my wishlist I really didn’t have a style in mind; I just knew I wanted something fun and that I would know the perfect shoe when I saw it. Leave it to good old Last Chance to satisfy this want. On a recent trip I found this Halogen pump (currently in stores) for $18!
4) Work bag: $58.50
- This school year I will be teaching a section of English, something I have not had to do in about three years, so I wanted to update my work bag since there will be more essays coming home with me than in years past. Again, I didn’t have a particular style, color, or brand in mind; I just figured I would look through a sea of bags to eventually settle upon something with plenty of room and pockets! Recently, I introduced some friends to Last Chance and we happened to go on a day when bags were an extra 35% off! Of course, I dove right into the bag bin hoping to find the perfect work bag, but everything that I found didn’t quite fit my needs. But, just like I advised in the Last Chance guide, it was on my second lap of the store that I found the perfect bag: a deep red leather Marc by Marc Jacobs! So even though I am not thrilled at the thought of grading 30+ essays periodically throughout the upcoming school year, at least those essays will be transported to and from work in style!
Grand Total: $210.25
By the time you add in my $28 surplus from June and the money I made by selling some clothes at Buffalo Exchange, I now have a surplus of $65.75 to add to my budget for August, which is awesome since all the stores are beginning to put their fall lines out and I am a HUGE sucker for fall/winter styles and sales!
Furthermore, I feel great about all the purchases I made in July given that they are all work appropriate pieces that fit well with items I already own and will be part of my wardrobe for seasons and years to come!
You can read Kristy’s recap here! And let us know, in the comments, of any great deals you have found recently!
