To Sparkle Punch...

Revisiting the Budget: July and August 2014

JessComment

Inspired by Kate at A Journey in Style, I thought it would be helpful to look back at the things I've bought over the past year, and see if they were actually good buys. Do I still wear them? Do I even still have them?! Let's find out!

JULY 2014

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So July 2014 is a little tough to judge because I was in a walking boot and bought a lot of things strictly to accommodate the boot life. Things like ugly shoes of roughly the same height. And crossbody bags and a lot of leggings. Purchases 5, 6, and 7 are not in the current rotation but were VERY helpful while I was on the IR. As for the rest:

  1. Floral crown headband (Laila Rowe) - $7 Only worn once but hey, it's a floral crown. HIT
  2. Target v-neck tee (2, one not pictured) - $15 I still wear both (the other is a light Tiffany blue) pretty frequently! HIT
  3. Thrifted MNG by Mango skirt (Buffalo Exchange) - $17-$2 gift card = $15 I've only worn it once (seen here!) but it IS gorgeous and under $20 so I'm ok with it HIT
  4. Target leggings - $8 They're annoyingly thin compared to my fave leggings, but I still wear them every now and again. HIT
  5. Payless Champion Solstyce sneakers - $29
  6. Duluth oil cloth sling bag - $54
  7. Crocs Carlie Mary-Janes (Zappos) - $44

Total: $172

AUGUST 2014

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Oh boy, August 2014. When one of your best buys is nail polish remover, it's not good! Both H&M pants worked great with my boot, but not so great in my every day life. (And I stopped wearing the boot in mid-August, so, dang.)

  1. Slouchy pants (H&M) - $24 They're super comfy, but I never reach for them! For $24, I'd say this is a MISS
  2. Zoya Remove nail polish remover (Ulta) - $10 Um, it's the best. HIT.
  3. Cobian Flip Flops (Flip Flop Shops) -$32 LOVE THESE! I got them in Cali because they were approx. boot-height, and they have become my go-to flip flops! SO comfy! HIT
  4. Patterned pants (H&M) - $17 Ugh, I wanted to love these, but it didn't happen. I just sent these in a giant ThredUp bag. MISS
  5. Bracelet (Loft) - $6 (on sale) I don't wear it so I guess that makes it a MISS
  6. Wristlet (Target) - $12 While I quickly fell out of love with this guy (it's since been consigned), it showed me how much I dislike the slouchy/cheap-looking faux leather products Target sometimes puts out. And I definitely used it for more than 12 days, so, HIT. (mostly for educational purposes!)
  7. Mason Circle Ring (Baublebar) - $23 (on sale) Again, educational because apparently I am not a size 5 anymore! I love this ring, but it just flies off my hand. Sigh. For $23, that's a MISS

Not pictured: blue cardigan from Loft ($14 on sale) (sent to ThredUp MISS), two rings from an NYC street vendor ($25) (never wear MISS), t-shirt dress from Target ($9 on sale) (still wear pretty frequently! HIT)

Total: $172

So that's a total of 7 Hits and 5 Misses (and a bunch of boot-life-specific stuff). Eek. Definitely something to keep in mind when I get excited to buy an item impulsively! (Not that I'm doing that in Shop-Free August of course.....) How do you feel about critiquing past buys? Do you even bother looking back, or do you find it helpful?