the damage… march 2014!

At the end of each month this year I am planning to pause to take a look at my spending as it's related to my closet. Each month my target budget is $300 and only 5 pieces of clothing or shoes. I chose 5 items because I am working on making my closet a more curated place without a lot of hubris and also to try to put an end to the constant closet clean outs where loads of clothes get sent to charity. Not that there is anything wrong with giving clothes to charity, it's just that I hope to make my clothes last longer in general. For some this budget may sound like a lot and for others it may not... for me personally this is my monthly goal. It works for my budget and lifestyle and doesn't break the bank. Shopping budgets are a personal thing, but I share mine here to show how I stretch my budget and work to create a well curated and fully stocked closet.

My March shopping budget was right on track for budget and for pieces… maybe after a few months of this challenge I am getting comfortable with it.  I will say that shopping this month was challenging, I wanted all of the things and none of the things at the same time.  What I mean by that, is that with spring coming I felt a serious urge to press 'reset' on my closet and buy loads of clothes but at the same time I was SUPER picky and slow in deciding what I wanted and what I was going to buy - I tried on more clothes this month than I have in a really long time.  And while I bought five things that I absolutely LOVE this month… I was surprised that I didn't find more. If that makes sense.  Maybe the challenge is sinking in and I am becoming more critical and careful with my purchases - or maybe it just wasn't my month for shopping.  It's hard to say.

This is what I bought this month:

Gap, White Cuffed Jeans, $69.95, with promotions paid $41.97

H&M, Cargo Jacket, $39.95

J.Crew, Reversible Lightweight Merino Sweater, $138, with promotions paid $103.50

Gap, Denim Shorts, $49.95, with promotions paid $32.46

Gap, Sandals, $39.95, with promotions paid $25.97

Total Spent: $243.85 (total saved $93.95)

Some thoughts on the budget: Under budget for the 3rd month in a row! Not by much… but this is a record for sure!

Some thoughts on the pieces: Like I said above I wanted to buy so much more and didn't really find as much as I thought I would all at the same time. It was a weird month for shopping for me. The white jeans and denim shorts are staples that will replace existing worn-out pieces in my closet.  Before I left for spring break I knew I wanted to replace those pieces.  My closet seems quite devoid of sandals (last season I donated a lot of pairs that I either didn't like or got rid of pairs that were too worn out from previous seasons) so those were a must have for spring and looking forward to upcoming months will likely be another purchase, in addition to these, that I will need to make.  I have been wanting a jacket like this one for like four years now - so I finally pulled the trigger on the one I found for this post (I ordered it online and haven't received it yet… so it's still TBD if I will like it or not).  And the sweater was love at first sight. It's kind of like a sweatshirt but kind of like a sweater all at the same time.  So far I have worn it with a chambray top underneath but I look forward to wearing it on it's own with jeans and shorts as the temps warm.  Overall I am thrilled with these pieces… each of them will be going with me on spring break and will likely become much loved staples this spring and summer.

If you want to see all the previous "the damage" posts… click here!