August Budget

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I flew to Cleveland after my trip to Poland and have been spending as much time with friends and family as possible before I head back to Berkeley tomorrow. I do have updates and posts to share and they should be up ASAP. 

I've definitely realized blogging is a habit. Once you skip posting for a few days it takes some motivation to get back into the swing of things. 

Well, I am back! And to start off, I'm linking up with Fran over at Franish to share my August budget. I was a lot better at staying on track this month and am really excited about some of my new purchases/gifts. 

Because I spent the majority of the month finishing my job in Europe, I will begin with those items I purchased while abroad.

From Florence:

Sandals: $39.15

(They aren't cognac, but look how similar they are to my favorite pair from Target that I destroyed from all of the walking I put them through!)

Scarf: $5.59

Wine Colored Leather Crossbody Purse: $20.14***

Brown Tote: $24.61***

From Cinque Terre:

Red Beaded Necklace: $5.59

Turquoise Bracelet: $5.59

Krakow:

Orange Stained-Glass Earrings: $9.28

Europe Total: $109.95

 ***BONUS! I mentioned in an earlier post that I post that I had purchased the two bags in Florence keeping in mind that I had bought similar ones (seen in my July Budget) during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. This means I can technically subtract the price of the Nordstrom ones since they will be returned as soon as I get back to California. 

This means my total is: $57.15!!

I am very happy to be so under budget this month seeing as last month was a fiasco. Plus, I also purchased many items as gifts for family and friends while I was abroad. And while those gifts are not documented in my clothing budget, my bank account still felt the cut.

I am super fortunate to have an incredibly generous grandmother who probably loves clothes and shopping more than I do. (Seriously though, the woman has 3 closets filled.) And though she had already given me a birthday gift prior to my Europe trip, once I was home she insisted on going to the Aurora Farms Outlet Mall. These next few items are a result of that trip. She spoils me.

Sleeveless Eyelet Top: Loft Outlet (similar here and here)

Cardigan: Gap Outlet (exact) - so stinkin' soft!

Embroidered Tee: Loft Outlet (similar in darker blue) - sorry for the wrinkles :/

Watch: Michael Kors Outlet (similar here and here)

I can't even say how in love I am with this watch! I've been in the market for a nice one for a while and when we walked into the Michael Kors Outlet and learned there was a 40% off sale on everything including watches and sunglasses (which they never do) I had to look. I tried on a few different styles (I'm pretty particular about watches) and wasn't having much luck. As my sister was checking out, I noticed a few other options by the register and saw this one. I loved it. It was the last one they had in stock so I even got an extra 10% off after the 40%. And thus the stars aligned and I was united with this beauty. I'm obsessed.

All in all, I'm extremely happy with the additions to my wardrobe this month. Beyond the watch, my favorite is probably the cardigan from the Gap Outlet. It's so stinkin' soft and I've worn it just about every day since I got it.

 It almost makes me forgive Ohio for the cooler weather we've had since I arrived. Almost.

Peace,

Sarah