At the beginning of the year I started tracking my clothing purchases by month. I felt like every year I start off with a budget in mind and then as the months pass, I buy more and more. While we have a budget that we review monthly, I thought an easy to access file would help to keep me more accountable.
Since we’re at the halfway point of the year, I thought I’d share an update. Overall, I have spent $1,579 on 21 orders (an order may include more than one item like the time I bought 5 pairs of underwear in one order).
My purchases have ranged from 1 to 5 orders a month. I spent the least in January ($62) and the most in April ($440). For items I consider essentials like bras and underwear, I spent $150. There are four items totaling $307 that I wish I wouldn’t have purchased (2 dresses, a new to me underwear brand I didn’t like, and a striped shirt bought on sale).
With travel in late May and June, I didn’t pay as close attention to what I was buying the past two months. When I reviewed the first half of the year, I was shocked I had spent over $1,500. On more than 21 items! As someone that loves clothing, I realize I probably spend more than the average person and mostly I’m okay with that, but it felt like a lot even to me.
The mid-year review has given me a renewed focus on my clothing spend, especially with the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale starting next week, end of summer sales, and fall fashion new arrivals coming soon. The truth is I don’t need anything and the key is not letting my “wants” get out of control.
To end on a positive note, my personal best purchases have been the Agolde Parker Long shorts (I wear them at least 3x a week), Nisolo sandals (my sandal of the summer), Clare V Sandy tote (goes with everything), J. Crew sweater blazer (I know I’ll wear it a ton this fall/winter and it was the lowest price I’ve seen in 3 years at $50), and a tie between two shirt dresses (one from Target and one from Brooks Brothers).
