Adrien: Summer Budget, August.

So before I get into this I should mention that a few things happened in August that made my financial situation quite a bit better, so even though I tried to keep a budget frame of mind it all kind of crash-burned when I walked into Banana Republic. (More on that soon.)

So, here's what I bought in August:

Michael Stars t-shirt: $19
This was on sale at a local boutique and even though I don't need t-shirts, I couldn't resist buying a super-slouchy, deliberately inside-out leopardy t-shirt. I can only get away with wearing this on weekends, but I'll try to get a weekend outfit pic sometime soon. It's just one of those super thin, soft tees that you want to wear all the time. It's vanished from the internets, but still available in tank form. (She's wearing it inside out, btw.)

Ann Taylor jacket: $42
I bought this jacket for fall because I liked it's slightly Chanel-eque boxy fit, but it's still got the tags on it because I can't decide if it's me or not. (And because it's 99 degrees today.) Just FYI: for some reason AT in-store deals are always way, way better than online.


Pedicure: $22
So good, so necessary. I really should give my toes a no-polish break but I'm still wearing sandals, so what can you do? I think my current color is Essie Tiny Wine-ey? I can't remember.

Banana Republic Gemma wrap dress: $38
I took advantage of the sale I posted a while back and got this dress in the beautiful purple color. I can't wait to wear it!


Clinique Black Honey Almost Lipstick: $16
I think it's funny how many of you suggested this in the lip balm entry comments! It really is that good. I've used Black Honey for years and also loved one of the other colors which they discontinued because they're jerks.


So, that's all the stuff I had written on my "August purchases" list.  It totals up at $137 which seems like a really good, reasonable month until I stepped foot in Banana Republic and all of this restraint went out the window. They had some screaming deals in-store ($50 off a $100 purchase!) and online (40% off nearly everything!) I bought a bunch of stuff from the new collection with the idea that I'll try it all on with my existing wardrobe and then make some hard decisions. That'll be another post, but for those of you who're wondering, yes, I did buy the faux-leather skirt.

Summer Wish List: How'd I Do?

So, back in May I wrote up a summer wish list with my horrible summer budget restrictions in mind. Now that *sob* summer is nearly over, I thought it'd be interesting to see how closely I stuck to what I needed. My list:

Denim Shorts

I bought the Old Navy Sweetheart Denim Shorts (Outfit here) and I wore the everloving shit out of them all summer. They were the best and I'm sorry I didn't buy a second pair. Yay for Old Navy! My favorite place to buy cheap t-shirts and shorts.


Yellow Clog Sandals

Sadly, I did not buy these. I did wear my black pair by Lotta From Stockholma whole lot so I really do think another pair is in order but it didn't happen this summer.

Aviator Sunglasses

This one hurts my heart. A lot. I found the sunglasses I desperately want - the Oakley Restlessbut they're expensive, so it'll have to wait for now. I'm still wearing my old MBMJ pair but one of the lenses keeps popping out. The next time it happens I'll probably stomp on them and head to the Oakley store.

Small Necklace

I bought this! I got the House of Harlow mini sunburst necklace and it's been great. I've worn it a lot this summer. The exact version I bought seems to be gone, but it comes in other great colors.

Magic Dress
Sad face. I didn't find my new magic dress this summer. Instead I've just been wearing my old magic dresses from the past and wishing they didn't look quite so sad.

Fun print blouses
I didn't buy any new ones this summer, but my favorite spring blouse purchase (worn here) has been one of my most-worn tops this summer. I always look for Olive & Oak when I go to Marshalls but I haven't found another one I like as much.

Adrien: Summer Budget, July.

Oh hey, hi there. You look really nice today, did I tell you that? Well, you do. Please remember I said that when you start getting all judgmental later. 

Soooo. Yeah. Remember back in June where I was a total saint-like person who came in well under budget? That was nice. Such restraint! And then... there's July where I just said "fuuuuck this" and bought All The Things. I know! I'm sorry, I don't really know what happened but it just... happened. So, what did I buy? Check it:

Cle de Peau concealer: $70.

Good quality concealer that will last for a really long time. I reviewed this here.


MBMJ tech wallet: $58.

I've carried this wallet every day since I bough it. I reviewed it here.


Birchbox: $10.

My July box was pretty good, overall. I got a very cute little eyeshadow palette, a chemical peel mask, some lotion that smells like lemon Pledge, a "power" serum I haven't tried yet, and some hair mask that smells really nice. If you're so tempted, here's my referral link.

J.Crew twill utility pants: $42.

I wore them here. These pants have become an unexpected summer staple.

StriVectin Starter Kit: $39.

This kit is such a bargain (from TJ Maxx) if you like StriVectin products. I reviewed it here.

Zella leggings: $33.

My attempt to break my Lulu addiction.  Zella leggings are good quality and I talked about them here.


DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and Avene water: $27.

Both from Dermstore. The cleanser I see as a staple, but fancy water to spray on my face definitely falls under "unnecessary expenditure." Still, I'm counting both because it doesn't even matter at this point.

Jewelry from Dillard's 40% off sale: $23.

I got these earrings and a necklace that looks a bit like this. This sale was insane - heaps of costume jewelry all over the place and all deeply discounted. Hard to resist.

I also bought some underwear (deeply discounted) but I really needed it so I am not bothering to include it in my budget. I don't generally talk about my underthings but I will say this bra is really good if you're a Natori fan.

SO. Yeah. I bought a lot of stuff. $302 worth of stuff*, apparently. I'm slightly ashamed of going over my budget by, um, $107 but I truly like everything I bought and sometimes it just happens. I'm not going to go all hair shirt about it and forbid myself from shopping in August because that's just not going to work and *whine* THE SALESSSS. What I am going to do is start over and pretend like nothing happened. SO, my August budget is $150 and we'll see how I do.

*If you just made a face of disgust please go back to the top of the entry and read the first part. 

Adrien: Summer Budget, June.

My May budget post is here, and because of a slight overage in May, I set my June budget at $146.68. Or, since I'm bad at math, $147.00 because who cares about the change. NOT ME. (For the sake of my sanity, I'm going to round my prices up or down to whole amounts from here on out. Money is boring.)

So, what did I buy in June? You know most of it. (For the sake of transparency I feel I should mention that I returned the Anthro stuff I bought last week. I decided I didn't love either item enough to break my budget over.) Here you go:

Old Navy dress: $23.00.

my review here.

Birchbox: $10.00:

Yep, I signed back up with Birchbox because I missed the fleeting joy of getting a cute box full of odd beauty samples. Small pleasures! My first box was a pretty decent one too. (If you're tempted, my referral link is thus.)

Pedicure: $28.00

Pretty standard stuff. I go to the cheap place in a strip mall because they do a great job and I love the invasively painful massage chairs.

NYX Butter Lipgloss x 2: $7.00:

My review here.

Essie polish in Style Hunter: $9.00:

Physicians Formula eyeliner $10.00:

My review here.

Athleta breeze shorts $15.00:

I bought these to have a comfortable, sporty pair of shorts to wear after a bike ride or over a swimsuit. Or hiking or whatever. I love the fit but the color leaves a little something to be desired. Suitably army-greenish or reminiscent of baby poop? Help me, people.

Budget spent: $102
Budget remaining: $45

Normally I'd be all self-congratulatory and back-patting over this INCREDIBLE show of shopping restraint but I think we can all agree that June was a completely awful month and I just wasn't in the mood for shopping. Now we're into July and I have a budget of $195 and that feels kind of decadent. Like, Cle de Peau level decadent. We'll see what happens.

So. I Went to The Mall.

I have been steadfastly avoiding the mall but my friend Ashley was in town (previous hijinks here and here) and as she succinctly put it, “When I get together with you I might as well just throw $150 on the sidewalk.” Hmph. I am not a bad influence except that I totally am because I doubt Ashley would have found herself in Saks and Anthropologie if not for me. Sorry/not sorry.

We started in Saks because she wanted to buy the same fancy Chanel lipstick her lovely mother was wearing, but they don’t have that color anymore, so she bought this one which looked awesome on her.

Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet #44

It is BRIGHT but that girl can wear color like nobody else.

She also re-bought a Clinique staple, the Chubby Stick Intense in Roomiest Rose which she swears by. I wouldn’t even let myself look at it because I DO NOT NEED LIP STUFF. NOPE. Lest you think I am now a saint-like non-shopping person, I was actually busy having some Saks lady apply $70 Cle de Peau concealer on my face because I NEEDED TO KNOW.

Cle de UGH concealer

Even though it’s a complete outrage how expensive this stuff is I will basically spend any amount of money on concealer and people swear by this one. She dabbed it on under my eyes and I grudgingly admitted it looked good. Then she said, “Now I’ll show you what it can do on your sun damage!” Thanks for noticing, lady. But you guys? She made my brown spots vanish. VANISH. I went out in the bright sunlight and scrutinized and it still looked good. DAMN. IT.  I did not buy it but I want it more now than ever.

We then went to Anthropologie where I tried on a bunch of stuff:

Mahdia Peasant Top

This is so cute but oddly, horrifyingly short on me. I'm not really doing the midriff thing. Ever.

Silk Racer Tank

This top is really nice, the colors were good and the price is amazing but silk is too high maintenance for me.

Islet Buttondown

This blouse is super comfortable and slouchy and the color is so good and Ashley made me buy it.

Tonnelle Dress

This dress didn't do much on me but looked fantastic on Ashley. (She bought it.)

AG Stevie Ankle Jeans

I tried these cropped jeans on in grey just so I could try on the tops and they came home with me too, but then I was all, “Oops, budget. Shit.” So they’ll most likely get returned (and the blouse might too.) They were soft and comfortable and oh my God I hate the budget. Commence to pouting.

It's A New Month!

M: Now that it's a new month and I'm not torturing you, I can tell you that this is a VERY good dress and it's on sale! I have the royal blue and might get another. It's super comfortable and flattering. Possibly magical dress material:

Old Navy Sleeveless Shift Dress

A: I bought that! I actually bought it in April in the blue, but I haven't worn it yet for no reason I can figure out.

M: Dude. Wear it!

A: I think I've been saving it so that when I gnash my teeth at my closet and cry in despair at how much I hate all my clothes, it'll be there waiting. Also, it needs to be ironed.

M: Well that's a good plan I guess.

A: Ha, I need to just wear it. It's a good dress and the color is great. I am thinking about getting this one:

Old Navy Striped Jersey Shift Dress

A: My summer dresses from last year are looking REAL SAD.

M: Mine TOO. And nothing fits. I should try that Old Navy one. I tried this one on and the top straps both gapped open so you could see like half of my bra.

J.Crew Stripe Back-Zip Dress

A: I try to avoid even looking at JCrew because I just cannot with them.

M: I'm not sure what I was thinking. I went in there to look at swimsuits and they don't carry them in store. I did buy a cute t-shirt for $22:

J.Crew Drapey Tee

M: THEN I drank some wine and impulse ordered a swimsuit that I just noticed has ZERO boob support so that was a waste of time and money:

J.Crew Halter Wrap Tank

A: Are you sure it doesn't? Because if not, COME ON JCREW. STOPPIT. I can’t even fathom bathing suit shopping right now. I've so conditioned myself to not shop that I'm like a shivery pound poodle when I even think about going to the mall.

M: It just says "lined". I mean what the hell. But surely there are at least cups, right? RIGHT?

A: If there aren't you should take it back to the store and burn it on the counter in protest.

M: Well, I'll get my money back first, then yes. Fire.

A: #duh

A: I might hit up Ross this week and look for a couple of dresses. File Under: I hate myself.

M: Well good luck with that. TJMaxx was so full of awful that I was aghast.

A: I know. And you are a bad influence because a bikini just got added to my ON cart. I guess I can fathom it.

Old Navy Halter Bikini Top

Old Navy Triangle Print Bikini Bottom

A: Is this print funky-cute, or godawful?

M: Oh I think it's fun!

M: I feel old because I go to stores and I DON'T UNDERSTAND CLOTHES. I see lithe, gorgeous 18-year-olds dressed like this and I just want to DIE.

A: I just ordered the dress and the bikini and it FELT MAGICAL. Now I want to set things on fire because you showed me that outfit. Ye Gods, children! THE 80s WAS NOT IRONIC,  IT WAS JUST PLAIN BAD.

M: WTH

A: Tired now.

Adrien: Summer Budget, May.

When I posted the original entry about my summer budget a commenter asked what I normally spend on clothes/beauty in a month and I honestly had no idea but I can tell you it's more than the $150 I set for myself. So, how did I do in May? Well, that depends. I realized that I hadn't really thought through what actually counts as a "beauty" item. Does my run-of-the-mill facial cleanser count? Does non-fancy body wash count? I am not counting stuff like sunscreen and deodorant, so what does that mean for other staples? (What do you guys think?)

Another issue - my mother wanted to go for pedicures for Mother's Day and I bought us both one because it's dumb to take someone for a pedicure and not get one yourself. It was part of a gift, right? So it shouldn't count. BUT, I really needed one, so it really does kind of count. UGH. SO MUCH GREY AREA.

Here's the breakdown of what I bought:

• Old Navy shorts - $24.94 (A wishlist item!)
• Crest White Strips - $36.10
• House of Harlow necklace - $33.68 (Another wishlist item)
• StriVectin (2 mini tubes) - $31.60
• Cerave face cleanser - $2.47 (I had CVS bucks to use, so got it cheap.)
• Method body wash - $3.48 (on clearance at Target. Get some! It's so good.)
• Mother's Day pedicure - $27

Total: $159.27

Yeah, I went over. Even if it's decided that face cleanser and body wash don't really count as beauty items, I still went over by $3.32. Though I failed to stay in my budget, I still feel like I changed my spending habits a lot. I stopped looking at every sale email, I stopped going to the mall just for fun, I just stopped looking for things to buy and got busy doing other stuff.

Also, everything I bought was a deliberate, thought-out purchase. When you're on a tight budget you're much less likely to buy stuff for the hell of it. It really made me think hard before I bought anything and I'm happy with all my purchases.

And just so you don't think I'm a big cheating cheater, I'm going to adjust my budget for June to account for the overage. Should I adjust for $3.32 or $9.27? You guys get to be the decider on this. Hep me!

Adrien: Summer Budget WAH WAH.

HEAVY SIGH. I've recently had a large and somewhat unexpected financial issue come up and it's forcing me to take a hard look at my spending. I need to save a big chunk of money this summer and there's no way around it. The two easiest ways to cut down spending for me:

- Stop eating out so much
- Stop buying so much shit I don't need

Uh, yeah. So I'm going to be doing both these things but this entry is really about the second one. For the next four months I'll be shopping within a pretty tight budget that will force me to really think through my purchases and separate want from need. This sounds like NO FUN AT ALL, but I think it'll be good for me to be super-accountable about what I'm buying and why.

My rules:

- A monthly style budget of $150 which includes beauty/makeup, clothes, shoes, accessories and pedicures. (It does not include hair appointments because that is non-negotiable.)
- Unspent budget can roll over to the next month.
- Selling something on the blog or eBay does NOT count as free style budget money.
- I'll be attempting to stick to my spring wishlist items and will be posting a summer update later today.
- I will definitely still be whining about stuff I want that I can't have, no worries there.

This starts today and I will do an entry at the end of each month with details of exactly what I bought and how much I spent. Hopefully this won't be too boring! What do you guys think?