My Clothing Budget Update
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This is everything I bought with my clothing budget, since my last budget post on September 8! That was 3 months ago, so I averaged 6 items and $300 per month. Half of the money I spent was on only two items - suede over the knee boots and a Marc Jacobs purse. The other half I spent on trendy items that fit my lifestyle and climate. The largest number of items came from H&M. I spent the most money at Saks Off Fifth on designer brands.
ROW 1
1. Saks Off Fifth top, $30
2. H&M top, $30
3. H&M top, $26
4. H&M dress, $37
ROW 2
5. J.Crew Factory top, $30
6. H&M tee, $19
7. Banana Republic tee, $10 (similar)
8. H&M top, $10
9. H&M skirt, $26
ROW 3
10. H&M cardigan, $25
11. H&M scarf, $13
12. H&M turtleneck, $10
13. American Eagle top, $30
14. New York & Company boots, $63
ROW 4
15. Charlotte Russe top, $10 (similar)
16. Forever 21 top, $13
17. Express skirt, $44
18. French Connection/Saks Off Fifth, $54 (skirt version, dress, dress)
Total = $480
My clothing budget is $250 per month (graph above). I treat my budget like an allowance and at the start of each month I deposit $250 into an "account" and then spend as I go. I have been saving up all year to buy some investment items this season - boots, purse and jeans. (I got 2 out of 3.) I have $866 remaining for the year - a good chunk of which I'll probably spend during the after-Christmas sales, when clothing prices are by far the lowest of the year.
As always, my budget posts do not include Stella & Dot items (I'm a 1099 employee and earn products and discounts), as well as any free items I get from working in the fashion industry (I return items from sponsors whenever possible, but when it's not possible I either keep the item for personal use, donate, or sell the item and give the $ to charity). The items in this post are solely things that I purchased myself, that fall into the "clothing" category of my budget. The idea isn't necessarily to show or recommend what you should buy (that really depends on your job, climate, and lifestyle) but rather an example of setting and sticking to a clothing budget. I've had the same budget since 2007. I originally set this budget to help me spend more money on the clothes that I desperately needed for work. Now my budget helps me with purchasing decisions, as well as gives me peace of mind while pursuing creative expression through fashion by knowing I'm staying well within my overall budget and personal values. (For more details: "How to Set a Clothing Budget." )
Do you have a clothing budget? What have been your biggest clothing purchases lately?
