August 2016 Wardrobe Additions

August 2016 wardrobe additions โ€” Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Phase 3 wool floppy hat via Nordstrom (seen here): $21 (originally $38)
Halogen 'Owen' lace-up flats via Nordstrom (seen here): $49 (originally $90; used $15 gift card on $64)
Madewell pocket jean vest (seen here): $51 (originally $79.50; used gift card)
Madewell sleeveless chambray shirt: $30 (originally $65; used gift card)

August Total = $70

$450 (quarterly budget) - $105 (June) - $227 (July) - $70 (August) = $48 left over

I added two more buys from the Nordstrom Anniversary Saleโ€”the hat and the shoesโ€”and two new pieces from Madewell this month. I had plenty of gift cards to Madewell to pay for those purchases, so I didn't end up going over budget. Even though I have a bunch left over, I'm not going to put it towards next quarter's budget; August was an expensive month for me so I'm going to put that towards other expenses. I think I may end up decreasing next quarter's budget to $400, but we'll see how this next month plays out life-wise.

I've already featured the hat, shoes, and vest in outfit posts this month, and I plan to feature the sleeveless chambray soon! I love the color of the floppy hat and plan to wear it a lot this fall and winter. At first, I wasn't quite sure if I'd be keeping any of the pairs of the Halogen lace-up flats that I ordered, mostly because none of the colors went with my entire closet. Then a switch flipped, and I decided that I have other pairs of shoes that don't go with everything, so I opted to hang on to the pewter flats since I love them with darker colors (black, burgundy, grey). I bought them in my usual size 7, and they fit perfectly. The leather is pretty nice quality for the price point. I did find that they rubbed the back of my heels, but I forgot to use my Bandaid Friction Block Stick. I may put moleskin on them where they rubbed to prevent it from happening again. Also, the laces come undone fairly easily; I had to really pull the double knot to keep it from untying!

I featured the Madewell vest in a recent wishlist post, and that same day, I stopped by the store since they are (or were) offering a 20% student discount instead of the usual 15%. The vest was on promo and I was able to stack the student discount on top. The shirt I found in the sale section. It had been on my wishlist for a while, but my usual size XS wasn't in store. The XXS fit well, so I ended up getting it! I look forward to layering with it this fall and winter.

As far as what I'm buying next month... I have no idea! But I'm sure I'll have something to share, especially since it's my birthday month. ;) I love shopping at this time of year!

Linking up with Franish & my fellow budgeting bloggers