Budgeting Bloggers: June 2014

This month was a happy shopping month for me.  There was a kate spade Surprise Sale, and I finally took the plunge and bought some vintage-inspired shoes to rock with my dresses.  I also got a couple of freebies from Mom, who is a bargain hunter who shares her spoils.

1. kate spade Charm City Ostrich Graham - similar, in Strawberry Daiquiri (originally $68, paid $29):  I have a couple of these tiny card holders from Coach wearing out, so I was excited to find this for a song.  They are great for use in your wristlet or small bag to carry your ID and cards going out.  I get so many compliments on the color!
2. kate spade Call to Action Terry  - exact via eBay, in Tequila (originally $248, paid $99):  Can you resist this bag?  I couldn't.  And it's true... Tequila is not my friend, and bacon, egg, and cheese is one of my favorite combos in existence.  I thought this would be a great travel bag, and it's definitely big enough for an overnight.  Sure, it's not exactly work appropriate, but it's like they made this bag for me personally.
3. B.A.I.T. Hansel in Yellow - similar ($72):  I've been looking at these shoes forever.  My friend Amanda has reviewed the brand on her blog, and I've seen them on multiple blogs.  I love this color yellow!  I ordered a half size up per reviews and recommendations.  The quality is great too.  They are my new favs.
4. B.A.I.T. Ida in Coral - similar (originally $63, paid $32):  These shoes happened to be on sale in my size, and though I had some doubts about how versatile the color would be, I had to grab them.  I was right to be skeptical on color; they are VERY bright!  But I've still managed to work them into my rotation for work.
5. J. Crew Factory Charley Sweater in Geometric Print (valued $75, paid $37):  I bought three tops from J. Crew Factory to wear at work, because my office is chilly and I need sleeves!  I thought the value during the website's sale was too good to resist.  These tops will be well-worn as the other J. Crew tops in my closet.  I needed to replace some tops given the number I've culled for sale/donation in the last six months.
6. J. Crew Factory Clare Cardigan in Navy (valued $55, paid $25)
7. J. Crew Factory Colorblock Baseball Tee (valued $40, paid $20):  This top and the geo print one are very light sweaters, so I can wear them even here in TN!

(not pictured) C9 by Champion Yoga Layering Top (originally $23, paid $18) C9 by Champion Tank (originally $20, paid $15) C9 by Champion Workout Top (Free, from Mom) Macy's Black Top (Free, from Mom) Target Pineapple Favorite Button Down Shirt ($23):  Yes, the one all those bloggers have! Target Striped T-shirt ($9)
$379 spent - $83 earned = $296 $308+ savings
Quarterly Budget: $500 - $95 April - $108 May - $296 June = $1 under budget
I sure cut it close this quarter in spending!  I've gotten a lot in the past few months, but I also had some solid months of blog earnings and Poshmark sales.  My inventory on Poshmark is very low, but occasionally I'll add something here and there.  I also have another full bag of clothes to donate to Goodwill.  I like the progress being made in my closet!
I am currently searching for a red circle skirt, a replacement leopard skinny belt, some vintage-inspired frocks, and more work-appropriate tops.  I really wish we had some Canadian clothing shops like Simons and Joe Fresh that would ship to the U.S., because I feel like they're really nailing my aesthetic (and price range!) more than my former European favs like ASOS.
Check out a couple of photos below featuring my BAIT Footwear shoes.

In my Coral Ida shoes

I posted a photo of my Hansels on Instagram, and the brand regrammed it!

Click here to see the rest of the Budgeting Bloggers via Franish!