Budgeting Bloggers: September 2015

Welcome back for another round of Budgeting Bloggers!  Closing out this quarter, September originally shaped up to be an expensive month...  but I was really good about returning a bunch of things I didn't love, so it worked out well in the end.

1. Stitch Fix Box ($202 for all five pieces):  Revisit my Stitch Fix recap here!
2. Harry Potter Gryffindor Cardigan (originally $45, paid $34):  I was looking for a sweater to toss on at home and at work when I'm chilly, and this was super nerdy but also fit the bill!  It's subtle, so if you're not into Harry Potter you probably would just think it's a sweater with a school crest or something.  It is sooooo soft that I've worn it a bunch already.
3. Doctor Who Timelord Tank Top (originally $25, paid $1 with a deal):  This was sooooo cheap I just had to include it.  I feel like it's a top I can wear under a blazer for work and be an incognito nerd.

$237 spent -  $0 sold = $237 total spent $129 savings
Total 2015 YTD Spending: H1 $970 + July $28 + August $103 + September $237= $1338
In September, I felt like an online shopaholic compared to recent months.  Tons of boxes coming to the apartment!  But just as many were returned.  I also know that in this transition season for weather, I'll be wearing some things I haven't touched in a while.  I turned all my hangers backwards last night, so I can track what needs to go and what I'm wearing.  (When I wash clothes, I place them back on the rack with the hangers corrected.  It's an easy way to see what you wear and what you don't over time!)
One item that I bought and returned was the Madewell Zip Transport Tote, the brown/black one with the shoulder strap.  I was thinking I would take advantage of a 20% off coupon to get this version of the tote, because my one complaint about the Madewell Transport Tote that I currently carry is the lack of zipper.  The leather on my tote is so soft now, because I carry it daily as the brown+black combo matches everything.

Sadly, the zip tote's straps were not to my liking, and the smaller size felt like a downgrade from my current tote.  My plan had been to get the zip tote then resell the one I currently carry.  If they made the new tote with pockets in brown+black, I'd buy that in a heartbeat, but they've chosen solid colors there.  Total Goldilocks (or rather, Golditotes) experience.
If anyone has seen a brown+black zip tote somewhere, please let me know! And don't forget to check out the rest of Fran's budgeting bloggers for September!