It’s time to see my November purchases and figure out what I’ve spent on clothing this year. I am debating continuing with this next year and including shoes and accessories too – we shall see! Like I always say in my Closet Confessions, I share this information as an accountability too for myself. What a person spends in a very personal matter, I choose to make it public. That certainly doesn’t mean everyone else has to, nor does it mean that you have to agree with the amount I spend. Everything I buy I can afford. I use money I make from my side hustles (blogging and plasma donation) and would never encourage anyone to accrue any kind of debt.
Closet Confessions
Tired of a bulging closet that offered me nothing to wear, I started actively paying attention to what I was buying, why I wanted it, and working to define my style. It is hard when you have a fashion blog to practice self control and refrain from buying all the things. But looking at all the excess made me physically ill and only contributed to my anxiety.
I share what I bought in Closet Confessions. If I am gifted clothing, I don’t consider that a purchase. Rest assured, I paid for it, but not with money! Ha!!! Anyone in this business knows, very few things are ‘free’ – there’s usually an expectation that the items will be shared on social media or on the blog. While I get offers for ‘free’ clothing often I typically decline. Unless the clothing fits my personal style aesthetic I pass.
November Purchases
Since I spent a lot in October, I planned to spend way less in November. But with Black Friday happening in November, I knew better than to declare it a no-buy month. There’s too much shop shaming and that is not the point of what I’m doing is; I honestly want to learn about my behavior.
November purchases included two pair of pants, 2 dresses, 1 bodysuit, and 3 blouses. I am pleased with each of these purchases and have zero regret. The same cannot be said of all my purchases for the year but I’ll get to that in January when I recap the year.
Walmart Purchases
My November purchases included two dresses from Walmart. Both bought online. I very rarely find anything of value in store. When I do shop in store, I look at Free Assembly and Time and True, my local stores don’t have much in the way of the Scoop line.
This dress caught my eye when my extremely stylish friend Nanette wore it. I purchased it in a small and a medium based on her sizing recommendations and the medium fit, you saw it first here. This dress runs small but boy is she a beauty! I bought one for my niece and we wore them on Thanksgiving! The dress was $38.
Nanette also shared this dress. I grabbed it in green just to see if it would work on me. I honestly thought it was a no go until I tied the belt differently. You might remember it from this post – I’ll be honest, I was pretty proud of myself and consider it a “Jodie” moment! Jodie is such a creative thinker when it comes to fashion! The dress is only $14 (marked down) and I am wearing it in a medium. My recommendation with this one is to go with your true size, I could have worn a small in it.
Express Purchases
Just last week I confessed my rekindled passion for Express. My November purchases included three pieces. The 50% off Black Friday sale that started before Black Friday and ended well after, gave me the opportunity to pick up this faux leather bodysuit, this wrap style peplum blouse, and this gorgeous blouse. All three are size small. The bodysuit was $30, and I paid $65 for the other two (I placed two different orders).
Chico’s Purchase
Amy influenced me to buy these faux leather pants from Chico’s. I am so glad she did because I really like them. Rather than buying them in black, I opted for this cherry brunette color. While I have not worn them out yet, I will! I paid $58.56 for the pants as they were on sale. The pants are a Chico’s size 0 which is equivalent to a size 4 – they run TTS.
Banana Republic Factory Purchase
A silky black blouse is indeed a wardrobe staple and this one from BRF is pretty good (it’s in the photo above). It did need to be steamed and I am slightly concerned it will wrinkle when I wash it. Come to think of it, I may have been better off spending a tad more and buying a washable silk blouse from Quince. That being said, I am overall pleased with this purchase. The blouse was $17 and I am wearing a size medium.
Total Spent
My November purchases totaled $222.56. I am pleased with that total because I added quite a few pieces since almost everything was on sale (except one of the dresses from Walmart). My total for the year is $4,672.39.
Do you keep track of your spending? Do you have a clothing budget? I am trying to buy less but better and this has been a year of stocking up on good wardrobe basics. My goal for 2023 is to buy less – not necessarily spend less but to buy fewer pieces. My closet is small and a crowded closet keeps me from seeing and appreciating what I have.
Thanks for stopping buy today friends, I appreciate it so much! Make today a good one and don’t rely on other people or circumstances to ‘make’ you happy – never assign that much power to anyone else. Happiness is indeed an inside job!
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