Comments on In Pursuit of Pretty Things: Pretties on My Mind... (Wishlisting)

There are quite a few J.Crew Heart Me sweaters on ...

2012-01-26T20:28:55.159-08:00

There are quite a few J.Crew Heart Me sweaters on Ebay, so hope you find one there. I go with a monthly budget which often I only spend on one item. But I think it's important to set a dollar limit per month too and not just an item limit. I find having both these things in place helps me save money and think about getting things I really want or need instead of just shopping because there's a sale or as a past time. And if I don't spend all my monthly limit, I let myself carry it forward to put towards something next month or later in the year.

I'm finding it hard to budget when it comes to...

2012-01-26T09:48:39.744-08:00

I'm finding it hard to budget when it comes to clothing. I've already splurged on a Carven dress and a pair of Alexander Wang sandals (on sale); I rationalized these purchases by telling myself that I'll use my tax refund to pay for them. (I usually spend some of my tax refund on "fun" items and then sock the rest away in savings &/or in my Roth IRA.) But I try not to beat myself up over exceeding my budget in certain areas. I only can resolve to do better. (Though truthfully, it's been hard so far to control my spending when it comes to clothes. I'm better than I used to be, but not by much.)

Anyway, I tried the Tylor pants at Club Monaco; I really like them, but the pants had some odd creases in the crotch area -- I think the creases were due to the nearly vertical zip pockets near the hips. I plan on waiting until the pants go on sale -- I can't justify $150 for a pair of pants that fit oddly (though I can if they're at a discount).

So many fun things! I set a round about number in...

2012-01-26T00:03:02.304-08:00

So many fun things! I set a round about number in my head for what i could spend in January and I totally blew it. Not sure what the answer is to cutting back. Hoping February goes better! Good luck!

Great finds!

2012-01-25T19:01:17.704-08:00

Great finds!

Carol, in a way I'm experiencing the same thin...

2012-01-24T17:59:20.202-08:00

Carol, in a way I'm experiencing the same thing as you with the clothing budget/item limitations. Our situations are different, but I can honestly say that I understand your dilemma. Have you thought about possibly choosing a category for each month? It may not work for you, but maybe one month you buy a pair of shoes and the next month is dedicated to blouses, accessories or skirts. This way you could give yourself a budget and stay within that category while working with what you already own to re-create looks you love. Like I said, i don't know if that would work for you. I just know for myself, I always have to look at what I've got and decide what one item is most lacking in my wardrobe or what I've been dying to have for a long time.

I'm still kicking myself for not buying that J...

2012-01-24T16:27:25.889-08:00

I'm still kicking myself for not buying that J.Crew Heart Me Sweater when I had the chance. I remember one of the first days I saw it in store, there were tons of them in every color. Then they had that 25% off everything in the store sale and they were gone in a second :/

club monaco is one of my weaknesses as well! they...

2012-01-24T11:38:54.429-08:00

club monaco is one of my weaknesses as well! they have some great versatile pieces and sometimes have great sales! I love that mint sweater in your first photo! I think creating a wish list is a great way to cut down on the amount of things I buy. I normally see if I am still as obsessed with the things on my wish list after a month or two...which is usually a good gauge for weather or not I should get them (it is still really hard).

http://champagnecocktailscashmeredreams.blogspot.com/

Club Monaco has really stepped up their game over ...

2012-01-24T10:29:30.777-08:00

Club Monaco has really stepped up their game over the years. I remember when they just those sweatshirts with the big circle logo on it :)

I find the "one item per month" concept ...

2012-01-24T09:51:07.045-08:00

I find the "one item per month" concept to meet more of my needs than to budget a certain amount. That is because the "buying too many things" is more of an issue for me than monthly clothing allowance. Of course, the two are related but I want to move towards being more particular and having fewer items than towards setting a limit and seeing how much I can buy with that money, doing the "return/rebuy on sale/price adjustment" dance. Violinista's comment resonated with me: shop less, fill that time with other goals I am moving towards. And to meet the standard for being the only item added to my closet in a month would be a tricky thing for an item to meet! It would have to be divine or a workhorse.

I feel your pain, trying to save more and not acqu...

2012-01-24T08:08:55.187-08:00

I feel your pain, trying to save more and not acquire too much is part of my goals too. I have a wishlist that's so long, but I've noticed that I have become more picky about what I buy with my budget.

In the past couple of years, there would be season...

2012-01-24T07:32:55.038-08:00

In the past couple of years, there would be seasons where I'd go crazy shopping--I don't know if I was just having a lucky time finding things that looked great on me and were a good price or what, but it'd go overboard at times, and I'd look at my closet at the end of the month or the period and feel that "high" disappear. I still love, LOVE clothes...but the thing that has recently kept me from splurging unnecessarily is that I simply don't have the time to shop, lol. As long as I keep myself busy with other activities or interests, I'm not thinking too much about stuff...just plain old STUFF. Instead of accumulating "stuff", I try to go out for a run, listen to music, read a book, practice my instruments, look up a new recipe...anything to keep my mind off of lusting material things, haha. Maybe that could help? I know it's saved me and my husband a ton of money.

ah, hypothetical shopping. It's the best kind!...

2012-01-24T07:04:12.096-08:00

ah, hypothetical shopping. It's the best kind!

I'm also trying to cut my shopping to one item a month. It was my New Year's pledge! So far so good, but it's really tough. Good thing is it's really helped me think about my shopping habits and I think I'm on my way to some long-term changes.