October Budget Blog

This month I am challenging myself further and I hope to do the same every month from now on. My budget this month will be $105. Yes only $5 less but overtime that will be a drastic change, not only on my bank account but on my overall shopping lifestyle. I hope to eventually change my overall way of thinking when it comes to buying things I do not need. 

Budget Spent:xx

Budget Left: xx

Days Left Till the End of the Month: xx

These two purchases were made prior to this month but will be included in this month. 

Ebay- Light Wash Denim Shirt- $9.74 This item was something that has been on my list for a long while. So even though I was at the end of my budget this is something I could not pass up. This was a one time find not from a store or a place that restocks. Most denim shirts are $18-$40. I purchased one from Target before I got this in the mail for $18 and I am returning it tomorrow because I love this one. The brand is Fred David and I have never heard of it before but it is exactly what I was looking for. Its a medium and fits great, a bit oversized but I need a medium or I would not be able to button it in the chest area. 

Kohls- 3 swimsuit bottoms- $7.07 Beyond excellent deal I saw while working today. Our swimwear is  usually never marked down this far. I bought a fourth one but it did not go with any of my current pieces. The rest match with a few other separates I have. I got a majority of my swimwear on clearance. I don't plan on buying anymore for a while. I have 9 tops and 8 bottoms which is plenty. I  can go to the beach/pool pretty much year round so I cannot just have 1-3 bathing suits they will get  worn out and damaged very quickly. The brands and sizes are- So size Medium(coral one), Mudd size Small(gray and teal one), and Mudd size Xsmall (striped one). They all fit, actually the medium fits the smallest. The brand So runs small usually, in Mudd swim bottoms I usually wear XS or S. In So I can wear M or L. So if you try to find these online please keep that in mind. These are all Juniors Swimwear Sizes.

October 1st 2012: Old Navy- Light/Medium Wash Shorts- $8.98

I know they may not be everyone's taste, they are a 4 1/2" inseam and are very comfortable. I have not liked wearing short shorts to school or if I'll be sitting a while because they are very uncomfortable because my thighs are are bigger. These are a size two and are a little loose on the thigh which never happens and perfect at the waste. A zero would of been perfect but these were the smallest on the clearance rack. The style is called the Flirt and it is fitted on the waist and bigger at the thighs for girls like me who have a smaller waist and not so small thighs. It is something I've always had an issue with since about 12-13 years old. I have a good amount of muscle in my thighs from walking and biking a lot so they are bigger and it is hard to make them smaller. The measurements on these are: Waist laying flat: 15" Thigh laying flat: 10 1/2" Rise: 8" They are a little higher than the usual low rise but I prefer these. Few years back I would of not picked this up but with age I noticed changes in my style and how comfortable I am not with showing my thighs. I am only 22 but I feel I always want to look appropriate and be comfortable.

October 8th 2012: Forever 21.com- yoga leggings- $10.39 they had free shipping no minimum and I have been looking to get another pair of yoga leggings for biking. I ride my bike for exercise when it is cooler out so I got 2 gray pairs and one black pair and I have been looking for another and these are by far the least expensive. I got my other 3 from forever 21 and have had no issues with them. Yet again it is too hot to bike so I haven't gotten much wear out of them just yet.

not my images, this is forever 21's image. This is just here till I get mine in the mail.

September Budget Blog Confessions

My first experience with being on a budget...

It was very difficult to go from $250-$400 dollars a month to spend on clothing, makeup, room decor etc. down to $110. I almost made it but not quite. It was hard not buying all the great end of summer clearance deals, but honestly I did not need them. I feel a lot better being able to save some money and still get a few cute pieces. I hope to still knock down my spending a lot. 

There are a few items I did not add in this budget. One item being a hot pink sketchbook which is not something I needed but drawing is a big part of my life and I have been neglecting it because I do not like my current sketchbook or the paper quality inside it. This one has great paper and was only $10 at barns and nobles. I also did not add in a lunch box I got for about $3.50 at Target because I did need a new one. 

I did buy other things that I ended up returning that are not shown here. 

Here are this months item purchases:

2 Bikini Tops 1 Bikini Bottom (this is a bit much but only because of the end of summer super inexpensive swim wear) 

5 Shirts(this is a bit much)

1 Denim Vest

1 Hooded top

1 Dress

1 Pajama Bottom

1 Skirt

2 Yoga Shorts

1 Candle Sleeve

= $110.66 even though I bought a lot it seems, I always get great deals.

At the beginning of this budget goal I was a bit depressed when I did not have a ton of new things to wear. Also I did not get that rush from finding new and cute pieces. Last month when I first started my budget I was not as committed and spent around $40-$60 over my budget this month only $.66. Next month I am knocking down my budget $5. But last month after seeing everything I bought it got me upset and I knew my behavior had to change. 

Seeing as I am not yet out in the real world I do not have many bills it seemed okay for me to spend all my money on myself. My savings had not changed in almost 2 years because I spent everything I made. Last month even with gas and bills I put away $240 and my goal was only $180. This is not for anyone but myself. This is a choice a lifestyle change, just like any other addiction. Even though my shopping was not out of control it would of eventually gotten there, if I let it. I want to move out of my parents once I am finished school and hope to have a good amount put aside.

Seeing that I almost made my budget makes me happy. Its something that I did not think I could do and I did it. Anyone else who spends a lot of their money on things they do not need I'd like to see you try this. See if it helps. Month one may be hard even one year may still be difficult, but in a few years you'll have a complete lifestyle change. I sound like someone talking about a diet, lol, but even with that or anything else all you need to do is take baby steps. Don't quit anything cold turkey. Don't lie about what you are buying it won't help. 

Thank you for reading this and I hope this will inspire others with any addiction (big or small).

My healthy hair journey

My last hair update on my youtube channel was last fall so I figured it is time for another. Sorry I have been slacking on updates. I don't really pay attention to my hair growth as much as I use to. I still have not dyed my hair, it has been about 1 year and 9 months. I also have stopped straightening my hair.

I decided a while back that I would try go a month without straightening my hair. I did that for a few months and then after that I just felt no need to straighten my hair because it was summer and the heat ruined it. As my hair got healthier I noticed I liked my natural hair more. I only have pictures of my hair straightened so there is not too many within the last year since I have been mostly off heat styling. My hair has a slight natural wave so most of the time I can get away with not doing my hair.

Here are pictures I have taken since my last year update about a year ago:

 12/4/11 1/17/12

 1/29/12 2/20/12

 3/29/12 4/10/12

 4/24/12 5/14/12

 5/20/12 6/16/12

  6/30/12

 8/26/ 12 9/23/12