Last week, my friend Meg celebrated the 3-year anniversary of her boutique, m.marie. I decided it was the perfect opportunity to spend this month’s hundred bucks on some new things and support her.
Since giving myself a strict monthly budget, shopping has become more strategic — less compulsive snatching and spending. I went in with a plan: Resist the urge to buy a cute dress or top that I may wear once or twice, and instead look for items I can get lots of mileage from. Pants or denim (I love the Blank NY brand she carries), a great everyday carry-all bag, a unique piece of jewelry, or maybe a cute pair of shoes. While I usually like to stock up on lots of smaller-priced items on a shopping trip (like, ten $10 things) I’m realizing that it’s worth it to make investments on pieces you’ll use over and over again. Quality over quantity. A closet full of well-made basics that you can spice up with accessories, as opposed to twenty varieties of cheap tank tops and stacks of ill-fitting junior’s clearance skinny jeans because “more is better.” Follow me?
So after a blood orange and prosecco cocktail and a few trips around the shop, I settled on this graphic Billabong bag — perfect for toting back and forth to work every day with my Macbook and notebooks — and a pair of black suede lace-up wedges that were half off. My total was $92 and change, and I left excited about my purchases and so proud of Meghan for all of her success in her small business!
That leaves me with about $8 for the rest of the month. Just enough for a new Essie nail polish, or a replacement tin of Rosebud minted rose lip balm (I lost mine when my purse was stolen over the summer). But I think I’ll just let it ride, and wait for next month.
Who am I?!
What do you think?