Today’s post is just the tiniest hack, but one that’s made a big difference over the years in making the most of my clothing budget. Here it is: at several points in the year, I’ll review my purchases and consider whether they were money well spent — or not.
To back up a bit: like everyone, I don’t want to waste money on clothing. I want to feel great about what I buy, whether it’s a steal-of-a-deal thrift find or a highly-anticipated splurge. I don’t want new purchases to sit in the closet, gathering dust, either because of the material, the style, how they fit, or how they sit on my body. I want to love what’s in my closet and feel good about any money I’ve spent!
But, also like everyone else, I don’t always get it right. Sometimes I think I’ll wear something, but it never ends up being what I reach for — maybe the style feels impractical, the material isn’t comfortable, or I just don’t have the right place to wear it. Occasionally, I’ll get suckered in by a sale price. Occasionally, I’ll make a bet on a final sale piece that doesn’t pay off.
For me, pausing every so often to review my purchases helps me make better decisions in the future. My process is simple: around the turn of fall (late enough in the year that earlier purchases have had a chance to settle!), I’ll open up our budget doc and click to the clothing budget tab. There, I can see every purchase I’ve made this year, laid out plainly in front of me.
(If you don’t keep as detailed a budget as ours, this might be a little trickier — but you could still do a similar audit in your closet! Physically pull out the pieces you purchased in the last few months for consideration.)
Then, I’ll go line by line and highlight the items in green that have felt like great buys: I wear them, I’ve washed them, I love them. I’m so happy I spent money on them.
This, of course, lays bare the items that don’t get highlighted. Though it can be a little painful, I take a look at each line: what about it is holding it back from getting highlighted? Is it the price I paid? Is it the item itself? What insight can I tuck away that might keep me from making the same mistake in the future?
And… that’s it! I’ll do the same thing at the end of the year before I switch to the next year’s budget doc, marking up any purchases made in the last quarter. It’s quick, I try not to beat myself up about misses, but it’s really helpful for me to stop and look for what’s working and what’s not so that I’m not just spending, spending, spending, adding, adding, adding.
To close, here are just a few examples in each category from this year so far:
In the green category:
— These raffia ballet flats. I spent about $150 on them but they’re comfortable, they filled a need in my closet, and I’ve worn them all spring and summer. (And hey, if you like them, you can get them for wayyyyyy less than I paid – ouch, ha!)
— This striped pullover. (They don’t have my exact colorway, but this is the style!) I bought this in person on a whim this spring, and I hesitated over the price (a little under $100) – I hadn’t walked into the shop expecting to buy something like this! But, in looking over the list, this has been my absolute favorite thing I’ve bought this year and I wear it as often as possible. Absolutely worth it.
— A white v-neck tee and a white gauze shirt from Quince. Total workhorses in my wardrobe. I wear both of them most weeks and will year round. And at just $60 for both, a great deal.
— A magenta rain jacket. The rain jacket I’d had for years went missing last year, so I’d been casually on the hunt for a new one. I spotted this one in-store when I was looking for something else and took a gamble on such a bold color. It’s been the nicest splash of color on dreary days and I’m happy I bought it every time I put it on, even though that’s not that often.
And now for a few misses:
— A floral cap-sleeve top I bought from Tuckernuck on final sale. I have worn it once or twice, but probably wouldn’t have bought it if I could have tried it on in person – it’s just a little too fussy for me. And at $75, this one hurts.
— A teal and white striped long-sleeve tee from Alice Walk, also on final sale. While it’s so soft and I like the colors, the round neck is a tad high in a way I don’t love, so I don’t reach for it as often as I thought I would.
— An olive green dress from J.Crew. I did try this one on in-person, and I do like wearing it. But again, it’s a little fussy in the way it lays, so it’s not particularly easy to throw on, so I haven’t worn it much. If I had paid less for it I probably wouldn’t mind so much, but the $100 price tag makes it feel like more of a regret.
There are a few more in each category, but that gives you a taste! And hopefully, you can see how it’s easier to spot patterns that I can use in the future once I sort things into categories.
Your turn! I’d love to hear what your favorite clothing purchase of 2024 has been so far. And, if you’re feeling brave, maybe a miss, too :)
Our kids don’t go back to school until the end of the month (September, actually, for Shep), so even as I’m looking ahead to back-to-school rhythms and routines, we’re still very much in the thick of summer over here. Doctor’s appointments and after-dinner pool visits, reseting chore charts and staying up late to watch the Olympics, shopping for school supplies and all-you-can-eat popsicles from the freezer — two seasons live side-by-side in August, and I’m savoring them both.
If you, too, are straddling seasons, I pulled up a few posts that might be of help for us both:
On my calendar: — An ice cream and game night with the ladies at our church — An afternoon shadowing our vet for June. Our vet invited her to tag along for a few hours at our cat’s last appointment, and she’s very excited to take her up on the offer! — Shep’s first day of kindergarten!!
What I’m loving right now: — This feels like it needs to be an annual summertime reminder: if you’re smaller-chested, I CANNOT recommend these enough. I had seen them recommended for years but never took the plunge because they seemed vaguely complicated, but nothing could be farther from the truth. They’ve made wearing sleeveless and skinny-strap dresses an absolute breeze and are FAR better than a strapless bra, IMHO! Go for it!! — This folding chair was one of John’s birthday gifts. It is FAR smaller than the folding camping chairs we’re used to taking to soccer games — the carry bag is only about a foot long — and it’s a little more inclined than them, too. But a great, lightweight option! — This is admittedly early, but I just bought these sweet bunny bookends for Annie for Christmas. She’s in the enviable/unfortunate third-child position of having everything she needs and parents who are trying to avoid toy clutter, which makes gift giving challenging. She loves bunnies, though, and I think she’ll get a kick out of having this little pair for her room!
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!
What you’re loving right now:
This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll love!
— The bracelet bead kit ($8!!) we used at the kindergarten breakfast and for slow afternoons — The card game we play obsessively with our siblings and in-laws — The cutest paper cups for back to school dinners — The Shibumi shade, an NC beach staple that’s SO easy to tote and set up — The wooden card holder that makes games so much easier with little ones
What I read in July: — Killers of a Certain Age | Even though it was on my reading list for the year, this was a DNF for me. I didn’t love the characters or the humor after a few chapters, and I’ve learned that means it’s time to move on to the next book on my stack. — The Vanderbeekers Ever After | The seventh and final installment of this middle grade series that has my heart! I laughed, I cried, I’m even more firmly convinced that everyone should read it. — Die With Zero | I’m teetering on the edge of writing a post about this one! Lots of thoughts! In short: this book is written for a niche (wealthy) audience. I generally agree with the thrust of his argument, but felt like he was oversimplifying some points — and also not addressing some obvious objections I had) — and yet still ended up with a book that could easily have been half as long.
Revisiting my July goals: Complete 40 hours of deep work (26, and I actually feel pretty good about this considering how broken up my last week of the month was with cousins here!) Edit June in June (Done! Volume 9 in the books!) Successfully send June to sleepaway camp (She loved it! More on TCF next week.) Book our Acadia accommodations for next summer (We made some progress here! We revisited and discussed options, and chose a week, but haven’t pulled the trigger yet.) Write one module of the TCF course (I mean, in retrospect, this was definitely not going to happen…) Read chapters 13 and 14 of Outlive (Traveling and other disruptions meant fewer evening walks and fewer chances to listen!) Finish the 2015-2019 photo album (Again, no.)
As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2024 goals!
August goals: — Finalize plans for our anniversary trip to Asheville — Complete 40 hours of deep work — Go through the kids’ clothes in advance of my two favorite consignment sales (+ sort and tag what I’m selling) — Book our Acadia accommodations for next summer — Reset June’s job chart for the new school year and make one for Shep (I think I’m almost ready to write a post about our system!) — Tackle the upstairs closet, one of the areas from last year that needs a refresh — Print photos for our new mantel frames (this is the kind of thing that could linger for months if I don’t put it in my PowerSheets) — Frame June’s camp photo — Submit everyone’s passport applications
Are your kids already back at school, or do you have a ways to go still? Or maybe you’re in year-round school, or just relishing a fresh start yourself! I’d love to hear.
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hi! my name is em.
This is where I share the marvelous people, places, and things I love.
