Fell off the wagon this week...

Ok, so I know I should not be shopping right now,  SSBF has made that perfectly clear by the way he is moping around the house. However, I couldn't help myself. There are so many good deals out there right now with all the leftover winter merchandise, and the retailers bursting at the seams to get their spring lines out. I just happen to have been lucky enough to take advantage.

The day after christmas while visiting Michigan I dragged SSBF to DSW with me because I've been dying to replace my suede boots. I found these buttes from Zigi Soho for $44.48



Next stop was J.Crew (of course) where I found the embellished Bijou top I had been coveting for $27.99



And finally, my favorite, yet most controversial purchase this post-holiday season, the JPK Paris Pleated Satchel-- regularly $198.00 at Nordstrom for half off. Amazing.



Coming soon: New Years Resolutions and My Styling Project

Its the most wonderful time of the year..

... and I don't mean Christmas. It's the Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale. The sale offically starts today, and its the only time of year I will buy bras. Its one of the things I do to try and cut back on my spending. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Grace, if you want to cut back, then don't buy bras at all." Valid point. I don't buy bras every time the semi annual sale rolls around. However, if I notice that I may need some new ones due to regular wear and tear, I strategically plan my purchases around the sale.

Its a pain in the ass to wait some times, especially when I notice in say September. But since bras are not very high on my must have right now list, I can't justify paying close to $50 for one, when I know twice a year I can get them for 50% off.

Example: I bought two bra's last night.

 total(on sale) after shipping and tax: 62.50.  (2 bras, sale price $24.99+8.99 shipping)

total (before sale) after shipping and tax:  109.39 (2 bras, full price, $45 + 13.99 shipping)



* http://www.victoriassecret.com/

F21 tights: total steal

I bought a pair of gray tights from F21 on Tuesday, I didn't have very high hopes for them considering they rang in at $6.80 and were one size fits all. However, I wore them yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. The material feels thick and sturdy enough to survive more than 1 season, they actually kept my legs decently warm ( although that could have been the 2nd pair of sock I was wearing under my boots) and best of all the one size fits all didn't sag on my smaller frame.

savings over comparable brands: at least $3.20, if not more.



available in charcoal, purple, and navy.

* photo courtesy of Forever 21 website.

Another miss for Gap..

Considering I used to work for this company it is sad to see how far they have fallen. They seem to get the trends just right, but miss on one major detail that makes it a flop.

For example, the Navajo turtleneck sweater, I love this thing. I saw it in the store and love the print, the color, and the over sized fit. However the collar is so big, when on it looks like its trying to eat your face. Seriously. They were trying to go fashion, and it was a flop.

What do you think?



Gap $59.50 on sale $29.99 (in-store) and $49.99 (online)

* the color i'm referring to is a heather gray.But the navy is the only one I could find a picture of.

A little spending, a little saving.

Well, this week I spent a lot of my spare time trying to figure out how I was going to get my hands on the J.Crew Sherpa Puffer Coat in Antique Stone.



It all started when I got the winter catalogue the first week of December. I t was practically on the front page. I immediately called my sister and begged her to make it my Christmas gift, since at $168.00 I couldn't justify the splurge. (Even though I need a new coat, the upcoming holiday made it a splurge)

Well, my sister waited, which unless you know J.Crew you do not know how important it is to be an early mover on these things. So, the last 3 days have been me obsessively checking the website to see if it was available. Well finally, early saturday morning I caught a break, and found it online in both my size and color. Victory is mine ( at 25% off retail price no less).

But, what I really wanted to talk about was this week's installment of "The Money Diaries" on Ramit Sethi's blog I Will Teach You to be Rich. I love when Ramit does these posts, because they are estentially guest posts from readers. Sometimes they make me feel like a star when it comes to Personal Finance and then I read ones like this, and realize how much better I could be doing.

After reading her post I immediately opened up a google spreadsheet and started tracking my spending for the month of December. Tracking was something I used to do religiously, but got away from it around the beginning of summer. Ramit talks about how tracking can be a barrier to spending. Writing everything down makes us rationalize our purchase decisions. Which, looking back on it when I was writing down all my purchases I absolutely thought twice about the random things I pick up at Target, or adding an item to  my "shopping bag" while shopping for a gift online.

Another great idea that I never even considered was zeroing out my checking account into the savings at the end of the month. Brilliant.

With the resolution season right around the corner this was a great port to read to get me back on track. 

How do you control your spending/ promote saving?

 Also if you were wondering, the J.Crew Jaspe Sequined Slouchy Sweatshirt... Found, but not available to ship until 4.13.2010!

The Work/Weekend Dichotomy

I do it all the time. I separate my closet into two neat and tidy categories, Work and Weekend. What I didn't realize until today is that these two categories are what totally blow my clothing budget each and every month. When I buy something I find myself justifying it for one category or the other. Now clearly some items belong in one category or the other (at least for my current employer) like jeans and trousers for weekend and work respectively. However there is no reason for the all of my clothes to be mutually exclusive.

Not only am I killing my budget but I am stressing myself out day in and day out trying to put together an outfit while mentally limiting my options by assigning labels.

Like SSBF, courtesy of G.I. Joe always says "Knowing is half the battle".

From now on all of my clothes (ok most) should be able to serve double duty.

The Circle Scarf

I  love scarfs. I'm not sure if its because I like to add a little fun to my clothes with one, or because I'm constantly freezing cold but regardless I love them. The circle scarf is no exception.

I love the simplicity of the design, and also there is no real fussing around with it. You jusy put it on and go!

By far my favorite is this heathered gray number from Madewell: for only $45.



A couple other that I would consider...



Echo Double Inifity Scarf at Bloomingdales-- $48



Deep Gurnani Multi Wrap Scarf at Shopbop.com-- $66

( If its more for fashion then warmth)

and finally,



The Juicy Couture Luxe Cable Inifity Scarf at Shopbop.com-- $178

A total splurge, but worth it.