So. After my manic spending over Christmas, I promised myself I would start being a little more sensible this year. I’ve had a year of moping and uncertainty and now it’s time to start shaping up and sorting my life out. I’ve done all sorts of grown up things already – I set up a Help To Buy ISA, I cancelled my phone contracted and took out a new one and I’m even in the process of enrolling in a new pension scheme! So I’m doing ok so far, we’re only a month in, after all. But where I really need to buckle down is not frittering away my disposable income if I want to buy a house this year. I’ve been sat static at the ‘about halfway there’ stage of my deposit for the last couple of months now so I really need to give that a kick start again. Seeing the money build up is kind of satisfying, but it’s also hard not to spend it when it’s just sat there, seemingly doing nothing, as my January purchases prove…..
Thankfully for those treasured savings, the sales weren’t all that good this year, so I managed not to go too crazy. The purchases I made this month have largely been down to my lack of ability to resist browsing on the Internet, usually when I’m meant to be doing something more important! It started with a flick around the Dorothy Perkins website. See, as you know I’d been a bit obsessive about glitter covered shoes over Christmas, and had managed to resist buying a rather sultry pair of sparkly indigo courts from Dotty P’s. But, I thought, spending Christmas money from my parents burning a hole in my pocket, there’s no harm seeing if they’re now on sale, right? Wrong. Of course they were on sale – down to £15 – and so into the basket they went. While I was there I added another far more sensible purchase in a pair of their Eden jeggings. I already own them in several colours and will happily declare them the comfiest jeggings that ever existed, but my other pairs are all very summery colours so I felt like this dark red hue would be a welcome addition to my Winter wardrobe.
Next up, I somehow found myself over at Collectif. It’s a complete mystery, I know. Either way, two complete bargain, but altogether opposite frocks found their way into my basket:
Meet Pamela and Mimi! Pamela, is a vision of mint green gingham loveliness that I clearly am not likely to wear until at least the Spring, so I made myself feel a little bit better by also buying Mimi – a more Winter appropriate blackwatch print midi dress. To be fair, with Pamela costing just £15 and Mimi just £24.75, I’m really struggling to feel guilty about this, because as soon as they arrived I knew both were going to be firm favourites, as pretty much every Collectif dress I’ve ever owned has been. Sorry ’bout that, savings account…
I am feeling a little more guilty about these:
Yeah, I did a fair amount of eBay shopping too this month, which is completely and unforgivably unnecessary and frivolous. But also FUN. Both of those lace dresses are by H&M and cost me just £15 between them. I have a dark red one already which I’m having to sell due to it being a little too small, so I knew a size up would be just right and fit nicely with my Winter uniform of a cute mini dress with tights and boots! The white one has already been worn, and the green one will follow very soon I’m sure. The Oasis skirt and slip dress, however, were far less sensible. the only thing I can really say to defend them them is that I must have had holiday day dreams in my head at the time, but coming in at less than £10 for both of them, it’s not too bad a slip up. Number one bargain of the month though would have to go to those River Island ankle boots, which I picked up for an amazing £4 (making it up to £10 with postage). I’ve been trying to find some more ‘dressy’ ankle boots for days I want to look a little smarter at work, and these were just the ticket especially as they’d never been worn. They’ve already had a few outings, and I think will fast become a Winter work staple.
Finally, a summary of my spending splurges just wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Primark, would it? It’s just so darn easy to pop in to buy running pants and come out with a couple of frocks, isn’t it?! The belted check shirt dress, which cost £12, was purchased as part of my attempt to make my casual outfits more interesting, and so far? I’m liking it! As am I that cute, 70’s style, high necked mini dress, which, as per the two lace dresses, fits perfectly with my usual Winter style – my only gripe is that the waist sits a little high on me, but it’s nothing that can’t be fixed with a wide belt, and at £13 it’s a niggle I can live with. The jury is still out on the midi length wrap over dress, which was the priciest purchase at £15 (gosh, a whole £15??) as it is lightweight and I’m not too keen on how it looks with ankle boots, so I think it will be one for the warmer months. I love the print though and am already picturing it with wedges. On a beach preferably…..! That would have been it, but then on my way home from Surrey last week I was looking for a place to buy a takeaway coffee for the train and ‘accidentally’ found myself in the Camberley Primark, where I impulsively bought that cute striped jumper for £8. What is it about a Primark in another town that is suddenly more exciting than the one you have at home?? Anyway, I’m pretty happy with this one – as you know, I’ve been looking for a way to make ‘jumper and jeans’ look a little more appealing, and the pastel colour and sweet little buttons on the sleeves do the job nicely. But also: STRIPES. Enough said.
So, all in all, not a horrendous month, considering – If I take the £100 off that I got for Christmas, I only spent an surplus £50! Let’s see If I can keep it up through Feb!
Be good, friends!
Picking the Day 