Six Month Shopping Check-In: What I Bought, What’s on My Wishlist

Now that it’s June, I’ve been seeing people do six-month check-ins on financial goals, so I thought I’d take a look at what I’ve bought so far this year. Plus, if I wait until December to do this, you know it’s going to turn into one gigantor post. So, let’s see: what has a personal finance blogger bought this year? Unlike my other shopping roundups, I’ll break it down by month, because I think the frequency of shopping can be interesting to look at.

*Some of the links below are affiliate links

January

Vintage Silk Tropical Shirt
Price: $24.95

As I mentioned on the save or splurge post, I bought this on eBay, because I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a trend. I mostly wear muted solid colors, so the print definitely adds some variety to my wardrobe. I did a search for “Tommy Bahama” and boom, someone must have been selling off their entire collection, because they had about 10 of them for sale.

February

Sisii Impossible Possibility Duck Boots
Price: $80.80
Retail: $288

If I’m going to wear snow boots, of course they need to be sleek. All black, it is. But wait–remember when I said, “Oh, I don’t need snow boots”? Which is true, but I fell victim to the whole “but it’s on sale” mentality. However, I did buy these with reselling in mind if they don’t work out.

Madewell Courier Shirt
Price: $33.74
Retail: $69.50

I also bought this with future reselling in mind. Sometimes you want to take part in a trend (the embroidery), and you know it’s not meant to last.

March

Céline “Erin” Sunglasses
Price: $170.17
Retail: $448

I found these at Nordstrom Rack when I was killing time. My one and only pair of sunglasses right now, and I don’t leave the house without them.

Etoile Isabel Marant Daryl Patchwork Sweater
Price: $144.05
Retail: $535

I saw this on eBay for a great price, so I pounced, knowing full well it would probably be easy to resell later. I love an interesting sweater, and this one has a wavy hem and a patchwork look to it.

April

Max Mara Black Belt (Similar)
Price: $71.95
Retail: ~$100

I’m kind of embarrassed how long I looked for a belt. Probably over a year. I’ve been wanting a simple black belt forever, and every one I saw had some embellishment I didn’t want, was too skinny, too wide, or just too expensive. I finally found this plain one that goes with so many pants. I’m never buying a belt again!

Gap High-Rise Chino Pants
Price: $35
Retail: $59.95

Since I’m somewhat petite, I have two options–either buy petite-sized pants, or get things tailored. Sometimes it’s easier for me to just shop the petite lines. Gap is one of the brands that has some pants that I can wear off the rack. I’d been looking for a pair of military-style pants in olive green (one of my favorite colors), and styling these will force me to be creative.

May

The month of thrift shopping

Levi’s Black Flare Jeans
Price: $10

Two Vintage Dresses
Price: $8 a piece

The Row Striped Button-Down Shirt
Price: $43.35

If you want to see more about these items, I did a visual money diary on Instagram (saved it in the highlights section).

Uniqlo Striped Boatneck Top (similar version here)
Price: $14.49
Retail: $14.90

Someone recently asked me why people would buy things secondhand when you can get the new item on sale for just a little more. Because people are lazy and don’t buy the sale items in time (like me). I thought about buying this shirt, but I snoozed and by the time I went to buy it they were all sold out. So I turned to Poshmark.

June

Nothing so far. It’s been an accidental buy-nothing month for me. June is really work-intensive for me, and I haven’t had a lot of downtime to shop. So, here’s an easy way to stop shopping: BE BUSY.

In total, I’ve bought 12 items for $675.72. Twelve items in six months is actually a lot for me, and I’m not that jazzed about it. The thrift store haul shows how much easier it is to buy things when they’re cheap. I’m still doing a purge at home, so I hope I can clear out a few more items before adding any more to the closet.

How Much I Resold

$313.64, mostly detailed here.

This is money that I can use to fund new purchases. Isn’t it nice to have money to spend that doesn’t come directly out of your paycheck? To me, that’s the beauty of reselling. If you buy secondhand and can resell some of your wardrobe, you actually don’t end up spending as much money as many people would think.

What’s on My Wishlist

1. Cartier watch. As you know.
2. Replacement muscle tank top. The one I have is this 6397 one, but it’s also a size too big for me and started to pill. I’m glad it was only $10. I’ve been looking at these Madewell tank tops, but they look even a little ill-fitting on the model. If I haven’t found anything just right, I just won’t buy anything. It seems like basics should be the easiest to find, but I actually find them the hardest to shop for.
3. Oval-shaped sunglasses à la Dries Van Noten x Linda Farrow. Don’t want to spend a lot of money here, because it’s just for fun.
4. CB2 Archway mirror. Can you believe I don’t have a full-length mirror at home? Well, that’s not entirely true. Our sliding closet door is mirrored, but it’s hard for me to use because of space issues–our bed is literally two feet away. First world problems, I know.

Monthly shopping budgets is a thing, so if you love to see what people buy every month, here are some bloggers who track and reflect on what they buy:

How are you tracking so far? What have been your favorite buys of the year so far? And what’s on your wishlist?

Feature Image: Madewell

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