Happy last day of June! Not sure when this happened, but as summer is my favorite season I'm just trying to soak in every minute of it! I was in NYC for work on Tuesday and Wednesday and got back late last night. I'm working from home today before heading to the airport to embark on my Fourth of July weekend adventure! Follow along on Instagram and Snapchat (@lauraaimevous) to see where I'm headed and get glimpses of all the fun...it's going to be crazy!

Anyways, today I wanted to check in and provide my June budget update! It's the close of Q2 and I went a little crazy this month...but let's see the damage below for ourselves.

If you missed it, I wrote in this post about my monthly budget here where I have laid out a quarterly budget of $800.

Here is how the year is panning out so far:

January: $0 (I went a month without shopping, one of my 101 in 1001 goals!)

February: $392

March: $517

Total Q1: $909 (overspent in Q1 by $109)

April: $134.25

May: $266

Amount left for June: $400

See all 2016 additions to my wardrobe here. 

June Purchases:

Halogen Knot Front Tee: $34, on sale for $24

BP Come Sail Away Hat: $26

Adidas Stan Smith Sneakers: $75

JOA Lattice Embroidered Midi-Dress: $108, on sale for $65

Franco Sarto 'Ravenna' Espadrille Platform Sandal: $119

From my Stitch Fix box (not pictured above, but see my full try-on and review here)

Show Me Your MUMU Kelsie Dress: $98

Margaret M Lea Printed Short: $68

Total Spent: $475

Total Left for June:$400 - overspent by $75

Even though I went over this month I'm ok with it because I was under in other areas of my budget. Additionally, I'd like to note that I decided if I need to buy clothing for work events or special events (like weddings) I'm going to exclude that from my wardrobe budget posts (for example I went to a gala in NYC for work this month and bought a blazer, but I'm not including that here). I also am not going to include any undergarments or other "necessities" in this budget. Mostly because while I really love creating this post and reading other's budget posts, I don't want feel that I need to quite include these items. 

Anyways, I'm really excited about the pieces I got this month. I'm going to try to spend less in July since I'm going to France at the end of August so I know I'll want to shop there/get some items for that trip. One thing I want is a cute one-piece so I'll be on the lookout for one at a reasonable price point, please share any suggestions if you have them!

How did you do this month? 

Linking up with Fran.

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May Budget Update

Another month is almost in the books. How is it already Memorial Day Weekend? I had a pretty hectic week, a pipe burst at my client site on Tuesday night and so the rest of the week the office has been in various states of chaos while the contractors change out floors, clean carpets, and salvage files. I could not be more excited to go home today and spend the weekend with family and friends. Tomorrow we have a wedding for two of my co-workers at my old firm which I'm excited about and then we plan on relaxing on Sunday before heading to my parent's house on Monday to swim and grill. What're your plans this weekend? 

Anyways, with the end of the month comes my monthly budget update post! If you missed it, I wrote in this post about my monthly budget here where I have laid out a quarterly budget of $800.

Here is how the year is panning out so far:

January: $0 (I went a month without shopping, one of my 101 in 1001 goals!)

February: $392

March: $517

Total Q1: $909 (overspent in Q1 by $109)

April: $134.25

Amount left for Q2: $665.75

See all 2016 additions to my wardrobe here. 

May Purchases:

Baublebar Kiara Drop Earrings - $36, less coupon code, $28.80 total

The Beach People Jute Majorelle Bag - $22 (worn here)

Banana Republic Bow Back Off-Shoulder Top - $49.50, less coupon code, $30

Banana Republic Striped Off-Shoulder Top (similar here) - $79, used coupon code $37

Endless Rose Louvre Top, also here - $59 (worn here)

Troubadour Chelsea Skirt - $178, on sale for $89 (worn here)

Total Spent for May: $266

Total Q2 Spending: $400

Total Left for June: $400

I'm ok with this spending, and June is either going to be a really light month or I'm going to go crazy. I have some summer events and travels coming up so that usually drives up my spending, however I'll be working at home now and will not be saving money on expenses during the week which could force me to be more careful. I'm on the hunt for some new business casual clothes to replace some worn out items in my wardrobe and those tend to be rather pricey. I also have a very special purchase for my wardrobe coming up which may cause me to be frugal elsewhere, stay tuned!

How did you do this month? 

Linking up with Fran.

Follow along with Laura on Bloglovin, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, & Twitter

April Budget

Hey guys! I hope you're having a great week! I'm a little late getting this up, but I wanted to share my April budget post with you all. April was actually a light month for me for wardrobe additions, as after the first week of the month I was focused on work and getting ready for my trip. We will see how May goes, it's my last month in NYC full-time so it's possible I'll be spending lightly as I'll be busy with work and social obligations on the weekends. 

Anyways, here's the damage for April!

Star Mela Clutch - $75 (on sale, $56.25) - I used this non-stop in L.A., it was perfect for summer and the beach. It's really high quality and I love the colors which match most of my warm weather wardrobe (I basically live in navy and white during the Spring and Summer). I highly recommend this clutch for the Summer months, I'm already thinking about investing in another!

ASOS Pleated Midi-Dress - $78 - I got this dress to wear to the wedding I attended in L.A. last Saturday. It was absolutely perfect for a beach wedding and I loved it. I will say, the quality isn't amazing, but it's a great price if you're looking for a summer dress for date nights or weddings. 

Total Monthly Spent: $134.25

Total Q2 Spent: $134.25
Total left for May and June: $665.75

See all 2016 wardrobe additions here.

Linking up with Fran. 

March Budget Update

Well everyone, it's time for another budget update post! Can you believe it's already the end of March? Seriously, where is the time going? I said something about not believing it's already March 2015 the other day...and then totally realized it's actually March 2016. Oops...

Anyways, this month was interesting for my wardrobe. I ordered a bunch of stuff, some I'm still on the fence about (leaning towards returning) so I'm not including those pieces in this post. The items above I purchased this month and love, so they are 100% staying in my wardrobe. 

Old Navy Peplum Cami (in gingham) - $24.94, on sale for $18. I loved the simple look of this top for Spring and Summer. Plus it comes in tall sizes and I'm a sucker for anything blue and white. Since it was less than $20 I didn't really think twice about adding this to my arsenal of tank tops for the upcoming warmer months. My color, seen in this outfit post, is no longer available but they have a couple of cute options still in stock, and on sale for 50% off one item! 

Saint James Minquiers 10 T-Shirt - $70 (some sizes on sale here for $55). I've wanted one of these classic Brenton striped shirts for years. As I'm traveling back to France this year, and I essentially live in striped tops when I'm not at work I decided to bite the bullet and order one. I love it and I'm already contemplating what color to order next! Any suggestions? Side note, this top runs large. I am wearing a medium in this outfit post, but it fits like a large or extra-large. I like the relaxed fit, but if you want a more fitted look then I'd suggest going down a size or two. I normally order a large in tops, so I sized down one and still got a relaxed fit. 

Rag and Bone Heritage High-Waisted Skinny Jeans - $185 - These were a bit of a splurge, but a pair of Rag & Bone jeans have been on my wishlist for a long time. A lot of the inseams they offer are on the shorter side for premium denim, but these are a 31" inseam, which sits on the bottom of my ankle and make them the perfect Spring/Summer jeans to have in my wardrobe. They run a little small, so I opted to get a size 30, where I normally wear a size 29 in premium denim. The 30s fit nicely and they have a bit of stretch which makes them comfy, even to wear while commuting up to NYC or during a large dinner in Midtown. 

Jon Hart Backpack #907 - $146 - My friend Catharine told me about this Texas based company back in the summer when she decided to order a backpack for herself to take to and from work (backpacks are very common work bags in audit, and we were both working as auditors for the same firm at the time). I loved her bag, it's just so chic for a backpack and unique. While I like the design of the ever prominent Hershel bags (Alex actually has one, and it's very nice) I wanted something a little more unique if I was going to get a bag. Since I've been taking the Amtrak every Friday and Monday between NYC and Philly, and I have some vacations coming up this Spring/Summer I thought getting a backpack might prove to be pretty useful for my lifestyle needs. I wanted something cute that I would wear even when I was working back in Philly full-time. The Jon Hart bag is a splurge, but I love it. It's so well-made, cute, and functional. I got mine monogramed with my initials, which adds the extra perfect touch. I wish I had this bag in high school and college, it's just so cute and comes in all different colors! I highly recommend if you think you would get use out of having a backpack!

Tory Burch T-Logo Leather Sandals, sold out, similar here and here - $175, on sale for $99 - These were a bit of an impulse purchase I made when the Tory Burch sample sale happened two weeks ago. As they're final sale I can't return them, but they do fit nicely and I think I'll get a lot of use out of them over the warmer months. The gold will match a lot of things in my wardrobe and the logo on these is more understated, which I appreciate. 

Total Purchased: $600

Less Discounts Taken: $83

Total Spent: $517

Total Left for Q1 from February and January: $358

Total Overspent: $159

Amount to carry forward to Q2: $0

Well, I went a little over this month (I blame getting excited about the warm weather). I did get some awesome investment pieces which I'm really happy about. I'm definitely going to be lowering my spending in April, and I'm going to try and underspend in Q2 to try and cover this deficit. As I've been traveling a lot for work and thus getting a stipend for food during week, I've been spending a lot less on groceries and eating out, so I'm comfortable absorbing the extra clothing spending since I majorly underspent in a lot of other areas in my life the during Q1. With that said, I have some trips coming up so I want to save money for those, my trip to L.A. is in just four weeks! I still need something to wear to a beach wedding so I'll be on the hunt for that this month, and maybe some tan shoes for work and some new business casual pieces if I find a good sale. 

How did you do this month? 

Linking up with Fran

February Budget Update

Hey everyone! I can't believe it's already the end of the month and time for a budget recap post! I didn't do a budget post in January because I didn't buy anything! This was one of my 101 in 1001 Goals, and you can read my progress post here about not shopping for a month.

Well, in February my online shopping fingers were itching and I was dying to add something new to my wardrobe. I bought a huge Nordstrom order in the beginning of the month and then tried to be good about my spending for the rest of the month as I'm trying to save for some upcoming vacations, and to get clothing for those vacations, and some weddings we're going to this year! So here's how I made out this month:

Baublebar Phlox Earrings: $38 -$4 points - $8.50 promo code = $25.50

ASICS 'FuzeX Lyte Running Shoe': $79.95, outfit post here

TOMS 'Florentin' Sunglasses: $78.00 - Funny story...well not funny. But I had similar sunglasses from TOMS and my car was broken into in January and the only thing stolen were my sunglasses! Also, no window was broken so I consider myself very lucky! But I had to replace my sunnies and I LOVED my TOMS pair!

Nike 'Palm Epic Lux Dri-Fit Tights': $120 (probably my most extravagant purchase, no one needs running tights this expensive #yolo, outfit post here

Anthropolohie Evangaline Sheath: $178 (on sale for $99 plus an extra 40% off), $59.97

Athleta Supercharged Electro Tank: $64.00, this was a little pricey for a workout top, but it's so comfortable and so cute. I have been trying to upgrade my workout wardrobe to help inspire my fitness goals for 2016.

Uniqlo Heat-Tech Scoop Neck T-Shirt: $19.90 (on sale for $14.50), outfit post here

Total Purchased: $442
Less Gift cards Used: -$50
Total Spent: $392
Plus Q1 Spending Carryover: $0

Total Left for Q1: $358

Things that didn't work out this month:

Shelli Segal Cowl Neck Jumpsuit: $148, expensive but I've been wanting an alternative to the LBD for more formal occasions and I needed an option that didn't look cheap and had a long inseam. While this fit well, I just couldn't get over the 70's vibe. It could work if you're looking for a retro piece.


I have quite a bit left to spend in March thanks to my No-Spend January. I don't know if I'll use all of this, but I am in the market for something to wear to a beach wedding in Los Angeles for an upcoming wedding in April. I'll also be in the market for some new work clothes and possibly some new spring clothes that can be brought on vacations.

How did you do with you budget this month?

Linking up with Fran

Follow along with Laura on Bloglovin, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, & Twitter

Wardrobe Wishlist Update + Budget Setting for 2016

Image via Pinterest

Hey everyone! How were your New Years? Personally I thought it was so amazing that New Year's Day was a Friday so we had a nice long weekend to relax and prepare for the year ahead. If you missed my post last week, I shared a little update on what I'll be up to the first three months of this year.

I don't like to make sweeping resolutions every year, I find they never work out for me. Instead I have a few broad goals I've already started working towards that I want to continue working on. These include: being healthier overall, making the most of my days, and budgeting my money more. I have a couple of trips coming up this year and I'd like to build-up my savings account so it's essential to budget in order to accomplish these goals. Additionally, Alex and I will be moving apartments at some point during the year so I'd like some extra money to get a new couch and decorate the new space.

With that said I thought it would be good to revisit the wardrobe wishlist I penned in September to reassess what I have gotten over the fall and to refocus myself when I am shopping during the new year. Another thing I am going to do is set a quarterly clothing budget and post about it on my blog in order to hold myself accountable for my purchases.

I have decided on a quarterly budget of $800. This will allow me to spend more in a certain month or less in a certain month. I can also rollover any unused amount from a previous quarter. Mid-year I will reassess how this system is working for me to determine if this budget amount fits my savings goals and my lifestyle. I also have been working to clean out my closet, it's really hard because storage space does not exist in my apartment. I cannot wait to have better clothing storage in my next apartment so that I can really take inventory of my clothes and get a better sense of what I use and what I don't use.

I will be providing month budget posts as part of Fran's link-up to hold myself accountable and assess if my purchases were wins or losses. Get ready to come along for the ride!

Wardrobe Wishlist Update:

Pants:

- Grey work pants
- Dark wash boyfriend jeans (obtained in October 2015)
- White jeans (I have a pair of destroyed white, I want a crisp white jean)

Coats:

- New red peacoat
- A long parka for walking downtown in the winter
- Barbour waxed Beadnell
- Black leather coat
- Tan long coat

Tops:

- White oxford
- Blue and white striped oxford (gifted by Alex this past Christmas)
- Gray cashmere sweater
- Tan sweater (Obtained this sweater November 2015, see post here)
- striped turtleneck (Obtained this turtleneck October 2015, see posts here and here)
- Silk Razor Back Camisole
- Navy Blue Blazer
- Red Blazer

Dresses:

- Gray suiting dress
- White eyelet dress
- Black cocktail dress
- Cocktail dress for summer weddings
- Gingham dress
- Navy suiting dress

Shoes:

- Brown/tan booties (obtained November 2015, see post here)
- Red pumps (obtained these pumps December 2015)
- Plain black pumps
- Black over-the-knee boots
- Black flats (obtained these flats September 2015)
- Navy pumps
- Tan flats
- Pale pink flats
- White pumps
- Neon running shoes
- Sperry boat shoes
- Leopard flats (obtained December 2015)
- Red Orsay flats
- Nude low-heel pumps

Bags:

- Brown/Tan leather work tote
- Red crossbody bag
- Gray leather everyday bag (got this bag for Christmas from my mom and dad)
- Bucket tote
- Large black leather work tote
- New Longchamp 'Le Pilage' tote in Eggplant

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