Another issue - my mother wanted to go for pedicures for Mother's Day and I bought us both one because it's dumb to take someone for a pedicure and not get one yourself. It was part of a gift, right? So it shouldn't count. BUT, I really needed one, so it really does kind of count. UGH. SO MUCH GREY AREA.
Here's the breakdown of what I bought:
- Old Navy shorts - $24.94 (A wishlist item!)
- Crest White Strips - $36.10
- House of Harlow necklace - $33.68 (Another wishlist item)
- StriVectin (2 mini tubes) - $31.60
- Cerave face cleanser - $2.47 (I had CVS bucks to use, so got it cheap.)
- Method body wash - $3.48 (on clearance at Target. Get some! It's so good.)
- Mother's Day pedicure - $27
Total: $159.27
Yeah, I went over. Even if it's decided that face cleanser and body wash don't really count as beauty items, I still went over by $3.32. Though I failed to stay in my budget, I still feel like I changed my spending habits a lot. I stopped looking at every sale email, I stopped going to the mall just for fun, I just stopped looking for things to buy and got busy doing other stuff.
Also, everything I bought was a deliberate, thought-out purchase. When you're on a tight budget you're much less likely to buy stuff for the hell of it. It really made me think hard before I bought anything and I'm happy with all my purchases.
And just so you don't think I'm a big cheating cheater, I'm going to adjust my budget for June to account for the overage. Should I adjust for $3.32 or $9.27? You guys get to be the decider on this. Hep me!
Wow you are much tougher than I am. I would only consider the shorts,necklace and pedicure budget items, the rest are basics. They are the items I don't change.
ReplyDeleteCatherine
I felt like the Strivectin and the White Strips were both vanity purchases, so they definitely belong.
DeleteFace wash and body wash go on my grocery list, so I consider them groceries
ReplyDeleteYou NEED face and body wash. They are not a WANT item, so they shouldn't count. Unless they are super fancy ;)
ReplyDeleteMy personal rule is anything that isn't a luxury (or to use your word "vanity") purchase that could be bought at a drugstore is not out of the beauty budget. So body and face wash would be a general purchase, like groceries. You only went over by 3.32.
ReplyDeleteI agree! It's like toothpaste, deodorant, etc. Those are groceries.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI think you did amazingly well! I would have just counted the shorts and necklace, since the pedicure was part of a gift. I'm inspired by your discipline!
ReplyDeleteDitto to Christy's comment. I think you did amazing. $3 over is within the margin of error -- totally restrained & on budget!
ReplyDeleteThanks, you guys! It wasn't as hard as I was expecting it to be, but I really did want to stay under budget. Baby steps.
ReplyDeleteI think you stuck pretty damn close, actually, and can give yourself that small break.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right about changing habits - I've been working on it myself, too, and those points about not reading every sale email and not going out "just to look" when bored are HUGE. I'm also waiting before making a purchase more, to make sure it's not an impulse. Of course, I've spent more on beauty stuff, and a bunch on kids, so not sure it's saving much, but still, breaking habits is a good step. Good for you!
I think the face cleanser is the only non-necessity. I say this because body wash is fancy liquid soap, when a bar of soap will do.
ReplyDeleteI think you did remarkably well. I feel like I've been spending a little too much lately and will be cutting back but for a few exceptions for the entire summer.
Good job! Besides, that over-budget was tax ;)
ReplyDeleteHere's something helpful; go to a sporting goods store, women's/kid's boxing/martial art section, and get yourself a mouthguard. Then go find yourself some Plus White speed whitening gel- it's less than $5 and lasts a long time. I do the gel-mouthguard in the morning in the shower for a few minutes- 2 dentists in 2 different states complimented my teeth (and I'm over 45 and I drink a ton of tea and green smoothies. ) Those strips cost a bloody fortune and they don't work as well as the Plus White. AND the Plus White doesn't hurt your teeth at all.
:) Then you'll be under budget!!