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| shoes | dress | skirt shoes pants | skirt | cardigan |
I think that the quarterly budget is working really really well for me. I still try to spread it out equally each month, but it's also nice for times like this summer when I did less shopping two of the months so I had more to spend in a month I knew I would be shopping more (more on that on Monday when my budget post goes up). Having the money in a separate savings account means I'm not spending money I don't have, and not touching money set aside for other, more important things (like books and bills). It also allows me to look a little bit more at the big picture. I needed a nice winter coat last year, so I planned around that the month before. I know the quarterly budget doesn't work for everyone, but I think it would work well for anyone who lives on student loans like I do, as we get all of the money up front.
As far as my school wardrobe, I think I'm at a pretty good place with what I own and wear consistently. Big staples for me included these pants from The Limited (I own them in two colors), these wedges from J.Crew Factory (also owned in two colors, and currently on sale if you are interested), and simple v-neck dresses like this one from Madewell. I try to mix it up with different scarves and necklaces, two items I should probably never purchase again (but I can't help it because I just love them so much).
Looking ahead, there are a few items I feel I have been missing out on:
- My black revas have finally died on me after two years of consecutive wear (the elastic is completely worn out), so I am considering replacing them. They are quite pricey though, so I'm hoping to either find a pair on eBay, or possibly ask for them as a birthday present (although noise canceling headphones may be more practical!). I know they aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I love how they add just a little bit of interest, and once they are broken in they are so comfortable.
- I also am considering these bow flats after keeping an eye on them for the past two years. Since I love my wedges so much, I figured a flat pair would also be practical to own. The nude works well on my skin tone, and the quality is hard to beat at that price point.
- While I love my ankle-ish dress pants I own now, I would really like to have a black pair of slim, full length ankle pants. I love how a similar pair looks on Yasi, and since I'm already such a fangirl of the pants from The Limited, I fully intend on trying on this pair.
- My skirt collection is a fun little collection of bright colors and patterns (which is unlike the rest of my closet, which is strange). I really need just a nice black, well fitting pencil skirt. I've also been looking for a maroon pencil skirt for the better part of the last year and no luck yet. I'm hoping that the fall roll-out will include some!
- I tried on a red sheath dress last fall, and while I didn't purchase that one because it was too short on me, I have been searching for a similar one since then. I have a similar dress in black that I wear constantly (a lot on test days so I never photograph it), and it's so nice to just throw on with a belt and flats and be out the door. This one is similar and inexpensive, but not exactly what I want either, so another thing I hope someone makes this fall.
- My black cardigan from Old Navy has needed a replacement for over half a year, but I kind of always forget about it when I'm shopping. I have the tan version of this cardigan and love it, so the black version may have to come my way the next time they have a big sale. It's a boring thing to buy, but also something that will be worn all.the.time.
So that's the plan. I'm on a little bit of a shopping freeze currently until we get our loan money in three weeks, so I may only try some things on while I still have time, but no purchases until the money comes in. I have a bit of mixed feelings about starting school again (all this free time is so nice!), but I am excited to get back into actually getting dressed every day. Jean shorts and v-neck tees are only fun to wear for so long!
If you are new to my medical school dress code, here's a post about what is required of me, and here you can see everything I've worn to school so far.
