December Budget Recap

I'm linking up with Franish for Budgeting Bloggers. My December budget went to shit because I moved on December 1 - I had to pay 3 months advance rent (1 month + 2 security deposits) and when I got into my apartment I realized there was no storage space so I took a trip to Ikea where I dropped about $150 on various storage solutions. I don't have a place in my budget for random Ikea trips so now I just feel guilty. Plus, it's the holidays so I spent money on gifts for other people. I really don't know how to deal with this month when determining if I stuck to my budget!

I was hoping to allocate my entire "clothing" budget to gifts for others, but instead, I spent money on myself and then I still spent money on gifts. I ended up pushing purchases into random categories to try to make sure I stuck to my budget and I think I came out OK for this month.

Things I bought for myself:
4 blouses from Old Navy: $45
Dress and Jacket from Forever 21: $35 (after using a $20 store credit)
Neiman Marcus x Target Tory Burch Lunch Box & Altuzarra Tray: $53 with tax
TOTAL: $133 (I give myself $200 a month for clothing)

Things I got for others:
Bath & Body Works: $64 (2 candles, 3 lotions, and 3 body scrubs)
wine preserver pump: $16
Wrapping paper/supplies & wine from Walgreens: $19
Neiman Marcus x Target Tracy Reese Dessert Plates: $20 at target.com and in-store
TOTAL: $119 (I put these items into my "entertainment" category which I allocate $100 to each month, so I was about $20 over budget)

Obviously it was also Christmas and my birthday is on the 28th, so I was bombarded with gifts. I don't want to brag about things I got but I wanted to highlight some of my favorite things that I thankfully was able to receive without pulling from my own tight budget.

For Christmas, my parents got me (and I picked it out for myself and my cousin) the Sephora Fragrance Sampler. I just found out about this sampler this year, and I wish I had known about it sooner. The sampler comes with 10 mini bottles of popular fragrances AND includes a voucher to redeem your favorite of the 10 in a full-size bottle. I think it's a great deal because a bottle of perfume usually costs the same amount as the entire set, and this way, you get to choose your favorite rather than end up with a perfume that sits on your counter never used!

For my birthday, my parents got me a gold leather Kate Spade business card holder. It was not what I was expecting for a business card holder (I was planning on purchasing one myself in like a chrome or other metal) but after receiving it I decided it's perfect for me. I'm a woman, obviously, so I think it's OK to go a little glam with something like a business card holder. It adds a little personality to something so serious! I love the color gold they chose for me, I wish I could find it online!

My aunt gave me the fantastic Michael Kors Gia Tote for my belated law school graduation present. We talked about her getting me a big tote for work a few months ago but I thought she forgot - I was pleasantly surprised that she didn't! I love how sturdy this bag feels, and how it's large enough to fit almost anything, including the ever-important legal file or my computer.

I hope everyone had a happy holiday! My flight(s) were cancelled and now I'm "stuck" in CT (could be worse!) until Friday morning.