May Budget Recap

I'm linking up with Franish for Budgeting Bloggers! I am proud to report I stayed within my clothing budget this month! I am not proud to report that my entire budget was thrown off my an impromptu trip to Chicago to visit my boyfriend, where we paid too much for sightseeing, food, and taxis (hey, it was cold!). I'll be posting a few outfits and a trip recap sometime this week. As for the budget, here's what I bought this month:

1. Ann Taylor polka dot dress (very similar)- $34. I don't own many work dresses, and all of them are plain black, so during a recent extra 60% of sale I tried this one below. I was pleasantly surprised, and have already worn it to work twice.

2. Ann Taylor tweed dress - $54. Another 60% off sale purchase. I need to get this one altered so I haven't worn it yet. I found a great tailor through my friend which is like 3 minutes from my work, so I'm hoping to stop by there after work this week and drop it off. I'll include any alteration costs in next month's budget.

3. Ann Taylor sheer black tights - $6. I wore these tights to dinner every night in Chicago.. and then I wore them to work today and saw they have a run already. I know $6 isn't a lot of money, but I'm so mad these are already ruined! I might as well just buy the cheap grocery store tights and get the same amount of use out of them.
4. Forever 21 Studded Faux Leather Flats - $25 each ($50 total). As soon as I saw these flats while perusing the website I knew I had to at least try them. And I couldn't decide on which color to try so I ordered both. Now I'm in a predicament where I still can't decide which color to keep, lol. FYI the reviews are spot on - the shoes fit true to size to small. I normally wear a 6.5 to 7 in shoes and I ordered the 7 and they fit perfectly, if not slightly tight in the toe box. The faux leather looks more expensive than it is, and the studs are really cute. The only downside I've seen is that the studs may have a tendency to fall out - I found one on my carpet and I haven't even worn the shoes out of my apartment yet. I just stuck it right back in the hole it came from. However, it could be a lone stud because I checked the rest of them and they seem secure. Anyway, if you have any preference in color please share in the comments because I feel kind of guilty keeping both pairs.

5. Forever 21 Colorblocked Open-Toe Sandals - $32.80. As I browsed the shoe section, I also fell in love with several pairs of sandals. I already decided I'm going to return these gladiator style ones because the leather does not lay flat across the top of my feet (I have bony points on my feet so this may be the cause - people with regular feet probably won't have this problem). However these sandals below are a winner. I love the mixture of black and brown, and hopefully that combination will mean they can be worn with either blacks or browns and silvers or golds. The heel is high, but the chunky heel makes it easier to walk in, and the placement of the straps helps keep my foot in place. I also considered ordering these Buckled Faux Leather Sandals, but the metallic strap killed it for me. I would have bought them if they were all nude.

I give myself $200 a month for my clothing budget. I spent $94 at Ann Taylor and $83 at Forever 21 for a total of $177. It might even be $25 less if I decide to return one pair of flats. Do you keep a budget? How did you do with your spending this month?