April 11, 2011

My March Budget






































It may still be spring, but hot weather is already upon us in Central Florida and I'm craving pink (as seen here in my Spring Shopping Guide) and items I can wear when the temperatures are on the rise. Here's what I bought with my $100 March budget:

1. Hot pink linen shorts to satisfy my craving for pink. Perfect for hot summer days. (Forever 21, $15)
2. Hot pink shirt to further satisfy my craving for pink. Planning to pair this with white jeans and turquoise jewelry. (Banana Republic, $30, I used coupons)
3. Orange dress because I don't own a ton of dresses. I also love that it's a blank slate that can be dressed up or down. (Forever 21, $18)
4. Sparkly bracelets because I'm addicted to jewelry. And spikes. (Forever 21, $20)
5. Rainbow dress because I don't own a ton of dresses and I love rainbows. Perfect for a soccer game and/or margaritas with the girls. (Forever 21, $20)

Grand Total = $103























On my wish list:
1. Jean shorts that are long enough to wear with heels. (American Eagle, $30)
2. A colorful necklace that will go great with the orange dress above. (JcPenney, $25)

A note about my budget: You may have noticed that in several places I disclose that my monthly clothing budget is $250/month. That was my budget for many years while I was working full-time. Since my job ended in October, my budget has fluctuated, but it's usually between $100-150. I also sometimes accept free clothing from companies, but I try to keep those items within a total monthly budget. I don't make money from this blog, so the money I save on clothes each month is one way I'm able to keep J's Everyday Fashion going! :-)

32 comments:

  1. Love thisssss!!! I'm thinking about buying shorts from Forever myself. Generally, are they true to size or should I go bigger or smaller?

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  2. I can't wait to see you in the orange dress!

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  3. I usually size up at Forever 21, so I ordered a medium in these pink shorts and a medium in another pair online. The pink ones are a bit large on me but I'm just going to roll up the legs, the other ones were HUGE though. Sizing is never totally consistent at that store, but they are juniors sizing so you usually need one size larger!

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  4. There are only two F21 bracelets - the diamonds were a set. I fixed it though, thank you!

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  5. I have a question about your JC Penney necklace (the one on you on the picture to the right of the screen - where you are sitting on a blue chair and by the yellow table) - is it silver or pewter color? I saw them in my local store - they have two colors. Thank you!

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  6. Hmm... I'm actually not sure. I'm guessing the silver? Can you see it better in any of these photos:

    http://www.jseverydayfashion.com/2011/01/photo-shoot-with-andi-mans.html

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  7. the silver one looks like sterling silver color (light/whitish), the pewter one looks like gray silver (a bit darker). I like how yours looks, but can't tell for sure which one it is...

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  8. Hey J. I see that you buy quite some things and notice they can usually buy full price. For the shorts, I would say you may be able to run over to GoodWill and buy some. If not, cut off jeans( a size bigger makes them look like shorts, not jeans that had to be cut) and some sand paper to make holes. This is just my suggestions. I work at a thrift store and we get in all kinds of clothing from American Eagle to J. Crew, and anything you could imagine. :)

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  9. First of all...I love your blog and great March finds!! Secondly, I need your help! I have been on the hunt for a good bathing suit for months...do you have any suggestions on good places to look? Thanks for any suggestions!

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  10. Thank you! I've been dying over the swim suits at MJR Sales (link below). They have Victoria's Secret brand for $5-10 each piece!! I already have two and it's going to be hard not to order more. :-)

    http://www.mjrsales.com/?ref=4

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  11. I just got those bracelets from Forever 21. Very fun!

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  12. I got that rainbow dress from forever 21 too J! I'm surprised you liked it since i felt it a tad bit short and that's cause I'm 5'2

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  13. My outfit post with the dress is at the link below - it's definitely short but I sized up so it would be longer since you can cinch in the waist with the built-in tie!

    http://www.jseverydayfashion.com/2011/03/todays-everyday-fashion-secrets-of.html

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  14. I love pink! Great idea to pair it with turquoise too, can't wait to try that.
    I LOVE summer dresses but have the 'too short' issue even at 5'3. Looks awesome standing up but if I need to sit down or lean over to pick up my toddler I'm in trouble! I can imagine being so tiny and fairly tall you have the same issue. =)

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  15. Cute cute cute! Dresses are my go-to for spring and summer--I love your choices!

    I also wore one with a scarf and belted it the other day, but forgot to snap a pic. Whoops! Will have to throw it back on and take one for ya! :)

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  16. Love the pink top - fab with white jeans and turquoise. It would also be super cute with cutoff jean shorts. That necklace is also gorgeous. Can't wait to see you style your new stuff!

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  17. This is so inspiring! I recently discovered that I need to severely cut my clothing budget and you make it seem more than do-able - thanks :)

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  18. I am also trying to keep my budget to under $100 on clothes a month! Since your job ended, what type of work do you do now??

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  19. I'm working full-time on J's Everyday Fashion now! I also do freelance social media consulting and coaching on the side.

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  20. is the spike bracelet silver or gold? I only see silver on the site

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  21. It's gold, they may have sold out of the silver online!

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  22. I'm a little confused. You don't make any money from this blog?! On your "sponsorship and social media page" (http://www.jseverydayfashion.com/p/sponsorship-opportunities.html), you report getting over a million hits per month. You have ads, including ShopItToMe and MJRSales. Do you make a percentage of sales from those links? Many blogs also make money off cash-for-views, often $2-5 per 1,000 page views. That's a chunk of change for "over one million hits"!

    The FTC published a report on bloggers disclosure of income, free items, and other in-kind residuals or donations. You are doing well at acknowledging free items from sponsors and giveaway items, but posting "I don't make make money from this blog" seems odd to me. I'm not saying all this to start an argument. I would just HATE to see your hard work at building your awesome website end up losing sponsors or issues with the IRS and FTC.

    FTC guide posted here, http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm

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  23. In the past year, I have made less than $200 from this blog. Those are not advertisements - the Shop It To Me thing is just a badge that indicates I'm one of their favorite blogs (they feature me on their website) and the MJR Sales banner is an affiliate program but I'm not making more than $10/month that way. I have never sold a banner ad on this blog. I don't ever really want or plan to make money from this blog. The good news is that I have some other big ideas (coming in the next couple months!) that should be great income-earners, but I am to keep ads and paid stuff off this blog forever! :-)

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  24. I'm with you J! I have a blog so I completely understand. You may have links, banners, and ads but that doesn't mean you will be making money. Alot of the links and ads I put on my blog are referral programs, so I may get a credit here and there but I also got them via friend invites before I started the blog. I don't consider that making money. Also, I don't feel that the "gifts" are a form of profit. If you do not have a job right now it would be nearly impossible to continue to churn out tons of content for your readers. Getting free items sent to you is a way to keep your blog going. I am totally with you!!!

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  25. Thank you Juliette! I think there is a perception sometimes that bloggers are making tons of money, but most aren't. A blog is really just a starting point in my mind. Some bloggers, for example, are really into photography so based on a successful fashion blog they open a photography studio and make money that way. That's always been my plan with J's Everyday Fashion (not a photo studio, but something else TBA). You have to have tons of banner ads and affiliate programs to make any real money, and I definitely don't think it's worth it to gunk up my page just for a few bucks! :-) Free clothes help me save actual $ every month though, which reduces my family's overall spending and makes it easier to not have me working a full-time job so I can keep working on J's Everyday Fashion. Thanks for understanding!

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  26. You are 100% right - it isn't worth it to junk up the page for a few dollars. If I have any ads (which I don't) in widgets or banners it would be because I have some affiliation with or just truly love and support the company. I totally understand everything you said. It makes total sense to me! And best of luck to you in whatever your plans are.. I'm sure they will be great. I'm sure you will, but after its all said and done please share with us!

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  27. J, have you been to Charming Charlie's at Florida Mall yet? It's a pretty new chain of super cute (and somewhat overwhelming) but totally reasonably priced jewelry/accessory stores. Everything is broken up by color family, so it makes shopping for a specific look or special event jewelry a breeze. Most of their necklaces range in price from $9.97-$19.97 (with most being around the $14.97 price point). I love the JC Penney's necklace on your wish list, but you may be able to get a comparable look for $10 or so cheaper at Charming Charlie's.

    Love your blog, girl! : )

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  28. Thanks for the suggestion! I visited Charming Charlie's at the FL Mall once when it first opened but I haven't been back in ages. I actually saw the JcPenney necklace in person last week though and it was NOT cute (or, at least, not as cute as I was expecting). So glad you like the blog!

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  29. This necklace is now down to $17.99 and if you order it through ebates you get 6% cash back.

    http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=jX%2BCzjL%2FRdIpoy4Zrjx5WQ%3D%3D

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  30. FJT5 needs to get a life. Love your blog and if you are making money, great for you, you deserve it! Some people just have too much time on their hands. Please keep up the awesome posts!

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  31. Too funny, this comment popped up and I had to go back and read the comment thread to see what you were referring to! A LOT has changed since this post, so it was interesting to read. Thank you for the words of encouragement and for this walk down memory lane. ;-) 

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