Budget Rewind - January 2014

So I'm going to try something new and see if it sticks.  I've been doing the Budgeting Blogger posts since January 2013, and I definitely think it has helped me be more conscious of what I am buying and why.  At that very moment.  But there's not a lot of reflection.  So I'm going to try looking at the same month last year, and reviewing what I think of those decisions now, with a year of potential wear to consider.  And just maybe that will help me figure out what makes a wise purchase and how to avoid mistakes in the future. (Shout out to Kate for this post, which reminded me I wanted to do this.)

January 2014 was a big month.  I got some Christmas presents, and I also had some Christmas money to spend, and then just did a lot of shopping at the post holiday sales.  I won't include gifts in my analysis, but I am going to include things I picked out using gift cards or gift money.

Good:

• Old Navy Green jeans - I love these jeans!  They were on my wish list forever and I'm so happy I bought them.  I've blogged them 6 times, but worn them way more than that.  I hope I can wear them again next fall!  
• Old Navy Gray cardigan - kind of boring, but I've worn it a bunch, which just proves neutral basics are an important part of any wardrobe!
• Old Navy Rhinestone leaf necklace - if memory serves, this necklace cost about $2.  Which means I've got a pretty excellent cost-per-wear going with it.  I think I've been neglecting it recently, so I just need to remember to reach for it.  
• Gap Light Denim jeans: $15 (originally $60) - I just sent these to ThredUp, and got about $5 back.  I was in a pregnancy closet cleanout frenzy, and maybe should have kept them.  But who knows what size I will be next winter, so I will probably want new jeans.  I wore these a lot over the 10 or so months that I had them, so I'll say it was a smart purchase.
• Gap Striped workout tank:  $11 (originally $23) - I wore this to the gym a lot earlier in the year.  And it made me feel fancy while I worked out, so I say it was a good idea!  
• Target Cognac wedges:  $11 (originally $22) - worn 8 times on the blog, a handful of times otherwise, and still in my closet.  
• Black moto jacket:  $22 (originally $40) - this was on my wish list forever and I still love it, even though I can't zip it at the moment.  

Medium: 

• Gap Orange/White bow-print blouse:  $10 (originally $40) - well, I still have this top, and I still like it, so I'm not sure where it belongs.  I hope I'll be able to wear it again.  
• Piperlime Patterned blouse: $8 (originally $54) - another top that I haven't worn a whole lot, but I do really like it, and I can see it working for me in the future.  

Bad:

• Old Navy Pink blouse (worn here) - my heart is thinking "good," but the evidence suggests not so good.  I've blogged it 3 times, and I don't know if I've worn it more than that.  I think this falls into the "would love it if it didn't require ironing" category.  Note to self - stop buying things that must be ironed!  
• Old Navy Pink bracelet (worn here) - so well-loved, I didn't even make a category for it.  I didn't even remember having this bracelet, so I should either get rid of it soon, or dig it out and decide if I like it. 
• Target Leopard Pumps:  $15 (originally $30) (worn here) - well, I think these are really cute, and I still have them.  I've only worn them once, but I think about wearing them a lot.  It's just that the heel is higher than I feel like I can manage most days.  I should probably sell them, but they are just so pretty!  

Ugly (aka already removed from my closet):

• Old Navy Black/Gray Dress - Mistake!  I wanted to love this dress, but it was a tad bit too bodycon for my taste.  In fact, I think it made me look pregnant when I definitely was not pregnant.  I got rid of it at some point.
• Old Navy Black/White striped dress - It was just too short.  I wore it 3 times during the 30x30 remix, and then never again.  And then I bought this similar but longer dress in June, which I wore quite a bit in the summer, but only blogged once.  We'll see if I think that was a smart purchase when we get to June (if I'm still doing this type of post at that point). 
• Gap Pink Shirtdress: $7 (originally $60) - I love shirtdresses, but I haven't had much luck finding one that looks good on me.  I liked it the first time I wore it, but it seemed too short, so I did a little sewing project and wore it once more.  And then I gave it to the Goodwill.  I should have just left it alone and sold it.  
• Gap Leopard print flats:  $18 (originally $50) - can you say "mistake"?  I loved these shoes, but they were so unfomfortable.  I think I wore them just once, and they never even made it to the blog.  I sold them at the consignment shop a few months ago, so I made back some of my foolishly spent money. 

Honorable mention: 

• Target Nude pumps:  $15 (originally $30) (UPDATE - I returned these. The color wasn't quite right and they weren't very comfortable!) - so bad initial purchase, but I fixed it quickly. 

So out of 16 items, we have 7 good, 2 medium, 3 bad, and 4 ugly.  I don't like those numbers!  I would prefer to see at least 50% in the good!  

February 2014 should be much easier, because I barely bought anything!