And here’s the thing: I don’t regret it. But I don’t feel totally great about it either.
After eight months of being really strict with myself, I decided to cut myself some slack this month. What started as a hunt for a wedding guest dress turned into a classic “treat yourself” moment, which then turned into a spiral. One store became three. One item became a dozen. And somewhere between TJ Maxx and Marshalls, I found myself holding things I didn’t set out to buy.
But even with all of that, the numbers still came in at 51% savings compared to last September. So this month’s recap is a little bit of both: an honest look at what happens when you loosen the reins, and a reminder that one looser month doesn’t undo nine months of progress.
Monthly Reflections
How One Dress Turned Into a Shopping Spiral
It all started with a wedding. We have one coming up at the end of October, an outdoor ceremony in Florida, and I got it in my head that I needed a new dress for it. So I did what I always do: I headed to my go-to, TJ Maxx.
Nothing. So I went to the other TJ Maxx in town. Still nothing. So naturally, I went to Marshalls.
This is one of my patterns I’ve learned about myself this year: when I’m searching for something specific, I don’t stop at one store. I hit every store in town until I find it. And somewhere along the way, “looking for a dress” quietly turns into “looking at everything.”
By the end of it, I still didn’t have a dress. But I did have a bag full of cute basics: sweater tees, a couple of sequin tops, and a few cozy sweaters that will go with pretty much everything in my closet.
The Wish List Wins
Here’s the silver lining: two of the things I came home with were straight off my clothing wish list.
- Denim midi skirt ($29.99, TJ Maxx): I’ve been looking for one for months, and this one was exactly what I had in mind.
- Deer print faux fur clutch ($29.99, Marshalls): the perfect fur clutch I’d been hoping to find. I was so excited about this one.
That’s the difference between this spiral and my old shopping habits. A year ago, none of those purchases would have been planned. This time, at least a couple of them were things I’d been patiently searching for.
The Dress I Already Had
And the plot twist? After all that driving around, I realized I already had the perfect dress hanging in my closet. It’s a fall-colored tweed dress I’ve owned for years, and it’s honestly ideal for an October wedding. I’ll pair it with brown heels and throw a cream coat over the top in case the evening gets chilly (you never know with an outdoor Florida wedding).
Lesson noted: shop your closet first. Always.
The Mirror High (And the Jeans That Followed)
Later in the month, I headed to Homesense looking for new bedding. I didn’t find bedding, but I did find the 60″ round mirror I’d been coveting for our front foyer for about a month. I was so happy about it that I rode that high right next door into TJ Maxx.
I barely browsed, but I spotted two pairs of Kenzie wide leg jeans (one dark wash, one light wash) on an end rack and grabbed both. Were they an impulse buy? Yes. But they also solved two real problems:
- Fit: I’ve gained a little weight since starting my new workout and nutrition program, and a lot of my jeans feel really tight right now. These are stretchy, so they’ll work through every phase of the program, including when the weight starts coming off.
- Length: most of my jeans are too short to wear with my heeled boots. These are long enough to finally pair with all those boots sitting in my closet. (The two pairs I thrifted this month are extra long too, so I’m set.)
So not a planned purchase, but a practical one that opens up a lot more outfits in my closet.
The Fall Decor Win
Here’s one thing I’m really proud of: I didn’t buy a single new fall decoration this year. Every pumpkin, garland, and cozy setup in our house came from what we already owned. The only home decor purchase this month was that mirror, and it’s something I’d been intentionally searching for, not a “this is cute” grab in the seasonal aisle.
How I’m Feeling About It
Honestly? A little bit of both. Part of me feels down because I know that money could have gone into savings. But another part of me knows I’ve been really strict with myself for eight straight months, and I needed a little breathing room.
The low-buy was never supposed to be about perfection. It’s about building habits I can actually live with long term. And this month taught me something important about what those habits need to look like (more on that in the lessons section).
Personal Thrifted Finds
Even in a month where I did more retail shopping than I’d like to admit, thrifting still did a lot of the heavy lifting. I picked up 9 pieces for $70.41 total, which works out to less than $8 per item. A mix of end-of-summer pieces I’ll get to wear right away and cozy fall staples that are patiently waiting for Texas to cool down.
Summer Stragglers
It’s still in the 90s here, so these are getting worn now.
- Raffia Clutch ($5.99): the perfect warm-weather bag for pool days, brunches, and running errands. It adds texture to even the simplest outfit.
- Sunhat ($8.99): a wide-brim hat has been on my thrift list since our Lost Pines trip this summer, when I realized how much I needed one. Finally found it.
- Linen Shorts ($5.99): I live in shorts from May to October in Texas, and linen is the most breathable fabric out there. For six bucks, it was an easy yes.
Tops & Sweaters
- H&M Button Down Shirt ($6.99): button downs are one of the most versatile pieces in my closet. Tucked into jeans, layered under a sweater, or thrown on open over a tank.
- Altar’d State Sweater ($8.99): a cozy sweater for when fall finally shows up.
- Pink Anthropologie Sweater Tee ($8.49): Anthropologie at thrift prices is always a win. Sweater tees are my favorite transitional piece because they work on those “warm afternoon, chilly evening” days.
- Black Cashmere Sweater Tee ($6.99): cashmere for under $7. A black wool/cashmere sweater has been on my wish list for a while, and while this is more of a sweater tee than a full sweater, it’s a great layering piece in the meantime.
Denim
- Judy Blue Wide Leg Jeans ($8.99): my signature style is wide leg jeans with fitted tops, so these fit right into my rotation.
- Abercrombie Bootcut Jeans ($8.99): I don’t have many bootcut pairs, and they’re one of my favorite styles to wear with boots.
The best part about both pairs of jeans? They’re extra long. Most of my jeans are too short to wear with heeled boots, so these (plus the Kenzie pairs from TJ Maxx) mean I can finally wear so much more of my shoe collection this fall.
The Thrift Takeaway
Looking at this list next to my retail purchases, the contrast is pretty clear: I got 9 pieces thrifted for about the same price as 3 pieces at TJ Maxx. Thrifting is still the most budget-friendly way for me to fill real gaps in my wardrobe, and it’s a good reminder of why I built this challenge around secondhand shopping in the first place.
Budget Recap
Time for my favorite part: the brutally honest “Data Not Drama” readout. Because even when a month feels messy, the numbers tell the real story.
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Personally Thrifted | $70.41 |
| Other Personal Purchases | $272.88 |
| Household & Family Spending | $875.19 |
| Total Family Purchases (Sept 2026) | $1,218.48 |
| Total Family Purchases (Sept 2025) | $2,467.00 |
| Savings | $1,248.52 (51%) |
What the Numbers Say
Even with a shopping spiral, we spent about half of what we spent last September. And compared to August’s 20% savings, this month was a big step forward on the year-over-year comparison.
That said, I’m keeping it real: we came in $218.48 over our $1,000 monthly goal. And about $343 of this month’s total was me shopping for myself. That’s the part that stings a little, because it’s the one category I have the most control over.
Where the Rest Went
The other ~$875 was a mix of personal care and everyday household needs:
- Beauty restocks (Ulta and a few personal care items)
- Amazon essentials: more workout equipment, omega-3 supplements for the cats, USB cords
- A concert dress and shoes for my daughter
- The 60″ round mirror for our front foyer (my one and only home decor purchase this month)
None of that felt frivolous. Most of it was stuff we actually needed, and the mirror was something I’d been patiently hunting for over a month, not a spontaneous “ooh, that’s cute” grab.
The Budget Captain Takeaway
Here’s how I’m choosing to look at it: a 51% savings month with a shopping spiral is still a win. A year ago, a month like this would have easily cost double. The difference now is that even my “loose” months have guardrails, and I actually know exactly where every dollar went, thanks to tracking everything in Monarch.
Progress, not perfection.
Lessons Learned
This month taught me more about my shopping habits than any “perfect” month ever could. Here’s what I’m taking with me into the rest of the year.
1. Find the Thing (or Don’t), Then Walk Out
My biggest weakness this month wasn’t buying something I needed. It was what happened around that search. When I’m hunting for one specific item, I tend to hit every store in town, and by the third stop, I’m not really looking for the dress anymore. I’m just shopping.
So here’s my new rule: if I go in looking for something specific, I look for that one thing. If it’s there, great, I buy it. If it’s not, I walk out. No “well, since I’m already here” browsing. No extras.
2. Good Moods Can Trigger Shopping, Too
I always knew boredom and feeling uninspired were my big shopping triggers. What I didn’t expect this month was how much a good mood could do the same thing.
After finding that mirror at Homesense, I was on such a high that I walked right into TJ Maxx next door without even thinking about it. That’s when the Kenzie jeans happened. It’s a good reminder that the urge to shop isn’t only about filling a void. Sometimes it’s about keeping a happy feeling going, and that deserves the same pause.
3. I Actually Need a Browse Day (And That’s Okay)
This might be the biggest realization of my whole low-buy year.
When I started this challenge, I swapped my weekly shopping trips for thrifting twice a week. But I quickly realized I was still spending money, just in a different place. Over time, I’ve cut way back on both, and my spending has gone down a lot because of it.
But I think I cut back too far. When I go weeks without any shopping at all, the boredom builds up until it all comes out at once, like it did this month.
So instead of pretending I don’t enjoy browsing, I’m going to build it into my routine on purpose. Once every two to three weeks, I’ll give myself a dedicated browse day: walk the aisles, look at what’s out there, get inspired, and leave without spending. It scratches the itch before it turns into a spiral. And honestly, it helps me realize that most of the time, I already have four of whatever I’m eyeing hanging in my closet at home. (Maybe it’s just a girl thing. Ha!)
4. Shop Your Closet First
I drove to three different stores looking for a wedding dress, only to realize the perfect one was already hanging in my closet. From now on, before I start any search for something “new,” I’m doing a full closet check first. It would have saved me a lot of time, gas, and money this month.
5. One Loose Month Doesn’t Erase Nine Months of Progress
I’ll be honest: part of me still feels a little down about the spending this month. But beating myself up won’t help, and it’s not the point of this challenge. A 51% savings month with a spiral in it is still proof that my habits have changed. The goal was never to be perfect. It was to build a relationship with spending that I can actually keep, and that means giving myself grace when I stumble.
Goals for Next Month
October is going to be a busy one. Between Halloween, a Florida wedding, and the holiday season officially creeping up on us, this is the month where spending can get away from me fast if I don’t have a plan. So here’s the plan.
1. Get Halloween Costumes Done Early
I’m heading out this week to grab Halloween costumes for the kids so it’s checked off before the wedding and the rest of the month gets hectic. The goal is to go in with a list, find what we need, and get out. No wandering the seasonal aisle “just to look.”
2. Wear What I Already Own to the Wedding
The dress is picked, and it’s been in my closet for years. The fall-colored tweed dress, brown heels, and my cream overcoat over the top in case the evening gets chilly. No new outfit, no new shoes, no new accessories. I already have everything I need.
3. Start Christmas Shopping Early
This year, I’m asking my brother, sister, and their spouses to send me their Christmas lists now so I can start shopping early. Instead of one giant bill hitting in December, I want to spread our holiday spending out over October, November, and December. It’s so much easier on the budget (and my stress level) when it’s not all happening at once.
4. Put the “One Thing” Rule Into Practice
If I’m shopping for something specific, I’m buying that one thing and walking out. If it’s not there, I leave empty-handed. No store-hopping and no “while I’m here” extras.
5. Schedule My First Browse Day
I’m putting my first intentional browse day on the calendar for sometime in the next couple of weeks. Walk the aisles, get inspired, and leave without spending. Let’s see if scratching that itch on purpose helps keep the spirals away.
6. Get Back Under $1,000
After coming in about $218 over our monthly goal in September, I want to bring October back under $1,000, even with costumes and early Christmas gifts in the mix. And as always, every purchase gets tracked in Monarch.
Looking Ahead
With three months left in my low-buy year, I’m heading into the most expensive stretch of the calendar: Halloween, a wedding, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all in a row. If there’s ever a time for spending to get away from me, it’s now.
But I’m going into it with a lot more self-awareness than I had in January. I know my triggers (boredom, feeling uninspired, and apparently a really good mood too). I know my patterns (the store-hopping spiral is real). And now I have a new tool: a browse day every couple of weeks that’s built into my routine on purpose, so I’m not white-knuckling it until I crack.
September wasn’t my most disciplined month. But it might have been one of my most honest ones, because it showed me exactly where my system needed to change. Nine months ago, I would have spent twice as much and not thought twice. This month, I spent less than half of last September, knocked two items off my wish list, decorated for fall without buying a single new thing, and walked away with a real plan for the holidays.
That’s still progress. And I’ll take it.
Comments (0)