Here we are again, another month another spend report. This is the one structured blog post that I have been able to consistently incorporate into my blogging schedule. It is very practical and is a great exercise for a recovering shopaholic like myself.
April was my birthday month (oh hey fellow Aries!) so I know that my spending was a bit more than it usually is. This was also when the semi annual Sephora VIB sale happened so a lot of my spending was geared towards that sale coupled with the fact that I’ve been really focusing on my hair lately since I had it dyed (see my recent blog post here),
If this is the first monthly spend report you are reading, I have a ritual of recording all my spending in a google spreadsheet in order to encourage mindful spending and know where my money is going each month. Every month, I tally up my expenses, reflect on my purchases and set goals on how to do better next month.
April was my highest spend month yet. Not only was it my birthday month, there was also the Sephora sale which admittedly set me back about $440 most of my purchases were for my hair. Ever since I had my hair coloured it has definitely required more TLC than my virgin hair. These are just some of the sacrifices we make to change up our look haha.
Here’s where my money went
- Sephora – like I said, I got caught in the sale this year. I purchased a ton of solid favourite staples as well as some more expensive things that I wanted to try for my hair which I am totally not regretting so far (reviews to come soon!). I am for the most part super pleased with my purchases and I’m confident that my hair purchases will carry me into 2022 (washing my hair once every 5 days has really paid off literally – see my recent hair post).
- A new iPhone! – ok I am super excited about this. I cracked my google Pixel 3 XL at the beginning of the month and instead of getting it fixed (the crack as not that large at all) I decided to switch back to team iPhone and purchase an iPhone 12 pro max. I actually discovered that entering into a “phone tab” plan would save me some money on the actual phone so I decided to do that this time around. This year, I got an apple watch and Airpods for my birthday so an iPhone was essential to capitalizing on these items. Because I purchased my Pixel out right about a year and a half ago I was able to purchase this phone without having to break a previous phone tab. I intend on keeping this phone for at least two years (I usually keep phone for at least two years before I run into issues and generally find iPhone reliable and long lasting).
- Aritzia – I actually purchased two pieces (a top and trousers) but I ended up returning the trousers because I did not love them.
- Mothers day gifts – one category that I have gladly spent more on this year is GIFTS. I love gift giving and now that my personal spending has decreased in terms of my commuting spending, coffees and going out to eat, I make sure my gift game is on point. This month I ordered a couple of balloon flower boxes in advance of mothers day – instagram has given me quite bit of gift ideas – make sure you follow me on instagram to see the latest.
- Student loan – although it is no secret that I have been on a personal student loan repayment journey, I think it is also important to note that April is income tax season. I used a good chunk of my income tax refund to make a lump sum payment on my student line of credit which is definitely the largest outgoing payment from my account this month.
And thats all for April, I am really hoping my expenses are on the lower end in May (more in line with the first 3 months of the year). As I am writing this its the first week of May, let me know what your personal finances goals are in the comments and what you are saving for (if anything).
