August people. August. That means #NoBuyJuly is officially over. So how did you do? How many of you actually went an entire month of not spending? I would like to tell you that I made it til the end but sadly Target got me right in final hours. If you missed my Instastory of shame here’s a recap….I was doing great, hadn’t spent a dime on myself other than necessities and then I drove to Target for no real purpose (big mistake, HUGE.). I ended up buying a purse and a cute pair of earrings- ugh so weak! To my credit, the total was less than 50 bucks AND I felt a lot of guilt! Usually I can spend $50 without batting an eye, especially in Target, but I really felt bad and had a knot in my stomach that whole day so I take that as a win in a way. If #NoBuyJuly taught me anything it’s to really examine how I spend money. It has made me much more conscious of what I am putting in my cart and knowing that I can go a whole month and live without all those things I convince myself are “necessities” I am going to try to be harder on myself about frivolous spending going forward!
Hopefully you got some good takeaways from my posts throughout July because these tips are things that can apply to any month whether you are saving or not. I know that most of us are not living as true minimalists and there are times that you want or need to spend money on your house. I certainly do, but I have learned some things over the years that help me decide where to put the money. Here are the things that I think are totally worth the money if you want your house to feel pulled together.
Pretty Matching Storage
I have belabored this point over the years so I will just leave it at: baskets can hide a multitude of sins 🙂
Paint
Paint…the single most transformative element to any room! Don’t believe me? Just go check out the before of the room above!
Interesting Lights
{Photo by Ariana Clare}
Life is too short to not elevate your lighting. Swap out the boring flush mounts, ditch the builder basic vanity lights, and please oh please mount some fantastic sconces! These didn’t even need wiring- they’re plug in! (See more details on them, here)
Window Treatments
They may be blurry in this photo but the roman shades in this dining room added instant personality! I love adding pattern through window treatments. They always give the room a custom unique touch.
Texture
Last but certainly not least because it is my absolute favorite topic in the whole world! Texture comes from mixing a range of surfaces and finishes. Smooth, glossy, rough, distressed, steel, wool, woven, glass, and on and on. If you have to start with just one baby step today go get yourself some greenery for instant texture and life! (See more details from this room, here)
{All photos by Laura Sumrak unless noted otherwise}
I would love to hear about your experience with #NoBuyJuly if you participated. Even if you didn’t I hope it got you thinking about your own spending and maybe some ways to simplify in that area. At the end of the day that’s what it is all about for me. Taking a breath and seeing how I can add less stuff, including financial burden, to our life. This year I am trying to really focus on being content with less in all aspects and this was a great way to start for me!