I have a sick obsession with Target.
The
problems begin when I justify going shopping as a method to subdue my
boredom. Couple that with living exactly 5.6 miles from a Target store
and, Houston, we have a problem! I always tell myself I'm "just going
to browse" and see if they have anything new and exciting. I really
should know better because that type of trip normally turns into a $50+
spending spree, but I walk away with a whole mess of cute things!
Today's trip, I went in for one thing - honestly, ONE. THING. - and I walked out with office supplies and stationary items up to my eyeballs. Why? Because I could...
To
justify things, I did make a resolution to save more money and keep
track of my spending. Two of the things I purchased will help me do
exactly that.
Just so you know, these photos were taken with my iPhone and are beyond disappointing. If or when I get a nicer camera, you can expect some better quality photos. Until then, you will have to suffer through the low-resolution and lack-luster colors with me.
This sugar - paper 2014 weekly/monthly planner by Blue Sky was too cute to not snatch up the moment I saw it! It is the perfect size, no bigger than your standard paperback book, so it will fit in a purse easily. The cover is a sturdy, sewn vinyl, so I don't anticipate much bending or tearing. It seems like it will protect the edges of the pages nicely. It includes your typical monthly and weekly calendars, but also has a contacts and notes page. I noticed this also came in black, as well as an 8.5" x 11" size. The pens were an impulse grab, but I think they'll be nice to use to categorize different calendars within the planner. As long as they don't bleed through, that is... The planner was $8.99 and the pens were $6.74.
The quality of this next photo is so sad, its scary, but this is the inside of the planner. I love how there are gold polka dots (one of my favorite things!) on every page. Combined with pretty pink script, this planner could pass off as a Kate Spade look-alike!
If I could suggest two things it would be:
- I'm not too big a fan of pink, so I'd rather this planner come in mint green and gold!
- Tabbed pages
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The next things I grabbed were two money management items. The big pink binder is a Mead Organizher expense tracker, and the smaller one is a spending tracker. The expense tracker is nice because it is pretty comprehensive: there are monthly worksheets for tracking categorized expenses and your cash flow, 12 months worth of pockets for storing receipts or bills, 12 months of budget worksheets, and 2 other clear storage envelopes. I had a purple one for 2013, but never used it for its intended purpose... other than storing receipts. Its in sad condition and bursting from all of the receipts, so I wiped the slate clean and started fresh with a pink one. Again, why is there not a mint green option?! The expense tracker was $15.99.
The spending tracker is THE perfect size to throw in your purse and go... right back to Target! The picture down below of the inside page example doesn't allow you to see what all you can keep track of. There are 5 columns: date of purchase, amount spent, description of item(s), payment method, and (my favorite) if this expense was planned or not. This is perfect to keep track of every little purchase, especially for someone like me who is an impulse buyer. I can look back throughout the week or month and see how much money I threw away on unplanned or unnecessary things. With the big expense tracker, I didn't think it would be convenient to carry around or even possible to keep track of every single purchase, so this little guy will be going everywhere with me. I also like that there is a strap on the tracker to keep the book from opening unexpectedly in your purse. I plan on throwing all of the receipts in there until I get home and can put them in the expense tracker. The spending tracker was only $4.99!
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These two items were from Target's "dollar section" in the front of the store right when you walk in. This was harmless, in my opinion, because each were only a dollar and, to my defense, I couldn't avoid walking past it. I'm always down to buying list pads. Unlike my husband who writes lists on every possible surface, I will only write lists on designated "list-writing" notepads. It just so happened Target has a bunch of super cheap, super cute notepads in cute colors, including MINT GREEN! My favorite! And combined with the gray? I couldn't resist. $2 total for an accordion folder and a list pad? Yes, please!
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THESE beauties are easily my favorite purchase of the Target excursion. The two binders are mini 1" thick binders by Greenroom (you can see the other 4 colors on their homepage). Now that I think about it, I'll definitely be returning to Target tomorrow to buy the other 3 polka dot colors! But, to be honest, I'm not completely sure what I want to do with these. I already have a Martha Stewart mini binder that I added in planner/notebook pages to become my work-only calendar to keep track of lunches, meetings, teleconferences, etc. I'm sure I'll find a use for these, but for now they're just going to be eye candy. They were $5.99 each.
The two sticky note packs were part of the dollar section at Target. The one on the bottom left spoke to my heart when I saw it says "My Check List" and is a STICKY notepad! And I just bought the other two because they matched that polka dot binder...
Finally, I bought some Scotch Expressions washi tape. I have NO idea what washi tape is or how I'm going to use it, but I've seen some pins about it on Pinterest and they were in colors that matched the floral binder. At $2.99 a piece, I thought why the heck not?! If anyone knows how I can use the washi tape, comment below - help a sista out!!!
Other than the organization supplies, I did buy a few other things, but was so fed up with the quality of the pictures I decided not to post pictures.
Target's dollar section was on point today! They have a TON of cute organization/stationary things in great colors, including... (you guessed it) MINT GREEN! There were shoe organizers, jewelry organizers, scarf and belt hangers, under-the-bed storage bags, laundry bags and hampers, dust pans... ALL $3 OR LESS! I picked up a lavender jewelry organizer and a special mesh bag for washing bras in the laundry for $1 a piece.
If you haven't already, RUN (don't walk) to Target ASAP!
