Tax Day, Thriftyness, and Rockabilly Inspirations

This is me, enjoying a tasty IBC root beer on a warm day. 

Jeans: Gap, thrifted $5
Pink gingham top: H&M, thrifted off the $1 rack at Goodwill
Green leather sandals: Bronx, thrifted while on vacation at VA Beach, $4.00
Fakelite Bangle: thrifted, $1
50s sunnies: thrifted, $1

Total: $12.00

I am going to start sharing "thrifty outfits" under $20 as part of my summer long resolution to spend less money.... 

It's Income Tax deadline day in the US. Hubby and I were hit with a huge tax bill this year. Because of the nature of his work,  we don't get a tax refund check like most people do. I get a W2, which usually you get a refund check from, but my refund was kind of "absorbed" into our joint filing status. So we write a check to the IRS and pay our taxes. It is sobering, to say the least.

So much so, that I have vowed to really try to curb my spending habits. I have been spending a lot of money on the house.... between supplies needed to strip the lead paint off the floors and staircase and my recent collecting of numerous vintage prints and artwork for the staircase wall, I've been flinging money around like a Hollywood starlet, it seems. Last weekend it was a 2 day trip to Virginia Beach to visit my sister, and douse myself in shopping, a charity fashion show, malls, and of course plenty of delicious food.
This week it was a Craigslist "gotta have" $350  antique china cabinet to match my antique dining table.

It's gotta stop. 

I consider myself pretty thrifty - I mean, $350 is a great deal on a solid oak antique china hutch, y'all! And it matches my table. 

But even thrifty purchases add up to a bundle when you make thrifty purchases fifteen times a week. (Ok - so fifteen times a week is a bit of a stretch - but you get the drift.)

So this summer, I'm vowing to keep my personal clothing and accessories spending to a meager sum - $20 for any (new) outfit, tops.  I might add items to new things to what  I already have, or whatever, but if I buy an "all fresh stuff" outfit, it has to  be at - or under - $20.  (I am excluding shop inventory spending from this resolution.)

(I thought of vowing to keep my house remodel/redecorate spending to a bare minimum, but I am not sure I can stick to that very well. We'll see.)

 So this is my first "thrifty outfit" post. I love Rockabilly inspired looks for summer. None of this outfit is vintage - except the bangle and sunnies.Basically, when I am feeling a Rockabilly inspiration coming on, I roll up some jeans, throw on a gingham, plaid, or similar top, add some poufyness to my hair somehow or another, and accessorize with vintage inspired shoes and jewelry.