Here's What I Spent on Secondhand Clothing in May

Plus one *non* secondhand purchase

Today’s regularly paid-only post is for everyone thanks to a sponsorship from Fruitful.

A few weeks ago, I talked to Astor about money. I talked about how I experimented with stock picking when I didn’t know better, how my dad’s death left me with a lot of questions about money, and why my marriage is what I’d consider my best investment of my twenties.

Notice the amount of money I spend monthly on secondhand clothing never came up…I’m a big believer that if wise investing and smart planning comes the silver bullet we’re all aiming for—financial freedom. In my case, that’s the freedom to feel inspired enough on vacation to buy a vintage rug.

What I Bought in May 2024 💸

XT-6 Salomons $228.64 on Salomon.com

Why: My friends Arielle and Jenelle M both rock these sneakers. I’ve wanted a pair for everyday that feel fresh enough to wear with jeans but (bear with me while I sound very 28) offer comfort and support.

Rating: A

These shoes ended up being the MVP of my trip to Big Sur. I wore them everywhere—hiking/breakfast/to the beach—and feel like a convert for life. They’re maybe twice as much as I’d ideally like to spend, but sneakers are the same as anything sleep-related and can easily be justified just thinking of the hours I spend running around (and conversely, the sacred hours I spend resting).

✨ Here’s THE shoe + a curation of my favorite walkable shoes. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend shopping these secondhand.

Mulberry Leather Tote $386.46 on The RealReal

Why: I’ve been freelance for about a month and it’s officially time to trade in the leather tote I was gifted a few years ago I’ve been using out of convenience. I wanted a work bag that felt elevated.

Rating: B+

I’m writing this from CA where my bag awaits me patiently in the hands of my doorman in New York. I made a Tiktok about my bullish predictions on Mulberry as a brand, which I think has been poised for a revamp for a while. As of now, the bags are quite affordable secondhand and feel cool. This purchase technically doesn’t count because I paid for the bag using credit from a video I made for The RealReal. So I’m listing it here, but won’t add it to the total.

✨ Here’s the exact bag on The RealReal, the runner up option, and another vintage Mulberry bag that looks a HELL of a lot like a Kelly.

J.Crew Rollneck Sweater $50 on eBay

Why: We’ve been over this—I’m an incredibly thoughtful partner with deeply ulterior motives. A rollneck sweater for Christian is a rollneck sweater I don’t have to keep in my closet. He’s really taken to his navy one, so I grabbed him another.

Rating: A

I’ve been on a bit of a tear on social talking about this sweater. J.Crew, to be clear, has still not noticed me or my yapping. But that’s ok! People are tagging me in videos of them in rollnecks and I feel like a proud mom. Only…well I know that metaphor’s a stretch but it makes me happy.

✨ Here’s a vintage striped option on eBay and you can buy them new on J.Crew for even less.

Vintage Turkish Rug $48.99 on Etsy

Why: We stayed at a beautiful cottage during our stay in Big Sur and I was making all kinds of mental notes on what I’d incorporate into our cabin someday. And in a stroke of California calm, I decided to sell my walking pad, standing desk, and desk chair. My bedroom/office will once again be simply a bedroom. Somewhere in that decision, I thought a new rug would be nice.

Rating: B+

Rugs are ALWAYS smaller than I picture them to be when I order them online. This one is 4 ft x 2 ft, which I would know if I took the 20 seconds to measure it out. But I adore it so much, that tiny darling. And I bought this rug pad to go with it.

✨ Here’s the exact rug shop on Etsy and a pink rug from the seller I really like.

Vintage Newcastle United Soccer Jersey $37.89 on eBay

Why: When my friend Kate sent me a photo of a cool guy wearing a version of this jersey, it felt like validation. I’ve been wanting to pair a soccer jersey with jeans for months. And I love that this one is striped.

Rating: B+

Stay tuned on the sizing, etc but I’m excited to bring (somehow) even more sportiness to my life.

✨ Here’s a matching jersey and one in another size. Twins!

Total: $327.65

Overall rating: A

Want to talk about money more? My kind of people. Fruitful makes money simple—whatever your goals look like. Get organized with 1-on-1 help from a friendly expert and a single platform to handle all your finances. Use code BANANA98 to start with a free month of membership!

Thank you for reading Long Live. It means so much to me. You can shop my favs here, follow along on Instagram + Tiktok, shop my Notion template, and as always, respond to this dispatch for my direct line x