It’s been awhile since I did an expense log. I skipped the last few months because I was too busy with moving out and most of my expenses were revolving around that. Since things have settled down a bit, I decided I would start posting about it again (given that I remember to do it).
Switch Accessories
I got myself a coral pink controller for $20 (it was $45, but I had points accumulated). The material quality is not worth the price, but I still like how it matches my Switch color. I had no problems using it, so I’m kind of okay with it. I also got a stand for $6. It works as an iPad and iPhone stand as well, so I think it’s really worth the price. I also love how the stand provides you with 6 different angles to use. My Switch gaming time is now more convenient!
Leather Card Case
Brand: Il Bisonte
This one could actually wait. I actually got this for a way cheaper price than the retail’s, so I was satisfied with it. I bought one because I thought I’d need it to store my business cards, but Tokyo’s infection rates got higher and now the office is closed. In the end, I couldn’t even retrieve the cards and I have no particular use for the case at this moment of time. I really love the leather quality though. I was actually debating whether I should get a camel, beige, or black color since they all looked so pretty. But I settled with the last option since I thought I’d be the most neutral for business scenes.
Mini Messenger Bag
Brand: Topologie
I got this one second hand for only $20 (originally $70). Although the status is ‘second hand’, the condition is very close to mint. The seller did say that he/she only used it once or twice. I consider myself lucky for finding this item haha. It has replaced my Muji sacoche and I use this every time I go out these days.
I still have a lot more items in my to-buy list. But I’ll probably have to hold off for this month. My next priority would be a pair of comfortable working shoes.
I thought I’d post about the items that I bought from a month ago. Here we go!
Not sure why it turned into Nobember when the 2019 ver. was November
This is my third calendar set from the same artist, Nishi Shuku. I love his/her artwork so much that I was willing to spend money on this instead of a 100 yen (approx. $1) calendar from Daiso. The only thing that triggered me was the spelling for November. I’m not sure why it’s spelled with a b when the spelling two years ago was already correct with a v.
A slim scissors and a portable washi tape holder
I discovered both of these products through a Youtube video and decided to get my hands on it. I have enough scissors on my desk but the sleek and cute design of this one drove me to purchase it. The washi tape holder actually comes with the pattern tapes as illustrated, which are really cute. I could reuse the holder to store other patterns once the original one ran out.
Portable post-itThe patterns
Found this one when I was browsing randomly at Tokyu Hands. I thought the concept and the pattern of this was cute. It’s made by the same maker that created the washi tape holder (see above). They promote it as label you can use to highlight your monthly calendar. I find that this doesn’t suit my taste that much, though. I wish the paper itself was a bit more translucent so it could show more of the contents behind it. I also think it’d be better if the material wasn’t plasticky on the top since it just makes it hard to write on and inks dry really slow on it.
Stalogy A6Features a very light grey grid that I love
I decided that I wasn’t a fan of my previous B6 notebook that I used for journaling my stream of consciousness. After using Hobonichi for 4 years, I couldn’t bring myself to use normal lined notebooks anymore. I prefer plain or light-gridded ones. Since Stalogy was also a popular brand that people use as an alternative to Hobonichi, I decided to give it a try and immediately fell in love with it. It’s way cheaper than Hobonichi at $15 and gives you 368 of gridded pages. And I just adore the sleek jet black cover. It’s something that doesn’t need extra protections and can be used as is. It also comes in A5, B6, and B5 sizes.
Cute wooden spoons
I discovered this small display fair of ceramic wares and they were selling all different kinds of wooden spoons (I didn’t think to take a picture of it, ugh). They were priced $2 each and being a sucker for anything wooden, I just had to get some. I use most wooden utensils to have tea time and snacks rather than using it for eating proper meals, so I got the tiny coffee spoon (or tea?). I’m not sure what I’m using the right one for since it’s really long and big, different from the standard wooden cutleries I’ve seen so far. Maybe I’ll keep it as a collection or display haha.
A sleeping Miffy totebagComes with one small inner pocket
I came across this Miffy tote one day and fell in love with the cute and simple design. I’m not sure if this character is popular outside Japan, but I think it’s a pretty big thing here since there were a lot of other goods associated with this cute rabbit (yes, it’s a rabbit character). My previous canvas tote bag of this size got mold on it (summer in Japan sucks) so I had to throw it away and get a new one. The outer side comes with this sleeve so you can slip your suitcase handle through it while traveling. I wish they had made it into a gigantic pocket instead though.
Nikon FE film cameraFront view
I’ve been into film photography these days so I wanted to invest in a proper (not plastic) film camera. I found this beauty off Mercari (a Japanese flee market site) for around $100 (with the lens!) and knew I had to get it. Despite being a second-hand camera, it’s still really clean and well-maintained. All the functions are still working properly, too. This model also allows you to have full control of the settings, which is really great for experimenting a lot of shots. Plus, this body works with almost all Nikon lenses ever created, so that’s a plus for versatility.
Top view
I used to wonder why people buy antiques, but now I kind of understand the charm of it. I can’t wait to take more pictures with this camera and get it developed! But first I gotta find a studio that does that …
Anyways, this is all for my purchases. Hopefully I’ll be able to restraint myself from buying more items for the rest of the month. Haha.
