At the end of every month, we look back on our bank statements to remind ourselves of the #nicethings we bought and loved.

This month, in lieu of buying a ticket to Italy (like everyone else, apparently) our purchases were all about honoring the little things that spark joy. Whether that's pilates classes, the perfect boots or another floral dress (or two) to add to the collection, we invested, responsibly, in our happiness.

Since we know how much you love a personal recommendation - and how hard they are to come by these days - we keep this series a strictly non-gifted zone. Everything here we bought with our own hard-earned cash and genuinely endorse.

Batsheva x Laura Ashley dresses

I have a problem: buying Batsheva dresses on sale then putting off getting them altered to fit properly. I now own five, including two recent discounted purchases that I’ve had my eye on for ages from the Laura Ashley collaborations: a pink ruffled ditsy floral dress, from a Lisa Says Gah sample sale, and a past season blue dress with prim Peter Pan collar. 

Both are frilly, frothy and fun, and a little love/hate; that’s what I love about the brand. If you get it, you’re obsessed; if you don’t, it’s not for you and that’s ok. The sizing is a bit all over the place – there’s lots of fabric and I’m short – so my advice is that they definitely need to be adjusted. And one day soon, I will do just that. - Zoe Walker Ahwa

Acne boots, $200, from Designer Wardrobe

I’m attempting to institute a one-in-one-out policy in my wardrobe, so I’m spending a lot of time uploading things on Designer Wardrobe. As it turns out, that means I've been spending a lot of time pursuing things for sale on DW too.

This is my public reminder that even if when something is a ‘good deal’, you don’t need to buy it. These ankle boots, purchased after a cheeky late night offer was accepted, are at least relatively timeless. - Tyson Beckett

Big Value 1L Liquid Plant Food, $6, from Bunnings

Right now my TikTok is full of cats, DJ Crazy Times, Taylor Swift and Beyonce concerts and house plants being dunked into clear containers filled with ‘seaweed water’. These sped-up videos are so soothing; the plant’s leaves happily perking up as they lap up the kinda gross brown water. So, of course I was influenced to try it myself with my own house plants – and this bottle was the cheapest from the gardening aisle at Bunnings. - ZWA

Garage Project White Mischief, $12 at Portland Public House

I like this sweet salty and sour beer so much that I happily paid $12 per can for it at birthday drinks recently, even though the carry out price in shops is about $5. The name though? Hideous. - TB

Nonnas Grocer tomato candle, $40

I was in Melbourne visiting my sister recently and I went to the NGV to check out the Bonnard exhibition. It was beautiful - the paintings of course, but also the immersive interior designed by India Mahdavi, those floral wallpapers had me in a trance.

I emerged hours later in the gift shop and spied these heirloom tomato candles from Nonna's Grocer, a Sydney-based brand I’ve been adoring ever since Tyson (Beckett) showed me their Instagram. Sadly this is as close to a tomato girl summer as I’m getting. - Lara Daly

Pilates grip socks, $23

Another thing I did in Melbourne was sign up to a reformer pilates trial that was a ridiculously good deal: $50 for five classes plus two free infrared saunas. When I showed up to my first class, the teacher (who looked exactly like Carmen Electra), told me I had to buy these weirdo grip socks or she wouldn’t let me in! I was about to leave and crawl back into bed but then I had a brainwave. Could these socks stop me from sliding around in my Ganni clogs that have zero grip on them? I am a genius! Seriously, this is a winter fashion hack. You’re welcome. - LD

Karen Walker glitter socks $37

My feet were cold, and I was taking shelter from the rain at the Britomart Karen Walker store, peering out in the hope of seeing US football star Megan Rapinoe with her partner Sue Bird, as Zoe and I had seen them earlier on our way into a lunch meeting. I bought these so I felt like less of a crazed stalker, but in my defence, I do have a sock fetish I hadn’t itched in a while. - Rebecca Wadey

HVN x Casetify phone case, $68

Harley Viera-Newton is one of my favourite model/designer/DJ girlies (her dreamy wedding gave me a lot of inspiration for my own). Her brand, HVN, champions perfect dresses but it’s SO expensive that I have only admired from afar. So when I saw she’d released some new – much more affordable (though still not cheap!) – tech accessories, I was immediately sold. I really wanted the lime green or hot pink kitten playing with a ball of yarn phone case, but alas, I still have an iPhone 11 and the fun colours are just for the 14 Pro. I did get it in matte black, and it’s adorable. “It’s so you,” Tyson said of it last week, which sounds like a backhanded compliment but I’ll take it. - ZWA

Sala 5 pass, $84 (down from $120), and Core Collective 5 pass, $140 

I’ve always been someone who prioritises health and wellbeing above all else (having cancer before having children is a great way to justify this) but for a variety of reasons, mainly financial, I’ve let it slip post-Covid. 

The months of wet, grey weather and watching a steady stream of friends, strangers and enemies holidaying in Europe have been starting to get to me so I’ve made a conscious decision to reclaim what makes me feel good. 

In lieu of a flight to Italy I will start exercising again (outside of the free walks in nature with my dog). Sala has two of my favourite teachers in Tāmaki – Eridani and Samantha – so when they had a winter sale recently, I justified a five class pass. I also adore the physical and mental strength I get from pilates, especially the classes at Core Collective. Until earlier this year I was going three times a week but stopped because I couldn’t afford it. So I’ve decided to still go, just less. I won’t tell you my favourite teachers though; those classes are hard enough to get into as it is! - Rebecca Wadey

The Beauty Chef Body, $79

Staying with the wellness trend… I stopped by Little Bird to get some cacao for my morning smoothie and was interested to see this powder from The Beauty Chef now stocked there. I’m wary of many of these inner supplements as they can be filled with low quality filler ingredients, but I know Megan May at Little Bird is extremely fussy about what she stocks so I impulsively grabbed it. 

It’s a really great probiotic protein powder that makes my morning smoothie fill me up for longer, with other bits and pieces to further help my digestion. Yes, my morning smoothies, which also contain Mother Made mushroom blend, maca, hemp seeds and more, are very Gwyneth by way of Amanda Chantal Bacon (IYKYK). - RW