A few posters have written to me asking how I manage my fashion budget. One of my new friends here on YLF even asked me if mine was elastic!! LOL!!

The answer is a resounding NO! Quite the reverse, in fact. Thierry and I sit down together, some time in January, and establish more or less how we are going to manage our household and family budget for the year: everything, including house-painting to vacations and the kid's school fees. Of course, like any family we run into unexpected expenses, and we hope our 'contingency fund' will be big enough to cover them. Sometimes it isn't, so we cut back on a few luxuries . One of the fundamentals we have to agree on is always my clothing and beauty budget for the year. The amount which has to cover replacing investment pieces, plus any 'on trend' buys, my grooming and preening, and even tailoring, dry-cleaning, shoe-repairing, renewing my underwear (which MUST be regularly replaced, if it's to do its job!) and the occasional impulse buy (think MaryK's polka-dot pumps!).

On average, each year, two of my 'investment' pieces have to be replaced. These are the expensive items which I expect to last several years. The true classics. This year, my tired old Burberry trench needed replacing, and I was lucky enough to find one in the NAS, which, even with shipping and taxes, saved me money. I also needed to replace one of my LBDs. Again, with a little thinking out of the box, I was able to do that courtesy of the NAS. Only it was a LBD with a twist! (The bodice was in cobalt blue. The skirt, black.) I regarded that as a plus. I hadn't been LOOKING for a colour-block dress, but in all other respects it met the requirements of a LBD. It was made of a great natural fabric, was very well cut with a lovely softly draped neckline, and well under my target budget. (Although the 'colour-blocking' might mean it won't last the five years I expect from my 'basics'.) My two 'major purchases' of 2012 sorted!!! I still need perhaps one classic cashmere sweater for Autumn/Winter in a 'happening' colour, to supplement my stock of neutrals, and a few on-trend touches, such as the zingy zig-zag long silk fringed Missoni scarf I bought on our trip to Milan, to brighten up my blacks and navy.

I do TRY to sit down once or twice a month (though, it's often only every six weeks, if I'm honest), to up-date the fashion balance sheet and, if necessary, keep myself in check. However, so far this year, (thanks to the NAS) I'm slightly under budget. So perhaps I can consider a few extra pairs of cheerful opaque tights to brighten up the winter. Maybe a super new clutch, another bright scarf or two. BUT, I must bear in mind that, although I'm growing my chin-length bob, the tips still needs professional cutting every six weeks, if it's to look neat. And although I'm rigorous about my nightly cleansing/nourishing routine, I still need a monthly deep-cleanse and professional eyebrow-shaping. Perfume runs out. So do lotions and potions. So I can't afford to sail too close to the wind with my fashion/beauty budget.

Well, that's my personal way of managing (occasionally mis-managing!) my wardrobe finances. Does anybody have any experiences to share that I can learn from?? Cos where this thorny issue is concerned, there's always room for improvement!! Over to you, and here's hoping I can learn a new trick or two