YouLookFab Forum » Topic: NAS vs Annual Spending

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: NAS vs Annual Spending https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/nas-vs-annual-spending Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 17 May 2026 08:22:27 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Anonymous on "NAS vs Annual Spending" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/nas-vs-annual-spending#post-1716352 Fri, 19 Aug 2016 09:34:56 +0000 Anonymous 1716352@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I didn't respond yesterday because I wanted to mull this over.   I have any annual budget.  I can spend all or none of that budget in a single month if I desire. I use NAS to stock up on bras, underwear, and athletic wear.  All of these items fall easily into my allotted monthly budget.   But I also shop NAS for interesting and exciting Fall/Winter items. I didn't find anything that I wanted either last year or this.  This might reflect how hard it is for me to buy heavier-weight clothing during the high heat of Summer.  I just don't want it.  Because I suffer from Fear of Missing Out I shop voraciously, I just don't buy (beyond bras, underwear, and athletic wear).  Or if I buy, I don't tend to keep.  To answer your question.  My NAS budget has worked in nicely with my overall budget (so far).  No spending beyond what I would budget for any other month. However, I do understand the allure of NAS and one day I am going to hit gold.  With that in mind, I start to save my monthly allowance beginning in June.  And of course August's budget could easily be allocated to NAS.   If I had a very successful NAS and spent my entire year's budget in one month, would that bother me?  Financially, probably not because as I said it is an annual budget.  But emotionally, I would have to guess yes.  I shop for any number of reasons:  reward, stress, boredom.  If I had to stop shopping from late July until the end of December (~5 months), it would be hard.  I doubt I would be able to refrain from shopping the entire rest of the year.  Certainly my annual budget would then be exceeded.  Guilt, doubt, and frustration with myself would set in.   As a note, I grew up in a very financially conservative and judgmental setting.  Their judgment would surely overshadow any joy I might feel about a purchase.  But on the flip side, I also always used them "as examples of how I didn't want to live."  I found a certain middle ground. After much soul searching, I finally gave myself permission to spend my money as I see fit, but I am religious about my budget.  I also lie to them about the cost of certain pieces (it just saves a lot of heartache).   Hope some of this helped.   Laura (rhubarbgirl) on "NAS vs Annual Spending" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/nas-vs-annual-spending#post-1716279 Fri, 19 Aug 2016 01:43:46 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1716279@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This year my NAS spending was well less than 5% of my total annual budget, but I didn't buy much. I don't have last year's specific numbers anymore, but it was probably somewhere in the 10% range, which is probably as big as I've gone, maybe 15%. Thinking about it, I can't think of a time in recent memory where I've spent more than 20% of my total annual budget at one time or even in one month. I buy more at once than I used to, because post-YLF I buy more ahead of the season instead of at the end, but I'm still a little bit at a time person, I guess. I divide up and track my budget by cross-quarter, so that probably influences my spending habits as well. Seasonally, it wouldn't make sense for me to concentrate on the NAS so exclusively - I need more warm-weather and trans-seasonal things and very little really-cold-weather stuff, so a significant minority of NAS isn't even on my radar (coats, wool sweaters, insulated boots). Suz on "NAS vs Annual Spending" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/nas-vs-annual-spending#post-1716248 Thu, 18 Aug 2016 23:20:07 +0000 Suz 1716248@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yay, BrieN! It's a great dress. I'm hoping to try it this year over cropped pants. BrieN on "NAS vs Annual Spending" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/nas-vs-annual-spending#post-1716225 Thu, 18 Aug 2016 21:58:26 +0000 BrieN 1716225@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Can I just mention that I am feeling pretty pleased with myself. I purchased that Vince dress in Scarlett a few weeks ago at the Rack in a fleeting moment of shopping confidence. I had no idea it had been so well received by Angie and others last year. I think I'm getting better at this wardrobe thing!!! eta: sorry this has nothing to do with the thread. I was just really excited... Suz on "NAS vs Annual Spending" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/nas-vs-annual-spending#post-1716213 Thu, 18 Aug 2016 21:26:40 +0000 Suz 1716213@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ It really depends. Most years, the NAS has represented a large proportion of my F/W budget -- because typically I have bought a pair of boots or booties, plus some other items. Boots are total workhorses for me so they certainly earn their keep. No regrets whatsoever about those purchases -- they represent a real bargain for me. I would have to buy these items anyway and could not get such high quality at such (relatively) low prices at any other time.  I have had a few NAS "misses" but most of those have been lower priced items, and most were earlier on, when I wasn't as confident in my style and was still experimenting.  Of the higher ticket items that (so far) have received little wear, my Vince dress is probably the most notable one. But I knew that when I bought it. I recognized it wouldn't get many outings but needed something for an event and was willing to take the risk. I'm not sorry. It has a high degree of closet longevity and I expect to wear it more this year.  shedev on "NAS vs Annual Spending" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/nas-vs-annual-spending#post-1716209 Thu, 18 Aug 2016 21:23:28 +0000 shedev 1716209@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ NAS represents two months of shopping for me. I dont shop right before NAS and usually wait after sept to look at other fall items. NAS items are usually workhorses for me. I usually end up with 5 or 6 items. One or 2 will be splurgy. This year, the only thing I got from the sale was the Vince hoody. I got some workout things from Athleta. Cerinda on "NAS vs Annual Spending" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/nas-vs-annual-spending#post-1716203 Thu, 18 Aug 2016 21:08:17 +0000 Cerinda 1716203@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The ratio of NAS to annual budget varies year to year; it really depends on which season needs my focus.  Yes, one year it got the lion's share, and yes, I regretted it; however, that was probably more because I didn't anticipate that year's nearly total style shift (big job change) than that I wasn't able to shop.  Historically, I don't do at all well at predicting frequency of wears of NAS clothing, especially statement pieces (boots and bags are almost inevitably workhorses, though). So this year, I kept essentials and replacements and a single, seasonless wildcard.  Here's hoping this strategy works better:  I don't need the guilt either. Keix on "NAS vs Annual Spending" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/nas-vs-annual-spending#post-1716197 Thu, 18 Aug 2016 20:45:24 +0000 Keix 1716197@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I'm interested to see others' answers to this question. I don't usually spend a large chunk of my budget at NAS, either; the most expensive item that I've purchased was a $300 leather jacket a few years back. I may splurge but I mentally count that expense as "over and above" my budget estimate (caveat: I'm not a strict budgeter, only a strict tracker). My financial situation has improved a lot recently so I have more disposable income to play with. I personally find it hard to step away from shopping for months at a time, although there are months when I still shop a lot and return most of it due to fit. So I prefer to budget in a flat distribution, and if I overspend one month, try to underspend the next. deb on "NAS vs Annual Spending" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/nas-vs-annual-spending#post-1716153 Thu, 18 Aug 2016 19:12:03 +0000 deb 1716153@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I only have records back to 2014 but based on 2014 and 2015, July purchases were 15% of my annual spending for those two years. Not all of the money went to NAS items, though. March and September were my biggest dollar output in both 2014 and 2015, which I find interesting.  gradfashionista on "NAS vs Annual Spending" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/nas-vs-annual-spending#post-1716062 Thu, 18 Aug 2016 15:21:09 +0000 gradfashionista 1716062@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ How much do you spend on the NAS relative to the remainder of the year, roughly? If it's the majority of your budget, have you ever had later regrets about allocation? I'm just getting around to sending back the last batch of NAS items. It's been such a tough decision on what to keep and what to return because I'm not used to spending a lot on multiple items at the same time, and I'm not used to doing that preemptively (i.e. not an end-of-season sale). My big purchases were the Rebecca Taylor fit and flare dress, the Vince turtleneck side zip sweater, and, of course, the Rag and Bone gilet. Add some Lulu gym gear, a white tee, and white linen tee to the mix, and it has been a spendy summer! I've become much better about returning what I don't love, and taking as much time as I need (and is permitted) to make a decision. In truth, many of the items that I post here eventually make their way back to the stores. In the NAS case, the waiting period has been used to weigh the happiness factor, the potential frequency of wear (which requires a lot of thought for long distance commuters), and the actual cost of the garments themselves. In that vein, I will likely return the RT dress because even though the fit is excellent, I know I'll get so much more wear out of the sweater. I'm holding on to the gilet but have doubts because of the cost. It doesn't help matters that my SO and family have very different norms for spending, which makes me hesitant to keep items that are expensive because of the judgement. I grew up in financially difficult circumstances, so the guilt factor often rears its head. If the vast majority of my annual purchases come from the NAS, then my annual spending is reasonable. If they don't, it would make sense to allocate a smaller allowance for NAS relative to the remainder of the year, i.e. keep either the sweater or gilet, but not both. Since I've only ever made one purchase at NAS in previous years, I was wondering how accurate your predictions have been regarding frequency of wear, etc.