https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:48:12 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise/page/2#post-1249908 Mon, 12 May 2014 22:17:38 +0000 retailgirl 1249908@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't have a percentage amount as a budget. But my spending would probably go between 5-10 percent of gross. I pay all my bills, put some aside for savings and my retirement, and then buy a few things. Sometimes I'll have a big ticket item in mind, I.e. A coat, and I'll scale back elsewhere. This past year I lost enough weight to have to go down at least a whole size, so I replaced some things and had some tailored. But if it wasn't going to come out well after tailoring, I bought new. I plan to retire in a few years, so I am trying to not buy clothes that are too business-y. I have enough suits and jackets. I do spend on maintenance, I have lots of dry clean stuff and I keep my shoes in good repair. But I don't color my hair, use a mixture of drugstore and prestige cosmetics, and do my own manicures but spring for pedicures! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise/page/2#post-1249865 Mon, 12 May 2014 20:48:58 +0000 Niki Lea 1249865@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>For necessary items, like undergarments or haircuts, we try not to worry too much and make allowances as needed. Outside of the necessities, my husband and I have a $100/month budget - that's it - and that money is for fashion, coffee, movies, etc. &nbsp;</p> <p>We could afford to spend&nbsp;more, but we're very (very)&nbsp;careful and thoughtful about our finances. That has always&nbsp;allowed us to do things like&nbsp;enjoy spontaneous weekends away, or take the kids to fun weekend activities.&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise/page/2#post-1249861 Mon, 12 May 2014 20:43:42 +0000 Thistle 1249861@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I put aside a certain dollar amount each pay period - approximately 4% of our income. All clothing purchases for anyone in the family comes out of this budget.</p> <p>The only exception would be any bonuses I earn, I usually treat myself to one larger ticket item before splitting the rest between savings and paying down the mortgage faster. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise/page/2#post-1249854 Mon, 12 May 2014 20:35:42 +0000 cheryl 1249854@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is such fascinating thread. I love reading about the different approaches we all have. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise/page/2#post-1249727 Mon, 12 May 2014 17:47:57 +0000 Annie 1249727@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Before joining YLF, I was not knowledgeable about fashion and trends,&nbsp;and therefore did not shop very smart. I regularly wore&nbsp;tees, button-down shirts,&nbsp;cardigans, and trousers. When I got tired of the look, I would go out and buy more of the same but in&nbsp;different&nbsp;colors and patterns, and still would not be able to figure out why I don't look and feel great in my clothes.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>And now,&nbsp;I am learning&nbsp;so much about&nbsp;silhouette, proportion, body type flattery, and trends. As a result, I am buying more than what I usually spend. But that is because I am&nbsp;filling wardrobe holes with items that did not exist in my closet and have the potential to refresh and update my wardrobe, such as&nbsp;fluid fit tops,&nbsp;high-low and&nbsp;cropped&nbsp;knitwear, pastels, and moto toppers. My wardrobe is&nbsp;80% classic staples and 20% trendy items. That is what is best for my budget and&nbsp;lifestyle. Versatility, longevity, and the ability to mix-and-match pieces are essential for me.</p> <p>I stick to&nbsp;shopping only sale/clearance and try not to&nbsp;duplicate things that I already have (note to self -&nbsp;no more cardigans and trousers!). Seasonal closet review and edit helps me keep things in check. I make a list of what I own, what I need, and bring&nbsp;a list on my shopping trips to&nbsp;remind myself what to buy and what not to&nbsp;buy (no more&nbsp;cardigans and trousers!). Thanks to&nbsp;Angie and all the lovely ladies on the forum for giving&nbsp;me the guidance and&nbsp;confidence to make smarter fashion and purchasing&nbsp;decisions! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1249265 Mon, 12 May 2014 06:10:04 +0000 Deborah 1249265@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>The word "budget" causes me to zone right out.. just ask DH lol.&nbsp; BUT I do have a clothing allowance.&nbsp; I'ts a fortnightly amount and it's mine to spend as I wish.&nbsp; Across a 12 month period it totals to a generous amount so I am not complaining:)&nbsp; I also sell clothing on Ebay and that is additional play money for me.&nbsp; I am usually selling my own things that I have finsihed with or selling designer pieces I pick up at thrift stores, so I am just recouping my already spent funds (my clothes) and sometimes making a little profit (thrifted items).&nbsp; I actually find it very helpful to work to a budget like this and I have become quite disciplined as a result.&nbsp; My DH is very supportive and understands that this is my 'hobby' (his hobby is way more expensive than mine...sound equiment and guitars anyone??:) ) and like LynD, I DIY all my beauty salon services apart from hair cut and colour. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1249239 Mon, 12 May 2014 05:04:32 +0000 Meredith 1249239@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have an annual clothing budget that is roughly divided into sixths. One part for each season, one part for "I've been looking for you pieces," and one part for a big ticket purchase. I occasionally pick up a tee at Old Navy or Target and don't usually bother to track those items. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1248268 Sun, 11 May 2014 02:08:01 +0000 MsMary 1248268@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Interesting to add beauty expenditures to the total... that adds another 2.5% for a total about 6% of take-home pay (after taxes, insurance, and retirement savings) for what we might broadly call "fashion."&nbsp; I am pretty high-maintenance in the beauty area, hair especially. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1248213 Sun, 11 May 2014 00:57:45 +0000 Pree 1248213@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have tracked my cost of purchases last year, and doing an excel sheet for price per wear is an excellent idea. I am trying to come up with a reasonable budget amount and percent of take home sounds like a great way to do it . </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1248196 Sun, 11 May 2014 00:35:53 +0000 JulieJohn 1248196@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm glad you wrote this thread because it's interesting to see what people are doing.</p> <p>I never spent very much on clothes before YLF, and I didn't go shopping very often either. When I did it would run into a couple hundred dollars, but then I wouldn't go again for months. So that was just plain dumb. It meant that part of that couple hundred was usually the feeling of an impulsive binge, and also that I didn't really know what I needed. Holes in my wardrobe were usually holes for years.</p> <p>Now I know what I want, thank you YLF, so it might be possible to budget. </p> <p>This year I am on a shopping hiatus in order to save money for a vacation. To borrow Shiny's words, that was the only "want" we could part with, because it was one of the few we had left. :D</p> <p>Even tho I'm not shopping, I'm still making a list of what I want most each month, one or two things only per month. That way next year I can see what I needed most, and start fillin them holes! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1248182 Sun, 11 May 2014 00:22:04 +0000 ManidipaM 1248182@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have a budget. .. but piss-poor at sticking to it this year! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1248112 Sat, 10 May 2014 22:21:34 +0000 Lyn D. 1248112@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I often feel that I am overspending on clothing, but this is mitigated by things such as viewing fashion as my 'hobby', and the fact that I DIY the beauty-salon services except hair cuts.<br />When I consider the household after-tax income, clothing expenditure&nbsp;is around 5%, including my DH and DDs.<br />I enjoy keeping track of all my fashion purchases/purges/CPW in the back of my diary too. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1248098 Sat, 10 May 2014 21:57:54 +0000 Jules 1248098@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't really want to know what I've spent in the last year because I know it would be scary! But bottom line, we can afford it in the short term. In the long term, there are big ticket items I would like to afford, so the focus of my spending may have to change. I hope things are winding down now that I have a better wardrobe base and have covered some long-wanted items that should last for years (Hunters). But then, there are more to come such as a custom wool coat this coming winter. I've pretty much designated this, my 41st year, a year of finally getting what I want (without incurring debt) rather than settling and procrastinating. Some of that will be clothing, some of it will be household, with some travel already thrown in. Too bad about the leaking roof, that wasn't on my wish list!<br /> My tastes don't run to high end; I've always been 'good' with money living within my means and being able to afford what I truly needed and wanted, so strict budgeting never seemed necessary. But I can see that if this desire to spend continues, a monthly amount may be helpful simply in terms of prioritizing. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1248080 Sat, 10 May 2014 21:37:54 +0000 Sharon 1248080@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have a weekly amount that goes into a separate account and I spend from that. It mostly works well, but I have overspent quite significantly&nbsp;this month as this is the first winter I have been this size and shape, so I am essentially replacing most of my winter wardrobe. It didn't make sense to me to shiver, rather than rearrange my spending schedule. I will pay back the main account over the next couple of months and shop my closet in the meantime. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1248066 Sat, 10 May 2014 21:15:30 +0000 rabbit 1248066@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Very interesting reading! &nbsp;I budget, but in actuality it's more of a 'hindsight' budget. &nbsp; We make a ballpark budget and&nbsp;&nbsp;track expenses and when we find one category is getting higher than we are comfortable with we adjust down and watch it carefully for the&nbsp;next several months. &nbsp;But usually this only happens twice a year or so that we look very closely at each category.</p> <p>Like <b>Shiny,</b> for us clothing is in the discretionary category and usually&nbsp;is a lower priority than dining, movies, travel, etc. basically things we do together with a high happiness factor&nbsp;(two person household). &nbsp;Looking back at the last five years our clothing budget for two people has averaged 1.8% of our joint adjusted gross income.</p> <p>Starting this year since joining YLF and making clothing more of a 'hobby'&nbsp;I was worried about throwing this pattern out of whack, but I also recognized I had some wardrobe catching up to do (I can&nbsp;count on one hand the number of times I purchased clothes for either of us last year).</p> <p>So I've given myself a ballpark total figure for the year, and am tracking in Excel and tracking cost per wear (like <b>Mary K</b> says, it's fascinating). &nbsp;The problem is the year is less than half over and I'm pretty much at my total yearly estimate based on previous spending ($1,000). &nbsp;So I've been doing a fair amount of returning unworn items with tags&nbsp;when I find something I love more, but I'll have to see how it all works out in the end. &nbsp;There is a little bit of&nbsp;budget flexibility there if I rebalance other discretionary categories.</p> <p>I also think I can learn from <b>Mo</b> in limiting the number of things I buy per month, and like <b>shedev</b>, there is a top limit in what I'm willing to spend per item.</p> <p><b>ETA:</b> the area I think I'm most in trouble with is time commitment, because spending time on fashion means less time focused on my work/business so that effects the overall income. &nbsp;Hmm....</p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247917 Sat, 10 May 2014 17:52:30 +0000 Gigi 1247917@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't have a budget either, though I wish I did! But I'm actually using my "dress-up fun" as a bit of an emotional healing exercise, so my purchases in some ways are like medicine for me. :^) And you always find a way to pay for medicine, no matter what the budget!</p> <p><b>Shiny,&nbsp;</b>I like what you said about viewing clothing as a hobby; I view it like that too. A "self-discovery" hobby. And because of my health problems, I can't go on vacation or eat out at a restaurant right now. So my wardrobe has a lot of emotional work to do for me! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247905 Sat, 10 May 2014 17:34:44 +0000 Isabel 1247905@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What Kerry said is so true. It is very enlightening. &nbsp;A few years ago, I learned to call it a "spending" plan. &nbsp;LOL. &nbsp;It was a bit more palatable for me than "budget". &nbsp; I do an overall annual plan and a 3 month plan. &nbsp;I do a 3 month because things always pop up : &nbsp;graduations, dinners with friends, my son grew a lot and needed shoes every 6 weeks......</p> <p>The past couple of years I have practically replaced all my clothing because of medical issues that radically changed my body.&nbsp;</p> <p>It is a real balancing act. Sometimes I also blow right through it and have to find money in other areas to cut back on. &nbsp;If I don't track it personally, I watch the credit card statement ( via the web ) and my checking account statement every two weeks. &nbsp;If I overspend in clothing, then I "borrow" from another area and then "pay" it back when I don't need clothing. &nbsp;This is easy to manage since I have several saving accounts tied to my checking for annual expenses ( real estate, heating during the winter, vacation, etc. ) .</p> <p>I aim for 5% - 10 %. &nbsp; That includes my children's clothes. &nbsp;Some months I need the 10%, &nbsp;some months I don't. &nbsp;In the end, it is the bottom number of my spending plan that needs to work out. &nbsp;Unless it is an absolute emergency, the total cannot exceed the income by 1 penny.&nbsp;</p> <p>Good luck !</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247889 Sat, 10 May 2014 17:12:38 +0000 krishnidoux 1247889@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>5% for clothes is too low with prices nowadays. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247887 Sat, 10 May 2014 17:10:26 +0000 MsMary 1247887@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I do what Angie does.&nbsp; I have had a budget for the past several years but in 2012 and 2013 I blew right past it.&nbsp; So for 2014 I made myself a spreadsheet with the date of purchase, description of the item, purchase price, and cost per wear.&nbsp; At the bottom I have a year-to-date total.&nbsp; That has helped me stick to my budget perfectly so far in 2014.&nbsp; Plus the cost-per-wear numbers are incredibly interesting.</p> <p>My budget number is about 3.5% of take-home pay, and that's just me -- one income and one person in the household.&nbsp; (Although I didn't come up with it as a percentage figure -- I just settled on a dollar amount that seemed appropriate and consistent with my other spending priorities.) </p> <p>Oh, and I'm finding that I make several purchases a month -- some bigger-ticket purchases and some as low as $10 or less.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247846 Sat, 10 May 2014 16:23:28 +0000 deb 1247846@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have been tracking my spending on a spreadsheet since January. Everything I purchase, clothing wise, Is on it with month totals. Some months are better than others but so far this year I am at 9% of gross income. Are your using gross or net income? I started the tracking not for budgetary purposes but to see which months I spend the most and the least. I also want to see which items remain in my closet the longest. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247843 Sat, 10 May 2014 16:21:07 +0000 Mo 1247843@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I started a budget for the first time about 3 years ago. &nbsp;Our income varies a lot, so it's not a % but rather a monthly or yearly amount ($1500 if I recall). &nbsp;Then I found I was trying to squeeze as many items as I could out of that budget and shifted to a number limit of items per month. &nbsp;2 items a month was the goal last year, but I ended up going over a bit. &nbsp;This year I'm aiming for an item every other week avg. (26 items) and about $1800 or so in projected costs. &nbsp;I include alterations and return shipping costs in my wardrobe budget. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247837 Sat, 10 May 2014 16:11:27 +0000 shiny 1247837@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I wrote a novel but I want to add one more thought:</p> <p>Often when I make clothing purchase decisions, I will ask myself "Do I want this item more than I want a nice meal out at that new fancy restaurant? Or theater tickets? Or a trip somewhere?" That's the litmus test for me. (And if I'm shopping on an empty stomach.... often dining out may actually win out...).&nbsp;</p> <p>And that's how I wound up splurging on the Burberry.. which pretty much&nbsp;cost the same as a vacation for two, yikes!&nbsp;But I am traveling so much with my job, I don't anticipate us spending all that much on vacations this year.&nbsp;</p> <p>I guess where it gets most hard is when an article of clothing would be PERFECT to wear on a vacation or date night. Ha. Like that B&amp;W dress that is probably too short.... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247820 Sat, 10 May 2014 15:54:51 +0000 shiny 1247820@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>When I was a single/divorced mom of two, my personal &amp; beauty&nbsp;clothing budget&nbsp;was effectively zero. Those were tough years. I was getting back on my feet in my career; I had only two pairs of black pants, and one pair of black heels, and 5 tops (one for each day of the week).&nbsp;</p> <p>Life has been good to me sense then, and we are in much better shape financially, so I don't need to&nbsp;track my budget all that closely these days - it's more of a once a year activity. I signed up&nbsp;with a financial planner years ago to set everything up so finances are basically auto-pilot. That financial planner gave me a budgeting spreadsheet to use as a guideline, no matter what one's income is, and I essentially have adhered to a strategy of 50% "must haves" / 20% savings and 30% "wants" ever since.</p> <p>Savings come straight out of my paycheck, on auto-pilot. Then I worked hard to keep the "must haves" -- mortgage, car payments, utilities, etc&nbsp;-- under control and in line with that 50% target. Kids' clothes &amp;&nbsp;daycare and other expenses&nbsp;falls under that "must have" category. My clothing, with exception of the very basics like underwear,&nbsp;does *not* --&nbsp;I have all that in the "wants" category instead!!!</p> <p>The "wants" category includes travel, entertainment, dining out, gifts, and hobbies. All the items that we could slash should one of us suddenly lose a job, or other financial hardship hit again. Anything over and above the necessities -- and all the extras that make working for that paycheck worthwhile, and that give us joy.&nbsp;</p> <p>When DH and I first did this exercise together, it was a negotiation about what would go into that category. Because everyone is different and different things give different people joy. For example, my father and brother get great joy out of having fancy cars, whereas DH and I &nbsp;don't -- we&nbsp;just need something dependable.&nbsp;&nbsp;Whereas travel, dining out &amp; entertainment were absolutely essential to the both of us --- we are in 100% agreement on that, so that is the lion's part of our "wants" budget.&nbsp;</p> <p>That brings us to hobbies: DH has a portion in the budget for his favorite hobbies, which I don't share any interest in. My favorite hobby? CLOTHING!</p> <p>Once I re-categorized my clothing allowance as a "hobby" everything slipped into place, and I no longer feel any pangs of guilt for dropping the $ on it, and DH has never complained, not even once. He gets it.&nbsp;</p> <p>Of course, last year when I knew I was losing my job, we buckled down -- on all the "wants" -- just to be safe, and&nbsp;I curbed the shopping for a long time.&nbsp;</p> <p>We have no credit card debt and in fact my credit card company just reduced my credit line -- because I don't use the card often enough. I pay everything straight out of checking instead. That keeps things in perspective: if I don't have the cash, then I can't afford it that month.&nbsp;</p> <p>Long story short, signing up with a financial planner was one of the best things I ever did. The fee was a shocker, and I could barely afford it at the time, but I got my money's worth and then some. He really helped me clarify what is important to me, map that to how I spend my $,&nbsp;and set up a strategy that has worked beautifully ever since -- even in times of uncertainty. Because he also helped me to develop "worse case scenarios" that we can fall back upon should hardship hit. That helps me to sleep at night.&nbsp;</p> <p>I still work with the financial planner and in a few months we are getting together to discuss early retirement! We have been debating about maybe retiring in about 5 years, selling the house and moving to the beach. :-)</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247816 Sat, 10 May 2014 15:49:28 +0000 Dee 1247816@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't set a clothing budget per se. Instead, I have an overall budget category that includes clothing, eating out, entertainment, etc. It all goes on a specific credit card each month and I don't worry much about the individual expenses within that category, just the total amount. But I also don't have kids to worry about, so I might have a little more leeway than some others here. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247771 Sat, 10 May 2014 15:12:30 +0000 Angie 1247771@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I set a monthly budget and stick to it via a spread sheet. The system works well.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247759 Sat, 10 May 2014 15:00:46 +0000 TraceyLiz65 1247759@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I admire that you know what % you've spent on clothing for your family for the year... I can guess high by saying i don't spend more than $400 month, which is less than 5%. but do recognize that we have a few buists here and there.like my panic last month to get my daughter ready for grad school and Boston winters... i wanted off season pricing but still spent easliy $500 extra. I would have to take an educated guess and say maximum 8%...&nbsp;</p> <p>We have been spending a lot getting college dorm and apartment items this year, so that has taken over a big chunk of the this year's budget. &nbsp;</p> <p>I am going to start paying more attention to this to make sure I am not deluding myself.... I would like to get a better handle on budgeting, but haven't been motivated to do so as long as I continue to put a % in savings and have money for family needs and fun activities, &nbsp;I consider it a success... I don't use credit cards for anything, so think we are doing ok.. Perhaps this is a new goal for the Fall when my house shrinks from 6 to 3 with kids heading to college and grad schools...&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247756 Sat, 10 May 2014 14:54:28 +0000 doubleh 1247756@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't have a budget for myself, but I do have a conceptual budget for my growing (way too fast!) 5 year old. &nbsp;It's easier for me to budget for him bc I pretty much assume I am replacing a whole wardrobe twice a year and can anticipate gear needs like swim and snow suits. &nbsp;Plus, it's easier to limit myself to a few stores for him (as decent boys clothes are sorely lacking, imo) so I can follow sales and such. &nbsp;I also try to consign his stuff- that is getting harder as he grows older- and that $ contributes to his next season's wardrobe. &nbsp;And if I budget $100 for him and only spend $75. &nbsp;Hooray for me. &nbsp;Mama's shopping bonus! &nbsp;I do try to apply the same principles for myself, but I'm much less objective! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247752 Sat, 10 May 2014 14:42:00 +0000 cheryl 1247752@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't have a budget for clothing. I will go in spurts buying a bunch of items in a short time and then go for months without any purchases. However I buy sales/clearance clothing and very rarely spend very much. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247735 Sat, 10 May 2014 14:22:17 +0000 jackiec 1247735@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't have a set budget, and I think I would be flabbergasted if I actually broke it down. I have an internal budget and definitely keep an eye on spending, however, I'm sure the reality would send me straight to SYC... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wow-i-just-completed-a-scary-scary-budgeting-exercise#post-1247734 Sat, 10 May 2014 14:22:13 +0000 shedev 1247734@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What I make in a month varies greatly, but my budget&nbsp;works out to roughly 15% of the least I make. I&nbsp;didn't use income to come up with my budget. I used the highest dollar amount I'd pay before I would be tempted to save for good. I consider things above the mark as a splurge. I will stalk things to see if I can get them into my range. So far I am well under budget.</p>