I have no bills to pay except for gas in my car, so about 75% of my paycheck goes towards lolita. So, roughly, $200 a month on Lolita?

I impulse buy sometimes, I did it with Nameless Poem and kinda regret it.

I need to work on a taobao order so I can get some bags and shoes, since I'm pretty limited.

My wardrobe is split 50/50 between AP and indie/bodyline purchases.

I see something I like, I ask if it'll work well in my wardrobe, then go from there.

>impulse bought first Burundo a year ago
>didn't even fit
>looked like utter shit in it

How do you determine when to buy something or not?
Say you find a really good price for a dress you've had your eye on for a while. But you've already used up all of your designated hobby money, or it's only the beginning of the new month.
This keeps happening to me. I always find good deals for good pieces, but I've only got a little left in my lolita budget. I just take the extra out of my savings, but it's getting a little ridiculous.
Obviously you have to decide with how much you like it, resale value, usual price. But it's tough in the heat of the moment, because it's not guaranteed to be there tomorrow.

>>8706325
>>What's your monthly/quarterly/annual budget?

around 150 euros now I've started school again

>>How do you decide which things to buy?

I decide on price and size especially and sometimes I'm looking for items to complete coords

>>Do/did you ever buy on impulse? If so, did you regret it?

yes and yes. I've a mild shopping addiction. I don't get into debts because of it, but sometimes I do overspend with impulse buys. I try to keep it under control, but it's hard

>>Any advice to offer with regards to buying?

only buy something you really love and take your time to think about spending, even if that means you'll miss your chance of buying it. it's not the end of the world when you couldn't buy it.

>What's your monthly/quarterly/annual budget?
about $600 a month, if i work my usual 2 days a week
i only pay my phone, travel and food bills so it's pretty chill

>How do you decide which things to buy?
whether i like it enough for that price, what the market price is and whether i can get a similar amount of $ if i decide to resell

>Do/did you ever buy on impulse? If so, did you regret it?
yes, and for sure. i've sold a lot of my earlier purchases because they weren't really my style. i still sometimes impulse buy, but try to keep it within the styles that suit me, and will match things i already have

>Any advice to offer with regards to buying?
spend some time researching, browse lots of auctions and past sales so you can jump on good deals. also figure out where you want your wardrobe to go, so you can resist those pieces which still appeal to you but won't fit in with the rest of your things

I'm curious about the people who buy dresses in multiple colorways. Most of them are probably so rich they don't have a limited budget, but I can't help but think "Really? did you REALLY want two dresses, or you just couldn't decide? Are you REALLY going to wear all of them?". Seems like an impulse choice to me.

>>8706442
I currently have a dress I'm planning on getting in all colorways. It's a cheaper cutsew op for casual wear that I would actually be able to wear out and about

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>how do you budget?
haHA

>What's your monthly/quarterly/annual budget?
I can basically spend my whole salary on lolita since I live at home and don't have much to pay for except for food, gas, and some other bills.
>How do you decide which things to buy?
I had a small hitlist of items, but since I've found them all I just look for new releases for main pieces or pieces I need for specific coords.
>Do/did you ever buy on impulse? If so, did you regret it?
I have and I've had regrets and pleasant surprises. I've given in and bought prints in a less preferred colorway that ended up being nicer in person and I've bought absolute crap that I couldn't wait to get rid of.
>Any advice to offer with regards to buying?
Limit your impulse buys. Have a budget for the occasional dream item and stick to it. Clothes can accumulate fast.
>>8706442
I am pretty guilty of this, but I usually stagger the purchases. I just like some particular prints and think that the each different colorway has something new to offer.

I don't understand how people can afford to buy two or three dresses though on release though.

>What's your monthly/quarterly/annual budget?
Whatever I have left after necessities, savings, and other leisure activities. I love to travel and go to the theatre which eats into my "stuff" budget a lot. I spent about $1000 on lolita in the last 6 weeks but very little in the 3 months prior to that.

>How do you decide which things to buy?
My wardrobe is pretty cohesive, so I am looking for specific items to finish outfits and specific dresses rather than falling in love with every new release. I have enough dresses to be an everyday lolita if I want, so I don't really need more dresses.

>Do/did you ever buy on impulse? If so, did you regret it?
I used to buy things just because they were cheap rather than because I loved them. I definitely regret that!

>Any advice to offer with regards to buying?
Aside from the obvious keeping within your budget (you shouldn't ever be behind on rent because of lolita etc) Don't buy anything you don't love. If you've got a small wardrobe, concentrate on outfits rather than dresses.

>>8706442
I do this with prints I love. I try to get different cuts if I can, but sometimes I just want the same thing in two colours.

>>8706325
>What's your monthly/quarterly/annual budget?
I live at home and work a full time job while I go to university. So while I don't spend money on rent or utilities, I do have other expenses such as gas, phone bill, food, stuff for my cat, etc. I probably spend about $300-$400 a month on lolita.
>How do you decide which things to buy?
Price and if it fits my wardrobe.
>Do/did you ever buy on impulse? If so, did you regret it?
Sorta. I've missed out on items because I didn't want to be impulsive, and I've impulsively bought cheap things only to find I didn't like it. My intuition isn't very good, haha. But everything comes back around eventually, so no use stressing over it.
>Any advice to offer with regards to buying?
Don't waste your money. Resist temptation. Lolita is only as expensive as you want it to be. If one day you come into an extra $300 don't spend it all on the first thing that catches your eye. Hold out for something you'll love and will make you feel truly beautiful (or spooky, cute, etc..) And hey, if it sells out while you’re thinking about it don’t be too stressed out. It’ll show up again.
>Also, if a dress comes in the mail and it sucks, sell it. No use wasting closet space and you could use the money towards something else.

>>8706459
Okay maybe I'm anal but with things like this how do you sort between when you buy multiple things in one trip? Like say you buy a necklace, cat litter, and some food at target....do you look at your receipt and fiugre out how much you spent in each category??? Is that even worth the time??????? I'm trying to figure out the smartest way to allocate my spending but it gets so annoying to track when I buy tons of diff stuff in one trip...

>>8706478
I actually haven't run into that problem yet. The only thing I go out to buy is food, when I'm grocery shopping. I don't normally tend to buy lots of different types of things on one trip.

>>8706478
That makes sense! I go to places like target and get tons of things all the time and its been annoying to deal with budget wise. I've ended up just making a "groceries household and pet" category and its been okay but im curious how others do it. Back on topic...

I'm relatively new to lolita and have only made a few purchases so far so this will apply to all my jfashion purchases


>What's your monthly/quarterly/annual budget?
I'm still trying to figure it out. I recently got a new job so its hard to temper my urges to spend all the money I'm earning....I probably will end up letting myself spend btwn about $600-900 over a year on jfashion or fashion in general.
>How do you decide which things to buy?
Save it for later. I just keep tabs open for weeks and weeks of things I like. If the auction expires I close the tab, no harm done. I keep things in my shopping cart on AE for weeks on end and go throw every week or so and decide how i feel about each item. And if its an urgent sale thing that I really want and need to decide asap I'll usually ask my boyfriend what he thinks of the item, the price , and the practicality. It's nice to get a second opinon from someone who's not super invested in it.
>did you ever buy on impulse? If so, did you regret it?
Mostly just cheap stuff from AliExpress. So a little bit of regret but since it's not more than $10 nbd.
>Any advice to offer with regards to buying
Wait it out! Just because you want it now doesn't mean you'll care a few weeks out. If you find yourself thinking about the item nonstop then you probably really want it and can then plan how to fit it in your budget.

>>8706491
>Wait it out! Just because you want it now doesn't mean you'll care a few weeks out.

Good point anon, but sometimes you can't :(. AP usually announces release dates only a few days in advance, and for me, that's barely enough time to think about it!

>What's your monthly/quarterly/annual budget?
Less than I actually spend, let's put it that way. I think I spend about 200-250 a month.

>How do you decide which things to buy?
I'm usually pretty good at not buying brand releases new (as they will come up second hand), but with indie brand reservations or rare items that pop up second hand, I usually cave.

I also don't buy things above retail price.

>Do/did you ever buy on impulse? If so, did you regret it?
Sometimes. I always regret it. I usually just bookmark things, and often end up not wanting them anymore. I've managed to cut that down though, so I'm quite happy.

>Any advice to offer with regards to buying?
Make sure you can afford it. Don't buy things that don't fit or you don't absolutely love, if you get something and you're disappointed, sell it. Know what the market price is and don't get caught up in the heat of an auction.

>>8706459
I feel this.

I don't really have a budget, but I do severely over spend. I don't exactly impulse buy, since what I am getting is something I needed or was searching for. But I can't help buying things as soon as they are available for a cheap price. I still have so many unworn main pieces. All my dream-dresses have been popping up lately and my wallet hates me, but I got them all for such decent prices so I'm not sure how to feel. I'm planning to sell the stuff that I like, but am not really crazy about soon. I do really like the way my wardrobe looks now.

>>8706420
Pick a few items that are exceptions. They should be dream items and they should be difficult to come by, not "oh I've been keeping an eye out for a lavender bag" type pieces.

Do not buy anything out of your budget that isn't on the exceptions list. Keep a physical literal list. A note in your phone or a scrap of paper in your wallet. It's fine to take money out of your savings if it really is an exception, provided you're able to recoup your savings in a timely fashion. I find this helps me stay in a budget because it's less restrictive and I won't miss out on a dream item but I can exercise control even though I really like that cute whatever I just saw on LM.

Borrowing against your future hobby money is a good idea too if you have the disciple for it but I find I tend to conveniently "forget" I already spent this months hobby money last month.

If a bargain comes up, and I'm over my monthly allowance, I'll allow myself to run over budget by up to $100 from savings. Payday, it goes right back into savings from my lolita budget. It takes discipline, but it's worked for me when extreme bargains happen.

Also, when considering an item, I try to imagine it in my wardrobe. Could I make three outfits with it? Does it fill a gap in my wardrobe? How much use will I get out of it? And, of course, value for money. I'm a lot more likely to go for it if it's a really good deal.

>What's your monthly/quarterly/annual budget?

Between $300-$600 a month. Depends on if I want to use all my money towards lolita or if
I want to go out and do things. These days I feel I have a pretty complete wardrobe and prefer to go out or spend on things that aren't lolita. I

>How do you decide which things to buy?

I ask my self: Can I wear it work and not ruin it? Will it be comfortable? Will it match my color scheme/theme? Will it mix and match with what I have? If it answers yes to all of those questions I usually buy it.

>Do/did you ever buy on impulse? If so, did you regret it?

Rarely anymore. Some of my old impulse purchases are my favorite items. At this point I have a few very specific things I'm looking for so I don't impulse buy much.

Any tips for those who are just starting out? I see advice like "make sure it fits with the rest of your wardrobe" and stuff like that, but I don't know how to start spending with the fashion - what do I buy first etcetra?

My income is mainly disposable, apart from some food stuff/ phone/ bus card. I need to start saving money too I guess...

>>8706459
same tbqh

I'm a poorfag. After rent/loans/bills/etc, I realistically have $100-$150 to spend, but I usually spend closer to $200. I should start actually saving money though, as I went through my savings completely after losing my previous job (where I made a ton of money, too bad I got into lolita AFTER I was fired).

I impulse buy main pieces mostly, but so far I haven't regretted one. I have one coming in the mail that I worry might not look great on me but we'll see.

Because of my budget, I'm very stingy about bags, shoes, and blouses. I'm most willing to buy shoes because you can usually get them for cheap, and some bags as well. I know it's frowned upon, but several of my blouses are thrifted due to a combination of stinginess and just general pickiness about how they feel when worn. This doesn't mean I wouldn't spend a lot on a bag/blouse/shoes, but I haven't seen any that I've felt the need to splurge on. I'd have to really be in love with them.

Even though it's saved me a lot of money, I wouldn't actually recommend thrifting for blouses. I've just gotten lucky - 99% of the time you won't find anything even remotely appropriate, unless you're willing to alter something.

My tips for anyone on a tight budget are just put aside a small amount each paycheck for lolita/hobbies. This seems obvious, but some girls get into serious debt for clothes, and it can't possibly be worth it.

>am getting married next year
>monthly expenses will be cut in half
>SO MUCH LOLITA

>>8709478
I liked rolisramblings thought about it. There are some other guides out there too if you search for them. Picking a couple pieces you love and a substyle you favour can be a good place to start. http://rolisramblings.blogspot.ca/2014/11/three-ways-to-start-building-your.html?m=1

>>8709478
When I started out, I picked a few colors that could all go together relatively well (wine, dusty rose, ivory, black) and a theme (floral patterns), and just stuck to that for the first few months until I had 5-6 main pieces and enough accessories that I could create interesting coords for each new meet. This definitely kept me from impulse buying main pieces just because I liked them, because my wardrobe was so specific that I knew I'd never be able to create a coord with it. It was also a lot easier to just throw a coord together for going out when everything matched anyway.

Also, make sure you invest in some nice solid color pieces that can be dressed down or up. Buy 3-4 good blouses before you start going crazy on main pieces. Make sure you have plenty of tights/socks, wristcuffs, simple jewelry, and solid color headbows.

Familiarize yourself with Closetchild, Wunderwelt, Mbok and Y!J auctions, there is plenty of basic brand out there which is great for beginners if you bother to look! Secondhand prices on the western market can be insane.

>What's your monthly/quarterly/annual budget?
I don't put it as a monthly expense since, once I start buying, I buy a lot. I'll usually save and then blow about 800-1k dollars in one go.
>How do you decide which things to buy?
I'll look at my wardrobe and figure out what I need and then if most of my coords are complete I'll go for a new dress.
>Do/did you ever buy on impulse? If so, did you regret it?
All of my impulse buys I love, my planned buys suck, ah-dunno wai.
>Any advice to offer with regards to buying?
Make sure it matches your closet or you will be stuck

>>8706459
did you make this or what is this? i need this

>>8709901
Not the poster of the spreadsheet pic, but I use that for my monthly budget as well. It's a free template on google drive/sheets, it has build in formulas and is very helpful - I can't find exactly which one it is but you can just google it and check out the templates (there are a lot of different ones)

>What's your monthly/quarterly/annual budget?
I dont really have a budget. I recently sold a couple of expensive dresses so im thinking of just putting the money from that back into lolita and putting my pay into saving for a while.

>How do you decide which things to buy?
How much do i want it vs will i get back what im paying for it when i sell it.

>Do/did you ever buy on impulse? If so, did you regret it?
I used to buy main pieces just because they were both cheap and brand but i tend to be picking dresses i actually like now. I still have days when i really feel like shopping and its hard to not buy things on impulse, especially if theyre from the same seller.

>Any advice to offer with regards to buying?
Unless its your ultimate dream dress that youve thought about buying for a year and have never seen forsale, wait a few days before buying. When you come back to it, you might not like it as much as you thought you did and if you simply forget about it or it gets sold, you didnt need that dress anyways.

>>8706423
>I've a mild shopping addiction. I don't get into debts because of it, but sometimes I do overspend with impulse buys. I try to keep it under control, but it's hard
SAME. I don't want to go to a therapist just yet but fuck is it hard to not just buy cute things... I've taken out payday loans before too, always paid them off completely, never been in debt thank god but I do get down to the bare minimum in my bank account... which is scary. Good thing they won't let me have a credit card ha...

>>8706459
I'm sorry but
> $0 under gifts
Made me fucking crack up

>What's your monthly/quarterly/annual budget?
Usually about $100 or so most months. I don't buy much regularly. But sometimes I'll sell off other items or other collections to spend on lolita. Otherwise, it rolls over and I save until I have enough for a large purchase.

I do artist alley on the side to help fund my brand buying habits. So after a good show I'll typically treat myself to a new dress or a new set and then go for awhile before buying more. Though sometimes I'll think "I did really well at this one so I'll buy this dress" and then a week later go "oh hey, I just got paid so I can justify this purchase." But then it tapers off after a month or so.

>How do you decide which things to buy?
I keep a wishlist and I also follow prices. I'm more likely to buy a dress with a headbow or if I see the headbow up elsewhere rather than just buy a dress without one. I tend to also buy set completers or I'll add a new color to my wardrobe by buying a top and a pair of shoes or socks.

>Do/did you ever buy on impulse? If so, did you regret it?
I've made a lot of impulse buys. Most of the time they were good bargains, but there's been a number of impulse buys I never wore and ended up selling them.

>Any advice to offer with regards to buying?
Buy stuff you really like and can feasibly do a number of coords with. Don't forget your blouses, legwear, shoes and accessories. Even with just a few dresses, you can come up with a variety of ways to coord them if you have a well-rounded wardrobe.

>>8709978
Do you have a budget for gifts every month?

>What's your monthly/quarterly/annual budget?
I try to limit myself to $400-600 monthly so I can pay off all my bills and put a decent amount towards saving for a house.

>How do you decide which things to buy?
I try to not buy anything unless I feel like I definitely won't be able to find later, like with new releases if it looks popular and might sell for more than retail then I'll consider it, other than that I also try to avoid purchasing anything that isn't at the lowest price I've seen around. (Of course I have to love the item to bits before thinking about throwing money at it.)

>Do/did you ever buy on impulse? If so, did you regret it?
I accidentally got a skirt that was too small for me and half regret getting the Chocolate addiction OP from Aatp, I've had it for months and still don't know how to coord the thing but the store girls were too nice and cute.

>Any advice to offer with regards to buying?
Ask yourself if you /really/ need it, can you think of a coord it would fit in that you would wear confidently in public? Cons and ott meets don't count.

>>8709588
The post is really good! I like how they focus on making reworkable and cohesive pieces.

>>8709643
Thanks for the tips - I'd like to start with classical too. Should I keep any ratio of blouses to jsks/skirts or have more of blouses? Did you end up branching out to other colours as you went along?

>>8710234
Glad I could help! For me the amount of blouses I feel like I need has depended on how often I'm wearing Lolita. When I first started I was only wearing it about once a month so I was ok with 3 blouses to 5 main pieces. Now I wear it about once a week and have 9 blouses with 15 main pieces.

3 years later I still stick with my ivory/rose/wine/black color scheme, but I've added some more brown in here and there. It's just so much easier to coord when most of your stuff matches. I did introduce some more variation in terms of print, though!

>>8710004
I don't have a budget for anything lmao. I do occasionally buy people gifts but they are never well received unfortunately

>>8710057
>can you think of a coord it would fit in that you would wear confidently in public? Cons and ott meets don't count.
This is actually great advice. I think it's easy to get caught up buying stuff that's pretty but not wearable except for OTT tea parties, and you don't really need much of that.