Autumn Beckman

[me3330]

It’s really ironic that someone who claims to be an artist doesn’t have original ideas and insists on buying expensive dupes. Not saying that Autumn should be into fashion but why insist on following expensive trends and getting not-so-cheap bags that you hope pass off as the real thing? There’s something satisfying about buying the bag you actually want and that you saved up for, at least for me.

I don’t watch her but I didn’t know that she has been making other wasteful purchases on random stuff. She must have a shopping addiction, although it’s too bad (or maybe good???) her income only gets her so far. Why not do a no-spend month? If she wants to be minimalist, Mari Kondo your damn place and donate your things to goodwill. Do research on ethical clothing brands and maybe explore thrifting or consignment. These ideas aren’t original but they’re more inspiring than buying a bunch of random crap for content and pretending you’re a “luxury” channel.

I should mention that I don't watch her often, usually just part of one or two vlogmas videos. I love a vlogmas, but a little of Autumn goes a long way. The only videos of hers I've seen other than parts of vlogmas were her explanations of her childhood background, her capsule wardrobe, the infamous fake luggage tag video, and one "rare and special LV" unboxing video, which turned out to be a bag charm. The opinions I expressed about her shopping addiction and unoriginal ideas aren't based on having seen the full Autumn canon, but I still feel comfortable with what I said because a browse through the thumbnails of her videos is enough to show that she does a ton of Amazon dupe shopping.

The only reason I watched her capsule wardrobe videos was because I have never seen a person more in need of a style makeover than Autumn. I had hoped that she was going to spend some time researching styles that would flatter her, but she went in a different direction. The point of a capsule wardrobe, imo, is to have a small number of very flattering pieces that work well together and that are suitable for a particular season. That is not what Autumn ended up with.

*Please know that what I say next is not a criticism of her body type in any way.* Autumn is an apple shape. The statement necklaces she wears draw attention to that fact and make her neck look short. On top of that, the first piece she bought for her capsule wardrobe had button detailing at the shoulder that again drew attention to her apple shape and made her neck look short. I cringed when she showed the items in her closet because it is all more of the same. She seems to buy her clothes almost exclusively online (which is fine if you know what types of things flatter you) and consequently doesn't try anything on before she purchases it. She has a wardrobe that is a complete mishmash of cheap garments that look bad on her. I know that Autumn is not the type to admit that she needs help from a stylist, but I had hoped that at the very least she might go to a Nordstrom or a Niemans and ask for help. She badly needs someone to gently suggest trying a v-neck and to help her find a flattering pair of jeans.

I know I sound soapboxy. It's a pet peeve of mine when women spend a ton of money on things with a designer name but nevertheless look a mess.

[me3330]

It’s really ironic that someone who claims to be an artist doesn’t have original ideas and insists on buying expensive dupes. Not saying that Autumn should be into fashion but why insist on following expensive trends and getting not-so-cheap bags that you hope pass off as the real thing? There’s something satisfying about buying the bag you actually want and that you saved up for, at least for me.

I don’t watch her but I didn’t know that she has been making other wasteful purchases on random stuff. She must have a shopping addiction, although it’s too bad (or maybe good???) her income only gets her so far. Why not do a no-spend month? If she wants to be minimalist, Mari Kondo your damn place and donate your things to goodwill. Do research on ethical clothing brands and maybe explore thrifting or consignment. These ideas aren’t original but they’re more inspiring than buying a bunch of random crap for content and pretending you’re a “luxury” channel.

Ha! YT just suggested an Autumn B video to me titled "My Low Buy Year 2020"! It appears to be her latest. You should invoice her for a consulting fee!

[Guest]

It’s really ironic that someone who claims to be an artist doesn’t have original ideas and insists on buying expensive dupes. Not saying that Autumn should be into fashion but why insist on following expensive trends and getting not-so-cheap bags that you hope pass off as the real thing? There’s something satisfying about buying the bag you actually want and that you saved up for, at least for me.

I don’t watch her but I didn’t know that she has been making other wasteful purchases on random stuff. She must have a shopping addiction, although it’s too bad (or maybe good???) her income only gets her so far. Why not do a no-spend month? If she wants to be minimalist, Mari Kondo your damn place and donate your things to goodwill. Do research on ethical clothing brands and maybe explore thrifting or consignment. These ideas aren’t original but they’re more inspiring than buying a bunch of random crap for content and pretending you’re a “luxury” channel.

Ha! YT just suggested an Autumn B video to me titled "My Low Buy Year 2020"! It appears to be her latest. You should invoice her for a consulting fee!

Hahahaha, and as usual, she joined the “low buy/no buy” bandwagon a little too late.

[Guest]

You know, I was thinking since I mentioned this on Jerusha’s trash thread. Autumn is really no different than some of the women on the Louis Vuitton Facebook groups where they Buy-Sell-Trade. I actually think that Autumn is a member on the main ones, too. There are many women just like her...don’t have that much disposable income and yet try to find deals on very worn out monogram bags. It’s easier to criticize Autumn because she has a YT channel, but she is really no different or better than some of the Facebook BST members who shouldn’t be buying luxury goods.

[me3330]

You know, I was thinking since I mentioned this on Jerusha’s trash thread. Autumn is really no different than some of the women on the Louis Vuitton Facebook groups where they Buy-Sell-Trade. I actually think that Autumn is a member on the main ones, too. There are many women just like her...don’t have that much disposable income and yet try to find deals on very worn out monogram bags. It’s easier to criticize Autumn because she has a YT channel, but she is really no different or better than some of the Facebook BST members who shouldn’t be buying luxury goods.

I'm with you 100%. I watched her low buy year video and found out her financial situation is even more dire than it has seemed. She didn't give specific numbers but mentioned that she is doing a low buy year to hopefully pay some things off. From what she did share, it sounds like she has been making her "luxury" purchases using those Affirm/Klarna/Whatever Finance Company of the Moment options that are suggested on certain web sites (the Real Real for one). It hit me for the first time that she must have poor credit because those finance companies are usually considered subprime lenders. When you have good credit, chances are you have a rewards card of some type that you use for your purchases so that you're getting money back or travel points. It's concerning to me that Autumn is what...early forties? Late thirties? and she doesn't have the financial wherewithal to be savvy about not just what she buys but HOW she buys it.

Again, no specific numbers but it sounds like she has accrued quite a bit of consumer debt from the way she talked about it. Add that to her student loans, which are likely considerable given that she made it two years into a PhD program that I suspect did not come with a fellowship or even an assistantship, and I was on the verge of hyperventilating from contact anxiety before the video was over. It's even more alarming when you consider that she's sharing expenses with her ancient boyfriend and still managed to rack up debt.

Her secondary reason for the low buy year is to put money in savings, which made me think that on top of her debts she doesn't have any savings. She did give numbers regarding how much she hopes to save over the year; iirc she's hoping to put away $6,000. Honestly, that isn't much for someone who shares living expenses with another person. I managed to save $5,000 a year in the last two years of my undergrad degree while I was only working part-time. (Perhaps it was easier for me because I didn't have any debts.) Also, the numbers she shared on her savings plan didn't quite add up/make sense. It's possible that she may just have been nervous and made a mistake in what she relayed, but I think it's more likely that she's unwittingly set up a plan that isn't feasible.

In the video it truly sounded like she doesn't have confidence in herself that she will stick to the plan she has laboriously and time-intensively written out in a paper planner (why??? by all that is holy in this world, why?????) and I'm seriously thinking this is doomed to fail. As a teacher, she must have access to some sort of counseling/EAP program that will give her at least a few free sessions. She really ought to take advantage of whatever counseling services her benefits provide and get to the bottom of why she feels compelled to shop for "luxury" goods she can't afford. After that she should make use of an electronic budgeting system like YNAB that doesn't rely on her to do the math.

Wow! I have taken this way off topic. As you can probably tell, I'm into personal finance, especially for women. I saw a few bad marriages/relationships as a kid where one partner was unhappy but couldn't leave for financial reasons. I hate seeing any woman get herself into a bad situation, like Autumn has done. I keep thinking what happens if she gets laid off or the boyfriend passes? She'd be up a creek without a paddle, as my grandmother used to say.

Anyway, all of this is by way of saying that I agree with what you've said. I think it was lowkeylaurie that pointed out earlier that a lot of the fun in making a big ticket purchase, at least for me, is saving up for that purchase and getting to revel in the anticipation. And how great is it that feeling you get when you go on the trip, buy the handbag, etc. that you've been saving up for? Doesn't it feel like an accomplishment? It does for me.

[me3330]

My apologies, adel. It was you who mentioned the satisfaction you get from saving up for the exact thing you want to buy. Well said as usual.

[Guest]

I'm with you 100%. I watched her low buy year video and found out her financial situation is even more dire than it has seemed. She didn't give specific numbers but mentioned that she is doing a low buy year to hopefully pay some things off. From what she did share, it sounds like she has been making her "luxury" purchases using those Affirm/Klarna/Whatever Finance Company of the Moment options that are suggested on certain web sites (the Real Real for one). It hit me for the first time that she must have poor credit because those finance companies are usually considered subprime lenders. When you have good credit, chances are you have a rewards card of some type that you use for your purchases so that you're getting money back or travel points. It's concerning to me that Autumn is what...early forties? Late thirties? and she doesn't have the financial wherewithal to be savvy about not just what she buys but HOW she buys it.

Again, no specific numbers but it sounds like she has accrued quite a bit of consumer debt from the way she talked about it. Add that to her student loans, which are likely considerable given that she made it two years into a PhD program that I suspect did not come with a fellowship or even an assistantship, and I was on the verge of hyperventilating from contact anxiety before the video was over. It's even more alarming when you consider that she's sharing expenses with her ancient boyfriend and still managed to rack up debt.

Her secondary reason for the low buy year is to put money in savings, which made me think that on top of her debts she doesn't have any savings. She did give numbers regarding how much she hopes to save over the year; iirc she's hoping to put away $6,000. Honestly, that isn't much for someone who shares living expenses with another person. I managed to save $5,000 a year in the last two years of my undergrad degree while I was only working part-time. (Perhaps it was easier for me because I didn't have any debts.) Also, the numbers she shared on her savings plan didn't quite add up/make sense. It's possible that she may just have been nervous and made a mistake in what she relayed, but I think it's more likely that she's unwittingly set up a plan that isn't feasible.

In the video it truly sounded like she doesn't have confidence in herself that she will stick to the plan she has laboriously and time-intensively written out in a paper planner (why??? by all that is holy in this world, why?????) and I'm seriously thinking this is doomed to fail. As a teacher, she must have access to some sort of counseling/EAP program that will give her at least a few free sessions. She really ought to take advantage of whatever counseling services her benefits provide and get to the bottom of why she feels compelled to shop for "luxury" goods she can't afford. After that she should make use of an electronic budgeting system like YNAB that doesn't rely on her to do the math.

Wow! I have taken this way off topic. As you can probably tell, I'm into personal finance, especially for women. I saw a few bad marriages/relationships as a kid where one partner was unhappy but couldn't leave for financial reasons. I hate seeing any woman get herself into a bad situation, like Autumn has done. I keep thinking what happens if she gets laid off or the boyfriend passes? She'd be up a creek without a paddle, as my grandmother used to say.

Anyway, all of this is by way of saying that I agree with what you've said. I think it was lowkeylaurie that pointed out earlier that a lot of the fun in making a big ticket purchase, at least for me, is saving up for that purchase and getting to revel in the anticipation. And how great is it that feeling you get when you go on the trip, buy the handbag, etc. that you've been saving up for? Doesn't it feel like an accomplishment? It does for me.

It’s funny you mention Affirm, etc because I have a friend who has excellent credit (her score is much higher than mine), but uses these payment plan programs to finance some of her bags. She is a bag flipper/reseller and I don’t think she has savings...actually, I know she doesn’t have savings because one time she messaged me all concerned because a buyer wanted a refund for a bag my friend sold and she told me she already spent the money. She always thought it was weird I didn’t want to buy what I tried on in LV or Chanel and that I stopped buying handbags (despite paring down my collection).

I was also pretty surprised when you said she wanted to put away $6K into savings, which makes me think she isn’t putting any money away in an IRA account. I doubt she is paying through her 401K, either. To be fair it might be difficult for her to put away money into retirement like many Americans I know, but why spend your disposable income on handbags?

I feel kinda sorry for her because she doesn’t seem like a bad person, just really naive about money and appearances. No expensive handbag will never make you look rich or sophisticated. You’re just going to end up broke and addicted.

[me3330]

I'm with you 100%. I watched her low buy year video and found out her financial situation is even more dire than it has seemed. She didn't give specific numbers but mentioned that she is doing a low buy year to hopefully pay some things off. From what she did share, it sounds like she has been making her "luxury" purchases using those Affirm/Klarna/Whatever Finance Company of the Moment options that are suggested on certain web sites (the Real Real for one). It hit me for the first time that she must have poor credit because those finance companies are usually considered subprime lenders. When you have good credit, chances are you have a rewards card of some type that you use for your purchases so that you're getting money back or travel points. It's concerning to me that Autumn is what...early forties? Late thirties? and she doesn't have the financial wherewithal to be savvy about not just what she buys but HOW she buys it.

Again, no specific numbers but it sounds like she has accrued quite a bit of consumer debt from the way she talked about it. Add that to her student loans, which are likely considerable given that she made it two years into a PhD program that I suspect did not come with a fellowship or even an assistantship, and I was on the verge of hyperventilating from contact anxiety before the video was over. It's even more alarming when you consider that she's sharing expenses with her ancient boyfriend and still managed to rack up debt.

Her secondary reason for the low buy year is to put money in savings, which made me think that on top of her debts she doesn't have any savings. She did give numbers regarding how much she hopes to save over the year; iirc she's hoping to put away $6,000. Honestly, that isn't much for someone who shares living expenses with another person. I managed to save $5,000 a year in the last two years of my undergrad degree while I was only working part-time. (Perhaps it was easier for me because I didn't have any debts.) Also, the numbers she shared on her savings plan didn't quite add up/make sense. It's possible that she may just have been nervous and made a mistake in what she relayed, but I think it's more likely that she's unwittingly set up a plan that isn't feasible.

In the video it truly sounded like she doesn't have confidence in herself that she will stick to the plan she has laboriously and time-intensively written out in a paper planner (why??? by all that is holy in this world, why?????) and I'm seriously thinking this is doomed to fail. As a teacher, she must have access to some sort of counseling/EAP program that will give her at least a few free sessions. She really ought to take advantage of whatever counseling services her benefits provide and get to the bottom of why she feels compelled to shop for "luxury" goods she can't afford. After that she should make use of an electronic budgeting system like YNAB that doesn't rely on her to do the math.

Wow! I have taken this way off topic. As you can probably tell, I'm into personal finance, especially for women. I saw a few bad marriages/relationships as a kid where one partner was unhappy but couldn't leave for financial reasons. I hate seeing any woman get herself into a bad situation, like Autumn has done. I keep thinking what happens if she gets laid off or the boyfriend passes? She'd be up a creek without a paddle, as my grandmother used to say.

Anyway, all of this is by way of saying that I agree with what you've said. I think it was lowkeylaurie that pointed out earlier that a lot of the fun in making a big ticket purchase, at least for me, is saving up for that purchase and getting to revel in the anticipation. And how great is it that feeling you get when you go on the trip, buy the handbag, etc. that you've been saving up for? Doesn't it feel like an accomplishment? It does for me.

It’s funny you mention Affirm, etc because I have a friend who has excellent credit (her score is much higher than mine), but uses these payment plan programs to finance some of her bags. She is a bag flipper/reseller and I don’t think she has savings...actually, I know she doesn’t have savings because one time she messaged me all concerned because a buyer wanted a refund for a bag my friend sold and she told me she already spent the money. She always thought it was weird I didn’t want to buy what I tried on in LV or Chanel and that I stopped buying handbags (despite paring down my collection).

I was also pretty surprised when you said she wanted to put away $6K into savings, which makes me think she isn’t putting any money away in an IRA account. I doubt she is paying through her 401K, either. To be fair it might be difficult for her to put away money into retirement like many Americans I know, but why spend your disposable income on handbags?

I feel kinda sorry for her because she doesn’t seem like a bad person, just really naive about money and appearances. No expensive handbag will never make you look rich or sophisticated. You’re just going to end up broke and addicted.

It's interesting to me that your friend has great credit but still uses Affirm. There are a bunch of personal finance articles online about Affirm being a predatory subprime lender with interest rates as high as 30% This one is pretty good: https://theoutline.com/post/2160/affirm ... i=jmzctmfi.

I guess many people just look at the monthly payment and think they can afford a purchase without considering the interest rate and how much more they'll end up paying? I remember AB saying the same thing a lot of bag flippers say about how buying handbags makes financial sense because you can resell the bag for as much as or more than you paid for it. If you're financing your bag purchases with Affirm though, it seems like you would not recoup your money (the cost of the bag plus the finance fees and interest) unless the bag was something people really wanted and would pay through the nose for. But maybe AB hasn't thought that through, idk.

Yes, honestly $6000 is not that much these days. I know teachers don't make much, but to be sharing expenses like that and still be stretched to save $6000 in a year is concerning. I don't think she's ever specifically said so, but there is likely money going into a retirement account for her because she's a teacher. I don't think she has to pay much into the retirement system in order for the state to pay in on her behalf. However, she'll only reap the benefit of that if she actually makes it to retirement as a public school teacher. I think she's already had at least one scare that she might be laid off and, with all due respect to both artists and teachers, I don't think the job market for art teachers in public schools is booming. What a frightening position to be in.

I feel sorry for her as well. I know we're all responsible for our own choices, but as you said, she doesn't come off like a genuinely bad person (Elle Florence anyone?). I'm incredibly disinterested in 99% of her videos, but I'd be curious to see more videos from her regarding her finances. I usually watch YT videos from a third-party site so that the "creators" don't receive any revenue from me, but I feel so bad for her situation I would even watch her personal finance updates on YT and not skip the ads so that she can have the 1/5 of 1 cent YT would pay her.

[lowkeylaurie]

Do you guys have any thoughts on her authentic vs dupe vs fake series she's doing? Her points are pretty interesting and I can't wait for the last video in the segment on fakes, that one's sure to ruffle some feathers.
One point she keeps reiterating that I really don't agree with is that dupes aren't trying to pass off as the real thing, but if a bag looks EXACTLY like the authentic just without the logos then that bag IS trying to dupe people into believing it's the real thing, is it not? If you have a dupe Gucci with the webbing that says GD instead of GG then IMO that's just a fake from a company that didn't wanna get in trouble, not a dupe. If you have a dupe Kelly that's the same dimensions, construction, hardware, everything, but it's missing the Hermes stamping at the top or it says something else, then I would argue that you are definitely trying to make people think you have the actual Kelly because nobody is going to see that it's empty/it says Ainifeel except you. A Kelly dupe would be a bag that has a top handle, shoulder strap, and a flap, but just not in the exact Kelly style. A good example of a Kelly dupe is this: https://www.mona.rs/files/thumbs/files/ ... 1800px.jpg
THAT is a dupe, not this: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d1/9b/17 ... 05fd47.jpg that looks exactly like a Kelly, therefore it's now in the fake territory and not simply a dupe just because it doesn't say Hermes anywhere. If she wants to carry these bags and it's what makes her happy by all means she shouldn't stop, what she should stop is saying it's a dupe when it's not, you can't just draw the line at missing logos, the line already stops when a bag starts to look a little too much like the authentic, especially for bags that already don't have obvious logos to begin with.

[Guest]

I haven’t watched but I’m assuming in Autumn’s mind dupes fall in the same category as inspired whereas most people would categorize dupes as bordering fake. Personally I think a lot of Autumn’s dupes are actually wannabe fakes.

I have a couple bags that I would consider inspired, but they definitely are different enough where no one would think I’m trying to pass it off as a different brand. For example, I have a Pinel et Pinel Colette tote that you could argue is inspired by the Goyard St. Louis...they look similar for sure, but no one would think I have a Goyard (at least I hope not!!!). I get wanting to wear something that has similar elements to a more expensive brand, but not to the point where I’m trying to convince myself and other people that it’s exactly the same. To me, it’s just as bad as getting a counterfeit, but I guess to Autumn it’s not.

OT, but I wish she’d stop using that green for her thumbnails. Green is my favorite color but it washes out her face.

[Mysterious_Fairy]

OT, but I wish she’d stop using that green for her thumbnails. Green is my favorite color but it washes out her face.
AND she wears NO makeup.
So is washed out somewhat.
I can't understand how Autumn can afford all those bags on a teacher's wage.
I would go broke in a week.
She spends so much money and how does she even make it all back again I wonder.
I mean, she doesnt even have a large following. I guess she makes money on her
Amazon store somehow. Anyway I do enjoy some of her videos. She seems like
a very organised person. But Gosh--- all those diaries! Really >?>??

[pretzel2]

For someone who did a big song and dance about being on a no buy year, Autumn sure has been doing a tonne of shopping. I assume some of those videos include affiliate links, which is great. I hope Jill Maurer is compensating her well.

[Serapis]

JFC, this woman spends like she's married to a surgeon. I don't even want to think about the amount of debt she must be in, it's giving me a second-hand panic attack.

Her self-made advent calendar thing is weird af, I couldn't imagine buying and wrapping 25 presents just for myself, in addition to all the other fancy pre made advent calendars she has. There's a difference between treating yourself and being a full blown shopping addict, and she crossed that line a long time ago. I wonder if her boyfriend turns a blind eye to it since he's likely going to pass well before her, and he's not liable for her debt anyway since they're not getting married.

[SpicyChickenSammich]

It looks like this lady is trying to keep up with her “friends” yotastyle & Winnieb so hard and trying to fit into luxury community.
At least Yota & Winnie has plenty money to play with and have everything Autumn will never have.
She is around 50 and lives in an apartment with a boyfriend who is almost 80 right?
It makes me cringe every time she calls a senior citizen “boyfriend”
I mean...her life is so sad. She doesn’t even own a house.
I think most of us have own family, house, cars, savings, investments, and purchasing luxury items with our extra money.
She is probably in debt. Or at least she looks like she is poor.

Oh and I saw her LV unboxing and it was Agenda refill and perfume lmao
Is that all she can afford from LV now? Her friends are buying pretty LV purses though.

[lowkeylaurie]

I said a long time ago she should stop purchasing crappy items and just save up for an actual bag every once in a while. She did the opposite and kept purchasing Coach and Rebecca Minkoff, now all she can get from LV is perfume. She was told, if she can't afford anything else it's her own fault.

[pretzel2]

I'm in Autumn's corner, I've been watching her since nearly the start. I suspected things weren't so great relationship wise (I could be wrong, but her language had changed), and my suspicions were confirmed in a comment on one her friend's YotaStyle's Birkin videos. (yes I watch too much YT!S) She addressed her relationship in outright in one of her Christmas vlogs... in any case, I wish Autumn happiness.

[BooBoo35]

I was so excited to see what she bought from Dior for Christmas. She made such a big deal about making an appointment with "her" SA, making it seem like she is always shopping in Dior. It was tea. She spent over $100 on tea because she wanted the box and the shopping bag. I'm sure that the tea was the only thing she could afford at Dior, but it was a huge let down for those who follow her.

[lowkeylaurie]

Oop- there she goes again buying the little things, spending money on crap she doesn't need. If she hadn't bought all those Coach bags or whatever she probably could've afforded an actual Dior bag by now instead of just tea. I guess she's now going for quantity over quality.

[ironwmn933]

I was so excited to see what she bought from Dior for Christmas. She made such a big deal about making an appointment with "her" SA, making it seem like she is always shopping in Dior. It was tea. She spent over $100 on tea because she wanted the box and the shopping bag. I'm sure that the tea was the only thing she could afford at Dior, but it was a huge let down for those who follow her.

Right! Tea and a notebook from Dior ! All of those designer shopping bags sitting behind her all Vlogmas and a not one interesting thing in them. Not even an SLG (that I remember) form the major luxury houses. It's mind blowing what this lady spends money on. It would have been way more interesting to see her unwrap one or two substantial and thoughtful luxury pieces. Instead we got three video of her unwrapping junk to clutter up her apartment.

I think the store bought advent calendars are fine, I even want to grab the wine one next year, but the homemade calendar is so bizarre to me.

[SpicyChickenSammich]

I wonder what do her students think probably Autumn is the biggest joke in their school

The teacher who purchases the ugliest secondhand bags on the website and the cheapest items from luxurious stores just because that’s all she can afford.
No house, no husband, no savings but keep purchasing junk to get views...
Seriously a sad life.