I had a similar situation with a 3K LV bag which I wanted for months.. Saved like mad, sold whatever "extras" I could think of to sell, and bought the bag. The excitement does wear off, and I realized while I liked the bag in theory, I hardly had the lifestyle for it and it didn't go with most clothes I wore on a daily basis. I would have been better off buying a canvas bag for half the price and I wouldn't be worried about it so much. I couldn't put it down for fear of dirt/scratches, I couldn't take it to peoples houses because it might get dirty or get stolen, and a month after getting it I wanted to get a cheap bag to "just carry around" but I felt so guilty after having spent all that money on a bag that I was afraid to use. I ended up resenting that I had to adjust my life to accommodate a purse. It should be the other way around! Purses, no matter how basic or how fancy, are meant to be used. If I can't use a bag comfortably, it's money wasted for me, because it could have bought something I would use. I couldn't like that bag anymore and sold it, losing money in the process. My current HG bag is the Chanel jumbo flap and while I could technically scrape together the cash for it, I learned from the first experience and waiting to buy it until I can reasonably use it. I am not in the birkin market but from what I know about it, it's a "jewelry" type bag. Not the most practical thing. If the only bag I had was something inconvenient, it wouldn't be worth it to me. To comfortably afford a bag, I think you have to be ok with it being used and eventually getting old and replaced.