Do you feel guilty about money spent on designer bags?

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#271
Hi I am new here and this is an interesting topic. Also I am not a rich person- middle class- and I don't want to look pretentious. Also I dress informally. But I do like bags and quality items with a long pedigree. I am trying to decide which LV to buy and hope it will be appropriate for my lifestyle.
I also supported a girl in India and, more importantly, have adopted 2 kids from China and Cambodia so I feel I have the "give back" covered. I think a balanced approach is best. And lord knows it's not like I am going out and buying top of the line BMW or Lexus.
 
#272
I agree with everyone that balance is the key and that you can't fix the world by depriving yourself of everything. If you really care about issues, then use your life and work to address them, and let yourself have small happinesses like hobbies and fun and possessions. As long as you're still making a conscious choice. It's one thing for you to decide that you enjoy bags and will collect them and another to be somewhat addicted and unable to control yourself. As long as you have the larger picture in mind, I think you're fine. Giving up the privileges you were born with doesn't necessarily make the world a happier place if it just makes you unhappy and therefore unable to contribute anything meaningful to the world. It's not as simple as a balance sheet of possessions.

At the same time though, your guilt means something and you don't want to just brush it off. Maybe it just means that you should relax and let yourself enjoy the bags, but maybe it means stepping back and using that guilt to decide to focus on other priorities. It's all about where that guilt comes from. Are you being too hard on yourself or are you onto something?

And I don't think we can so easily make up for our overindulgences. I honestly don't think that by donating some money to charity you undo any real wrong or imbalance you feel you have done. Not to say that people shouldn't donate, but if you're doing it as a sort of penance, it's sort of like buying an indulgence instead of doing it out of goodwill and empathy. It's great when people are so generous with their time and money, and they should feel good about treating themselves once in a while, but I think that you shouldn't use donations as a way to appease guilt, which is a sign that you're at your core not comfortable with how you're living your life.

Just my two cents.
 
#273
beggarbaby said:
I agree with everyone that balance is the key and that you can't fix the world by depriving yourself of everything. If you really care about issues, then use your life and work to address them, and let yourself have small happinesses like hobbies and fun and possessions. As long as you're still making a conscious choice. It's one thing for you to decide that you enjoy bags and will collect them and another to be somewhat addicted and unable to control yourself. As long as you have the larger picture in mind, I think you're fine. Giving up the privileges you were born with doesn't necessarily make the world a happier place if it just makes you unhappy and therefore unable to contribute anything meaningful to the world. It's not as simple as a balance sheet of possessions.

At the same time though, your guilt means something and you don't want to just brush it off. Maybe it just means that you should relax and let yourself enjoy the bags, but maybe it means stepping back and using that guilt to decide to focus on other priorities. It's all about where that guilt comes from. Are you being too hard on yourself or are you onto something?

And I don't think we can so easily make up for our overindulgences. I honestly don't think that by donating some money to charity you undo any real wrong or imbalance you feel you have done. Not to say that people shouldn't donate, but if you're doing it as a sort of penance, it's sort of like buying an indulgence instead of doing it out of goodwill and empathy. It's great when people are so generous with their time and money, and they should feel good about treating themselves once in a while, but I think that you shouldn't use donations as a way to appease guilt, which is a sign that you're at your core not comfortable with how you're living your life.

Just my two cents.
Click to expand...
:tup:
 
#277
I think you should do what makes you happy, and if that means a LV bag, that's ok as long as the bills are paid and you're working to cover your purchases. Life is short. Be good to yourself, or you won't have anything to give to others.
 
#278
sometimes i do but then i get over my guilt by buying another handbag:roflmfao:

all joking aside, i do, and i have cut back....used to just buy whatever i want, and now i actually get rid of one first before buying another one...doesn't always work out (sometimes i end up selling one and buying two) but i'd say 90% of the time i stick to the rule:)
 
#281
I just started but I am not going into debt because of it. I did make all my designer purchases in the last year and feel guilty but how I see it is that I bought with my money and not someone else working to buy it for me.

What kills me is my gf (I have 2 that did this to me) practically yelling at me to stop buying handbags and that my chanel should be good for not buying a bag for 5 years blah blah. I didn't say anything but whats it to them? I get mad thinking about it.
 
#283
beggarbaby said:
I agree with everyone that balance is the key and that you can't fix the world by depriving yourself of everything. If you really care about issues, then use your life and work to address them, and let yourself have small happinesses like hobbies and fun and possessions. As long as you're still making a conscious choice. It's one thing for you to decide that you enjoy bags and will collect them and another to be somewhat addicted and unable to control yourself. As long as you have the larger picture in mind, I think you're fine. Giving up the privileges you were born with doesn't necessarily make the world a happier place if it just makes you unhappy and therefore unable to contribute anything meaningful to the world. It's not as simple as a balance sheet of possessions.

At the same time though, your guilt means something and you don't want to just brush it off. Maybe it just means that you should relax and let yourself enjoy the bags, but maybe it means stepping back and using that guilt to decide to focus on other priorities. It's all about where that guilt comes from. Are you being too hard on yourself or are you onto something?

And I don't think we can so easily make up for our overindulgences. I honestly don't think that by donating some money to charity you undo any real wrong or imbalance you feel you have done. Not to say that people shouldn't donate, but if you're doing it as a sort of penance, it's sort of like buying an indulgence instead of doing it out of goodwill and empathy. It's great when people are so generous with their time and money, and they should feel good about treating themselves once in a while, but I think that you shouldn't use donations as a way to appease guilt, which is a sign that you're at your core not comfortable with how you're living your life.

Just my two cents.
Click to expand...

Gosh I love your post.

Makes sense....so true.

The last line - about guilt possibly being a sign that one isn't comfortable at the core with how one is living their life - is so good.
A lot of food for thought here...

You sound like a warm intelligent but grounded person :smile1:
 
#284
I was checking out the celebrity threads in the BV forum and I noticed Sir Elton John's spouse, carrying a BV to the beach and it gave me a lot of thought. To him, that bag probably amounts to just a few dollars. To someone else, it can be their entire year's paycheck and more. I think when it comes down to it, living up to one's means, whether unbearable or not, is best.
 
#285
Some people feel guilty about buying themselves anything and some people have no checks on themselves no matter how much they spend and what on but I think planning, setting a budget and carefully considering before buying lessen feelings of regret and guilt. Impulse buys and sales due to bargain hunting only are far more likely to be regretted. At least that is how it has been for me :p
 
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