How do you afford your bags and how many per year? Credit debt or millionare lover?

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#1,531
Hi, I am 23 years old and I am a Bag-A-Holic. I pay for my bags by working extremely hard and selling all my unwanted items that I do not need or use anymore.

I usually pay for my bags with Cash or my Debit Card, but once of twice a month I will purchase something with my Paypal MasterCard to rack up some reward points. Immediately when my statement is due I will pay the balance off with the money I have in my Paypal account.

Right now I am trying my hardest to get rid of many of the bags I don't use. I was collecting/organizing/pricing bags for an upcoming yard sale this weekend and I have over over 60 handbags & 30 wallets to sell, and what is so bad is that 90% of them are still New With Tags.

It makes me feel sick when I think about how much money I have spent on handbag & wallets, that I could of used for something else.

Hopefully this weekend at the yard sale I can recuperate some of the money I have spent.

Thanks for reading my story....
 
#1,533
Well... I still live it's my parents, and my only expenses are monthly phone bills, once a fortnight petrol costs, and once a week groceries, which isn't a lot.

and for my age (22), I work full time with a decent salary as a graduate. I've got no commitments, or cards to pay off, so I can afford bags around $1k (I don't really dare to buy $2k bags!) once every few months. I've already bought 6 bags (1 YSL BDJ clutch, 4 AWang bags, and 1 MBMJ bag) and one wallet (Prada) this year so I must admit I'm doing pretty well for myself. I could probably get a bag with every paycheck but that'd be ridiculous :P
 
#1,534
I work a professional job and buy all my own bags, clothes and shoes. I only buy a bag if the balance doesn't have to sit on my credit card. That's my rule! Also, I think I'm at the point where I could easily afford a 1K bag without affecting my monthly savings, but am not ready to go that far yet. I'll stick to my mid range designers for now (e.g. MBMJ, Rebecca minkoff, kate Spade etc.) I love bags don't get me wrong, but I would rather have nice clothes, shoes and jeans than a closet full of high end bags while my clothing and shoes that doesn't match the look.
 
#1,535
I am 29. I used to work for a consumer packaged goods company and now I am staying home with my kids. My 3 most expensive bags (2 Balenciaga and 1 Ferragamo) were gifts from my hubby, who is in sales. We have a budget for my own spending money so that's where my bag money comes from. I can buy RMs easily that way but I save up a bit for buying Bals out of my spending money.

I am not into clothes... just handbags and diamonds! I go for comfort in shoes rather than style most of the time.
 
#1,536
Started my handbag collection when i turned 30... 2 years ago... Just makes sense to get a quality product that will last longer. I make good money, no cc. Just work and budget for my bags.
 
#1,537
I'm a full-time grad student; as it is, I have started collecting about 5 years ago, and have around 13 bags right now, so it averages to about two handbags/year. Every one of my pieces are purchased via auction sites through self-authentication, so I save a handful of money there. Never buy anything retail!
 
#1,539
Im 22, i buy majority of my bags using my pocket money from my parents and buy a couple using my own hard-earned wages. I also get two from my bf.. Its a mix of things but in the future i still plan to continue this trend.
 
#1,540
My parents started me on a slippery shopping slope, as when I lived at home, they paid for everything! They never bought me excessive amounts of anything, but I was taken on 4 shopping trips a year, along with several other non-shopping trips, as well as vacations to our family homes. They paid for my undergrad and grad school, along with my vehicle. In return, I had to maintain a 4.2 (in Canada) GPA, and a PT job while in school. I am now on my own, and I buy everything myself! I am fortunate to be able to do so, as my parents paid for the education that garnered me the education and connections necessary for a good career, thus allowing me to afford certain indulgences (within reason). My parents taught me the value of money, and while I can technically buy any purse I desire, I do not. In a lot of ways, I have been very fortunate--something i do not take for granted. I have a modest purse collection, and I worked and set goals for (almost) every one! Also, many of my more expensive bags have wonderful memories behind them--that i cherish far more than the bags themselves.

I pay for all my purses with my Visa Infinite! My logic is that if I am going to spend all that money, I may as well get something in return by way of points! That said, I pay my Visa in Full every month without fail (zero credit card debt)! I love buying purses--my biggest weakness--but if there ever comes a time where I cannot afford designer purchases, then I will not buy them anymore. You just never know where life will take you.

I feel they are called luxury items for a reason, and I have met too many people who see designer goods as the basic good, and electricity as the luxury good :wacko:
 
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#1,541
I'm 25 years old, married, own a house & have a 6 month old son. Despite the fact my husband has a very good paying job, he refuses to purchase handbags for me. I save up on my own for my bags. I have yet to put a handbag on a credit card.

I just started my first job since having my son a couple of weeks ago, so a little bit from each paycheck will go to my handbag savings. It's going to take forever, but it'll be worth it.
 
#1,542
My husband and I both work. He's a Marine and I'm a CNA (about to start nursing school) we survive great on his income so we use my checks for savings and splurges. I pay for all my bags and indulgences in cash/debit card. I only buy 1 new purse a year except this year ill be getting 2 LV's
 
#1,543
I work long hours :) And I'm not really much of a bag "collector." I usually just buy one bag then use it a lot for a year/2 years so that really cuts down on the spending. What I do buy though, I buy quality (Prada, Alexander McQueen, etc. ^^)
 
#1,544
My husband and I both work full-time, and make pretty decent salaries. We are pretty frugal in our everyday lives and budget well, and pay cash for everything we have. We don't have children, and we don't eat out a lot or go to Cowboys games or anything like that. We live in a fairly modest house & don't drive brand new flashy cars. I buy maybe 2 bags per year, each under $1K (usually under $500). I like brands like Coach, Michael Kors, Dooney & Bourke, and Louis Vuitton. I could never bring myself to pay full retail price for a Birkin or probably even a Chanel. Now, if I find one secondhand for a bargain - that's a different story! :D

I grew up extremely poor (as in food-stamps-government-assistance type poor), so I never had designer items growing up. I also really learned the value of money, and earning what you have.

I have never and will never buy a bag or any other accessory on credit.
 
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#1,545
:roflmfao: Millionaire lover... I wish

My job pays well. I work really hard and save a lot. I have my own house (no mortgage).I do not shell out on a bag unless I can save that same amount. It makes me a little smarter with grand purchases (emphasis on little).
 
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