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#46
pisdapisda79 said:
Have you ever thought about getting a part time job as a Sales Associate at either NM or Saks? I hear the employee discount is quite good. I live in Canada & we have a high end department store that gives you 50% off all merchandise. That's how my friends who are being paid crap can afford the guccis & LV they are carrying around.
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Is that really true ... we're talking about Holt Renfrew right? I too heard that the employees get a 50% discount but it just sounds too much. I worked in retail when I was a high school student and the most I got was a 15% discount, but of course that was eons ago.
 
#47
This has been interesting too read. I, too, had the impression that a lot of our fellow PFers buy OFTEN. When you read posts about someone who flew to Paris for the weekend and bought half a dozen purses, it makes you wonder. Seems to me that we have the following kinds of folks:

(A) Wealthy, young 20-somethings who have a LOT of money to spend. We have a few of these on the list, I think, who have drivers, fly to Gstaad for the weekend, and spend money freely and often.
(B) Not so wealthy 20-somethings who love purses, and scrimp and save to buy the next one. These folks mostly buy 1 or 2 a year.
(C) Not so welathy 20-somethings who are getting themselves into debt with their purse addictions (they're also the ones who tend to buy and then sell so that they can buy another one).
(D) 30-somethings and up who are just now getting established.

I'm in the D category. I was well into my 40s (and I'm not much past that now) before I had a real "designer" bag. Before that, my money was going into mortgage, food, and kids. I'm just now at the point where I can really go nuts every once in a while.

I think this list is a lovely place to come play and talk about our new acquisitions, but I hate to see anyone say they didn't marry well because they don't have money, or that they're unhappy because they're broke. I was broke for a l-o-n-g time, and did just fine. I hope we don't let our purse obsessions let us lose our objectivity about what's important. I would gladly give away every one of my purses to keep my kids and husband healthy and happy, and I know that you guys would too.

Wow, I have no idea what got me started here. Hope this didn't sound like preaching. :shame:
 
#48
and please always keep in mind not matter how much or little you have there are and will always be people around who have even more or less ;)
well for myself i started buying expensive bags around my 20´s as i always prefered quality over quantity so i saved and bought what i wanted an loves even if it only was 1 bag and 2 pair of shoes a year. after studying and starting to work of course i spent/bought more but never ever was in dept i just saved and it is nothing to be ashamed of to save up for something you really want and loved. oh and i am one of those women who married "rich" but not well :rolleyes: but i married cause i was deeply in love as money should never ever matter in a relationship
btw i am in my end 30´s now
 
#49
asl_bebes said:
Is that really true ... we're talking about Holt Renfrew right? I too heard that the employees get a 50% discount but it just sounds too much. I worked in retail when I was a high school student and the most I got was a 15% discount, but of course that was eons ago.
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I also assume we're talking about Holt's and if so that is true! One of friend's, friends works there and he get 50% off and I believe he get's the discount on anything (regardless if it is on sale or not!!!). When I heard about this I almost collapsed! For a store like that it is an insane discount! I know that my sister worked at The Bay while in high school and she only got like 15%. I also heard that during xmas time Holt's (atleast the Bloor one) does alot of hiring to get people to do gift wrapping and even they get the 50% off. Now, if I only knew how to wrap ANYTHING...
 
#50
I'm in my mid-30s and my passion for bags started when I was in my 20s.
To be honest, I could have better afford THEN the kind of bags I lust after now.
When I was a student I was a cocktail waitress and I made decent money-CASH. Add that to student loans that were higher than what I really needed and mom and dad...it wasn't too hard to save $1000/month...not to mention CREDIT CARDS that were so easy to misuse because you live under this TOTALLY unrealistic idea that when you get out of school, you'll land some 6-figure income that allows you to pay off all your debt. NOT.

When I got into the "real" world and the time came to pay those loans back, I was in REALLY deep hole.
I eventually dug myself out by basically cutting out EVERYTHING except bread and water LOL.

Now I'm married. I married comfortably, but certainly not enough to spend $1000 a MONTH on something as frivolous as a handbag.
I couldn't even FATHOM $1000/week...

I tend to splurge in May (my birthday month) and December (Christmas) because for whatever reason, I feel less guilt those months when I treat myself.
So in those months you may hear me ever week say I picked up this bag and that bag...I think IN TOTAL, I spend about $3000-$4000 in an entire year on bags...but only in those 2 months LOL. Then you won't hear a peep out of me because in the other 10 months the money goes to things like the mortgage, insurance, cars, my son...

It's very easy to look wistfully at how others live but no one really knows anyone's financial situation.
There are women with $100K worth of bags and shoes in the closet and double the debt to prove it.
And there are women with a handful of high end bags in the closet, and savings in the bank.

Coming from both ends, I'd rather have the money in the bank.
The thrill of a new bag every week isn't nearly as satisfying as living debt free.
 
#51
I just picked this up at the library. My first degree is in marketing, and I'm always interested in seeing how the various markets have changed.

sw0pp said:
don't forget you're far better off than many many people in this world... you have a roof over your head, have access to clean water, don't have to be hungry (this all I assume since you have Internet :p ). sure this forum is more of a "bling-kind", but don't forget everyone has her/his obsessions. some might be saving up somewhere else just to splurge on something (the phenomen of trading up http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EPFVAU/sr=8-2/qid=1149370880/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-1527133-9032632?%5Fencoding=UTF8 )

remember: it could always be worse...
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#53
I am now in my 30's and I bought my first and second LV bags this year. Before then I bought a lot of Coach but it was when I worked at Coach and got 50-65% off. :amuse: I save in every other area, for instance I always buy shoes on sale and most of my clothes are from Old Navy. DH has his hobby (model trains) and I have mine (bags) and that is all we spend our extra money on. We don't eat out or go on vacations. We are trying to save but every now and then splurge a little on b-days/anniversaries/holidays. :D
 
#54
This is the best thread on here...very uplifting.....

...I am only 19 and live entirely off my parents...college tuition, manhattan apt, food, clothes, bags, etc...
and since i am graduating in a semester i have set the goal to get a job and try to maintain my lifestyle but on my own and not take anymore handouts. i recently have been dying for this bag (grey balenciaga city ahemmm) and was going to just go down and buy it with the credit card my dad pays off and now after reading this i am definitely not going to. i know that the guilt will plaque my purchase, so i guess it is better to just wait until i save my own money...summer job here i come....i know when you earn things they mean so much more...when i was 15 i saved my babysitting money for 3 months to buy a pair of burberry pants and i will never forget the feeling of handing over my wad of 5's and 10's and knowing i earned every penny...

maybe this was not exactly on topic, but was therapeutic nonetheless.
 
#55
Not everyone here has money. It's just not reality, PF gals are a small minority of the general population.

I've scrimped and saved every penny for 22 years and my savings had over 18K before I started to spend on luxury goods. I waited for my university graduation and the extra 16K from my car accident insurance to come in, before even venturing into the Holt Renfrew store for the first time in my life.


I only spend on luxury handbags and goods because I've deprived myself all these years, and now feel that I should have something to celebrate my grad and my emotional victory over the scar that the accident left on one side of my face.


Not everyone here has "married well" or comes from a wealthy family, and that's totally OK. We just love purses, and sometimes it's okay to just browse at other people's collections instead of landing yourself into credit card debt to have what you can't afford.
 
#56
Haha, whoever marries me will "marry well." I'm an attorney and now that I have my first well-paying legal job I'm starting to splurge a bit more on bags and shoes since I already have a career wardbrobe. I don't spend that much though, haha I have to save some money for investments!
 
#57
Some of us are nuts
Some of us are rich
Some of us have wealthy parents
Some of us have wealthy husbands or boyfriends
Some of us are over spenders
Some of us are in debt
Some of us are VERY fashion conscious


BTW, I don't fall into any of the above categories - I just burn the candle at both ends.
 
#58
Sweetie--don't let the green-eyed monster take over.

The PF should be for fun, but luxury items and high priced lifestyles are not what life is all about. Try to keep everything in perspective and keep in mind that we each have different blessings and griefs.

I have always been a bargain shopper and I have purchased only 2 or 3 luxury items at full price in my entire life. I check eBay, resale stores, and outlet stores for really great steals. Then, I get a rush from what a deal I got on top of loving my new treasure.

I am a young attorney and I am now able to afford these items full price from time to time, but I still wait for deals and sales.

Every once in awhile I want something SO bad and I obsess over it, but it just doesn't fit my budget. I remind myself that next season there will be a new bag to obsess over and who knows--maybe by then I can afford it as a treat!

I also use the bag or shoes or outfit that I want as an incentive to accomplish some goal that I have for myself. That way, I have something to look forward to and I can set up a budget to afford the purchase AFTER I accomplish my goal. Then, I have a reminder of my achievement (graduation, raise, noteworthy birthday, etc.)

I also have received several expensive presents from family and friends, because they know my taste. I always remind them to get it on sale, but sometimes they indulge me and pay full price.

My advice to you is to enjoy what you have, save up for an occasional treat, and don't worry about what anyone else has.

This is NOT something worth feeling sad over--it's just pretty stuff, but so are flowers and sunsets and those are free!
 
#60
I am 40 and never got into handbags until at least my 30's. I still never spend over $500 or so for a bag b/c we have twin boys who suck up a lot of money, a home that does the same and I would just feel guilty. To be honest I really like checking out the up and coming designers for fresh and new looks. I love it when someone comes up to me and says OMG, where'd you get that!

I married when I was 24 and we had very little back then. My husband has become a successful financial planner which has taken a while but has helped us build our nest egg. I buy pretty much whatever I want but always w/in reason, and not b/c I am trying to keep up w/ anyone else. Things are great now but not b/c of what possessions my husband and I, but rather the relationship we have created and the family and friends we've made together. The rest of it is just gravy, in my eyes.
 
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