If ur buying BBags, where do u economize?

#46
I dont. I normally buy what I want and when I want it...but the last few months I have been saving to relocate out of state, so that did put a bit of a strain on the bag buying. I'm TRYING not to venture onto Achtung...trying...it doesnt work by the way! And since I'm taking some time off after we move on the 30th (I dont want to start job hunting until February)I dont want to dip into household money, sooo, I'm selling off my Longaberger baskets and putting it aside for more bags! So far so good...

If only I could get my daughter to sell off some of her shoe collection! I could buy a few bags!

But she wont...I tried.
 
#47
Normally I'm very good with my money...but 2006 was a doozy for me! I bought 6 B-bags, 1 money wallet, got Invisalign braces, bought a mink coat, went to Rome for a week, plus speech therapy for my 5 year old at $80/session...:sad: I don't regret any of it, but holy smokes I spent alot. :wtf:

Now I am back to economizing...I work at home, so no wardrobe needed and I fill up my car every 12 days. We don't eat out much, don't celebrate Christmas, don't buy expensive electronics (tv is a year old, dvd player is 6 years old, computer is 5 years old....), instead of selling clothes on eBay, I donate to Goodwill so I can apply it towards my 2006 taxes.

In 2007, I am upgrading my kitchen, but that is it...oh and maybe buying one B-bag...and going on vacation... :Push:
 
#48
Ah....the things we give up for Bbags!
  • I've sold almost all of my LVs to help fund my addiction.
  • I buy most of my clothes at Target and Old Navy. Seriously, my most favorite jeans are $22 Levi's. For work I dress either business-casual or casual, so I don't need expensive suits or anything.
  • I've cut back on my technology addiction - I no longer constantly need to have the newest, latest, greatest stuff. I did recently sell one of my Bbags to help fund a new laptop, and that was pretty freakin' painful, but it was partly work-related. I don't think I'll be doing that again though!
  • Most of my shoes come from DSW or Zappos. I have an addiction to boots, but I'm trying to keep that in perspective. I had to remind myself that I could have one fabulous pair of Chloe boots, or 3 pairs of very cute Nine West boots and half a Bbag!
  • I take lunch to work most of the time - it's amazing how much $$ this saves when you add it up!
I do, however, still have a pedicure twice a month, and highlights every three months. And occasionally I'll drop $50 or so on good-quality makeup at Sephora. Hey, some things a girl shouldn't give up!
 
#49
hippiechic said:
I buy most of my clothes at Target and Old Navy. Seriously, my most favorite jeans are $22 Levi's.
Click to expand...

OMG...I LIVE in Levi jeans. Even got my mother and sister hooked on them! I found a pair in Target on Saturday for $17...cha-ching!! :graucho: Have you tried the Isaac Mizrahi for Target cashmere sweaters? They are great and cheap...about $50 for a v-neck sweater.

For the folks who do Payless, if you have a AAA card, you get a 10% discount.
For Target.com...there is a special link on the AAA website that gives you a 10% until the end of this year.
 
#50
i read somewhere once that if you want a designer look but don't have the budget, spend your money on the accessories...I really love this idea because you can always dress up any outfit with the right belts, purse, shoes, etc. And I also believe in quality, not quantity. I'd rather save up and get one really great item rather than spend money and get lots of mediocre things. A lot of my friends do that and while spending $$$ on one item may seem frivolous to them, I think spending lots on cheap stuff is a bigger waste...

Anyway, I try and pack my lunch everyday and we don't have cable (my roomate and I don't really watch tv shows except on DVD), we dont use our a/c, and so on. they may seem small but the expenses really add up!

(note: i don't own a bbag but I just wanted to join in on the conversation :smile:
 
#52
I'm a recent Bbag lover, and bought my first 2 last year. I can't economize...its just not something I can do. I try to buy a few bags per year, and mostly use money received from gifts to fund them. I'm waiting to get out of law school so I can start splurging on bags more. I just can't give up my MJ shoes, JBrand jeans, and Vince cashmere sweaters. I can't give up clubbing twice per week and I spend a lot of money on my hair and nails. So instead of cutting back, I plan to make more money in the future!
 
#53
I should start bringing my lunch. I hate the crap I buy out, all the decent places to eat are too far out and all the places around are either really greasy and fattening, or just uck.
 
#54
guess i am a bit lucky as i work in a hotel , so they feed me free of charge and as i am a spa administrator , all the treatments are free for me too :yahoo: plus i get 80% discount on our professional cosmetics ...so that is a huge cash relief for me :wlae: ... i used to be mad about clothes and shoes before ( not all designer ones that never mattered to me as long as i looked good ...:yes: ) so once i focused on bags i stopped buying those as i have loads anyway ... still my credit card is VERY unhapy about my new addiction ...:crybaby:
 
#55
It used to be that I stopped buying clothes in order to save up for B-bags, but thank goodness it's the reverse situation now! I'm happy w/my modest 4 B-bag collection and now that I'm on a bag ban, I'm spending on clothes and finding that it's way more fun to look "quality" from head to toe while holding a B-bag...than wearing cheapy clothes with a B-bag. :P
 
#56
Hmmm...where do I start????
Neutrogena & Olay regenerist instead of Z Bigatti skin care
Maybelline instead of Christian Dior mascara
Consignment / Crossroads Trading Co / ebay for clothes, instead of buying new
Rarely eat in restaurants
No housekeeper
Brown-bag lunches

For a girl like me, Bbags are a TOTAL luxury. But I love them. :heart:
Even still, am on a BAG BAN until summer.
 
#57
I have to look spiffy for work, but not up-to-the-minute. I'm not squeamish about used clothing, so I buy all Escada all of the time on eBay. (A size 38 always seems to fit or can be easily adjusted by my patient tailor.) Definitely a vintage look in my price range, but the quality's outstanding. I limit myself to $40 for a jacket and $20 for slacks. I'll go $40 for a really outstanding silk blouse or a killer scarf. The funny thing is, I have a reputation for being a fashion plate at work, but then I live in a world of scrubs and lab coats.

My poor feet cannot tolerate heels anymore (plantar fasciitis), so I have three pairs of Birkenstock Avila mary janes (red, black and light tan) that I wear with tailored slacks. Then I top it all off with a silk blouse and a whimsical jacket.
And now - (drumroll) - the bbag!!!!!!!!!:yahoo: :yahoo:

Leisure clothing here leans toward starched Wranglers and boots. I do spend real money on custom boots, but only every 3 - 4 years. Gap t-shirts do nicely under eBay sweaters or by themselves in the summer.

Oh - and I come home for lunch and fix soup and a sandwich.

I can see that more economies will be necessary as my addiction takes hold - I'm only on my 2nd bbag ....:P
 
#59
Thought this would be fun to bring up again, as I am evaluting my expenses right now! :P

Even though my bbag consumption will not keep up at the rate of 3 bags a month as it has been... I have been thinking about what I have been willing to give up, to further my bag purchases...

  • I've gone through my closet and eliminated bags that are NEW and were never used, and sold bags I'm no longer using- to get new ones...
  • Other then the occasional splurge, I am doing mani/pedi stuff at home.
  • NO more Starbucks 1-2x a day... when I was working in IL this was a huge $$ comsumption, not to mention the extra calories!! Good for the diet, good for the wallet.
  • Not dropping $200 everytime I'm in Sephora... sticking to cosmetic items that I know I love, or testing items in smaller groups.
  • Getting basics from Old Navy, Gap, JCrew, Nordstroms Caslon brand, American Eagle, etc...
Every little bit helps! Well, I think I am definately going to slow down for a bit, but conserving $$ helps for future purchases that I'm already plotting!:graucho:
 
#60
I have 3 teenagers (17 Boy-15 and 12 Girls) who are perfectly happy eating Kraft Macaroni and cheese until they leave for college - Cut my food budget down to nothing!! Gotta luv em!!!!:roflmfao: :roflmfao:
 
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