Should I buy my first luxury piece of jewelry, or spend it on travel?

[peppamint]

Not really

You see, it's a very specific city...
I don't know if you ever been to European cities before. Rome maybe, London or Barcelona? Those cities are not like Paris, and that's why many people are often disappointed when they visit it for the first time alone. At first impression Paris is often may seem cold and unwelcoming to a single person. But if they're with their loved ones, Paris will be seen from a different perspective - city of love

Thank you for the feedback--I'll keep that in mind as I am sightseeing

Split your budget in half and get both! Chech hotwire for best rate hotels

We took United Economy. We took advantage of a pricing error and paid $570 RT each for 4 tickets. My husband bought his parents' tickets separately for $1206? $1230?

Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to get that rate. I think the cheapest I've seen is Air France at around $1700 RT, economy.

 

[elizabethtwrs]

just wanted to chime in your thread! so excited that you decided to do BOTH! it would be such a wonderful experience to be able to travel to paris and buy back something precious to remember the holiday by! i second the other posts that you can stay in paris for much cheaper... i stayed in an apartment right on the doorstep of a metro for 75 euros a night and it was wonderful. can't wait to hear about your holiday when you get back and what you decided to buy in the end

 

[kath2]

I'd just like to point out that if you were to go to Paris with a boyfriend or husband, it would rule out the possibility of a weekend fling with a Frenchman

. . . . .

 

[k*d]

Thank you for the feedback--I'll keep that in mind as I am sightseeing





Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to get that rate. I think the cheapest I've seen is Air France at around $1700 RT, economy.

Try signing up for price alerts on Trip Advisor. I still get alerts and they had RT nonstop airfare for as low as $831 today. You just have to be flexible on dates.

 

[peppamint]

just wanted to chime in your thread! so excited that you decided to do BOTH! it would be such a wonderful experience to be able to travel to paris and buy back something precious to remember the holiday by! i second the other posts that you can stay in paris for much cheaper... i stayed in an apartment right on the doorstep of a metro for 75 euros a night and it was wonderful. can't wait to hear about your holiday when you get back and what you decided to buy in the end

Thanks for the feedback! Did you find this apartment through airbnb?

I'd just like to point out that if you were to go to Paris with a boyfriend or husband, it would rule out the possibility of a weekend fling with a Frenchman

. . . . .

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLing so hard right now. Since I'm single, the question is whether a weekend fling with a Frenchman is a good or bad thing.

Try signing up for price alerts on Trip Advisor. I still get alerts and they had RT nonstop airfare for as low as $831 today. You just have to be flexible on dates.

Thank you so much for all your help k*d!!!! I'll do this. I've heard some not-so-great things about XL airways unfortunately, but I'm seeing some other reasonable numbers--1300 for Air Canada isn't bad either!

 

[RedPoppies]

If I had to choose to go to Paris or buy jewelry I would choose Paris in a heartbeat... and I have already been there!

If you do plan on buying your first piece of fine jewelry I definitely recommend getting something classic or meaningful... something you'll love for a long time. For instance, I wear my beautiful wedding ring and 1 carat total weight stud earrings everyday and I LOVE them. However a lot of my other jewelry has come and gone and while I loved the things I had for a while, I love the pictures, tokens, and memories of my travels far more. Good luck, dear! It is a tough choice!

 

[gelatolover]

If I had to choose to go to Paris or buy jewelry I would choose Paris in a heartbeat... and I have already been there!

If you do plan on buying your first piece of fine jewelry I definitely recommend getting something classic or meaningful... something you'll love for a long time. For instance, I wear my beautiful wedding ring and 1 carat total weight stud earrings everyday and I LOVE them. However a lot of my other jewelry has come and gone and while I loved the things I had for a while, I love the pictures, tokens, and memories of my travels far more. Good luck, dear! It is a tough choice!

Well said!!!

 

[Pursejoy9]

What did you do? I would go to paris, and then go to a French jewelry store, Cartier or Hermes, and buy something in my budget that is a memory of the trip. That way you got both the trip and the jewelry as a memory. You sound young. Travel alot and cheaply, and use the rest to buy jewelry.

 

[arwen]

I love travelling, always have and always will. Due to various reasons I did not travel that much the last 5 years but I still live on the memories I have of all my past journeys.

Paris is amazing. It took me quite long to finally go there, somehow other places seemed more interesting. I went there on my own for 4 days during a golden October week and it was a great trip.
I spent my time seeing all tourist places, museums, strolling along the city and of course, shopping.
I am a perfume addict and which better place to go than Paris!

But I live on continental Europe, so Paris is not a 5000 USD trip. For 5000 USD I would rather go somewhere else or indeed buy jewelry.

Still, a real holiday for me is one that I spend abroad. Time flies differently in unfamiliar surroundings and you should travel while you can. There will be enough time for jewelry. And even though a trip to your local Cartier dealer surely is a remarkable experience, Paris is something you will remember your entire life.

 

[umbriel]

Life is all about experiences lady, during the years I've regreted about useless things I've bought, but never a trip that I took. At the end of the day your jewelries can only bring you limited pleasure but what you have experienced make you a complete person.

 

[westcoastgal]

I love jeweley but travel is so amazing isn't it! And it will shape you! Do both if you can, but just take a trip and buy something within your budget! and eat all the delicious things you want while you are there!

 

[aerinha]

I like to buy jewelry while I travel. Makes a great souvenir. Every time I wear the necklace I bought in Spain I think of how I blundered my way around trying to find the store based on my lousy map skills which sounds awful but it was my first trip abroad and I had fun that day.

 

[webofspinach]

Please indulge the ramblings of someone who's been there, done that.

While I love bling just as much as any typical gal. In my foolish youth, I spent many a time obsessing over certain pieces of jewelry, that, once acquired, only led to even more additions on my bling wish list. And the funny thing is, it always started with my belief that if ever I would get the (fill in the blanks here: Trinity ring, Rolex watch, Roberto Coin gold ring, Tiffany X gold bracelet, Mikimoto pearls, gold David Yurman thoroughbred bracelet,...ad infinitum), then I wouldn't want to buy any more bling... Yeah, right.

Now all these baubles are just taking up space, most of them unused for years and forgotten.

I guess you know where this is leading......

I would pick travel over bling. (I just wish that I'd known then what I do now). Go to Paris for 7 days (somehow, it doesn't seem worth the $2500 air fare just to stay there for 5 days). If you can get a hotel room for 7 days at $200 each = $1400 plus $75/day for food, that leaves $575 for your pass navigo, admission tickets to the Louvre, Versailles, and Le Tour Eiffel, perhaps a performance at the Chatelet, lots of macarons, fromage, and countless glasses of vin and cafe whilst sitting on one of the sidewalk cafe chairs, soaking in the ambiance, and whispering to yourself, over and over......"J'adore Paris!"

Sorry to hijack this thread... but gelatolover's comment was just so on-the-money, and was such a good reminder for me personally as well. It was literally 3 years ago that I was thinking "I just want this one bracelet..." and then "I just want this one LV and that's all..." and so on, and so on...etc, and now, i'm fantasizing about material goods I never even thought I would want.

It's very easy to forget / form the habit of forgetting about the value of experiences... memories are forever, being in 'the now' is forever.

And the thing is, I think that it's GREAT to want 'stuff' (especially for the 'right reasons' -- like you truly love it and want it and have 'earned it' in whatever way makes sense to you, and not to 'keep up with the Joneses' or show off or preen or whatever). Plus having 'material aspirations' to work toward keeps you motivated to work hard!

But...

There's no end to wanting.
Buying jewelry/high end items really does just beget the desire for more of them like an addiction (...it's kind of like if I eat a non-healthy, sugary cereal first thing in the morning thinking I should indulge... I enjoy it, sure, but then I just want MORE cereal all day long )... anyway, that's all!
/ramble

 

[lovechildmonste]

Life is all about experiences lady, during the years I've regreted about useless things I've bought, but never a trip that I took. At the end of the day your jewelries can only bring you limited pleasure but what you have experienced make you a complete person.

I almost cried when I heard this.

 

[uhpharm01]

I've never been to Paris before. I'm voting for the trip to Paris and go and have a good time and flirt with the French men. Have fun in Paris, France.