Hello everyone, to start off im 17 yrs old my birthday is coming up as well as my high school graduation. Since i was 15 years old I’ve wanted a designer bag but could not afford one. Anyways, I’ve been looking at the Alma BB Bag from Louis Vuitton. I have the money to purchase this bag, but I really don’t know if it’s worth it buying such an expensive bag. Its a dream of mine to own one, and I’ve never found a bag I liked. Until i saw the alma bb. Its like its made for me. Anyways I need advice please.
Should I buy the bag?
- Thread starter Izzy16
- Start date
If you were my daughter, asking me for advice, that would be my advice.
Will you have money in savings after spending all of this money on a designer handbag? Or will this purchase spend all of the money you have available? At 17 years old, your parents should be teaching you about conservative spending.
Why do you want an expensive handbag at 17 years old? For that amount of money you could fly roundtrip to an all expenses paid vacation with a friend or three.
We told our children to focus on EXPERIENCING LIFE at a young age. Worry about THINGS later. The accumulation of "stuff" especially expensive stuff should not even be on your radar.
I don't know how much money you have saved up but assuming you have just the money you need to buy this bag, no bag is worth 100% of your savings or two years of your life. But that's just my opinion. You should do what you think is right. GL
I think not. I am by no mean expert in life and I can't coach you how to live your life or spend your money but this is my 2c to this matter. No Designer bags are really worth it because it is just a bag after all. I will not ask you to invest at such young age but it should be your emergency fund to fall back on, simple as that. Willingness to spend such a big amount of money on luxury goods now can cause you problem later. It can make you want more and more, and it is not healthy. You can buy the alma now but if next season LV comes out with a bag that makes your heart skip a beat, you want it so bad ..... you are gonna spend your entire saving on that too? Things like this escalates pretty fast. Let's not start it in the first place, not at this age at least.
Do some self reflection and answer why it's your dream to own a designer bag. Why a designer bag, over say jewelry or a car? Is your motivation just to own something "designer?" At 17 you certainly deserve to have something to commemorate your accomplishments but please consider your long term goals vs immediate gratification.
You've got scholarships and grants covering tuition, maybe even room & board. What about books? A laptop? Spending money? There are a lot more costs to college than simply tuition.
Next, dorms are often breeding ground for theft. Why? Roommates forget to lock the door, students are coming in and out visiting... what if your Alma got stolen? How heartbreaking would that be?
Here's my advice: open up a high-yield savings account (if you're in the United States, I love Capital One 360). Put the money you've saved in one account, and create a second account: your handbag fund. Start it with a "downpayment" of $100 from your savings. Then build on it. Make it a goal to put $25/month in that account-- by the time you graduate college, you'll have at least $1300 to use towards a new bag that can go with you to job interviews, grad school, or whatever is next! Your style might change, or you might decide you want to spend that money on a trip.
I got my first (and so far, only) designer bag when I turned 30. It was a special moment for me because I waited for that moment for so long-- I was financially and physically stable, and had paid off my student loans.
The idea that you're asking "I really don’t know if it’s worth it buying" tells me you kind of know that this isn't the most responsible choice-- and you might feel some guilt every time you look at the Alma if you buy it. I don't feel any guilt looking at my Neverfull-- it was carefully planned and saved for. You deserve that joy too!
Next, dorms are often breeding ground for theft. Why? Roommates forget to lock the door, students are coming in and out visiting... what if your Alma got stolen? How heartbreaking would that be?
Here's my advice: open up a high-yield savings account (if you're in the United States, I love Capital One 360). Put the money you've saved in one account, and create a second account: your handbag fund. Start it with a "downpayment" of $100 from your savings. Then build on it. Make it a goal to put $25/month in that account-- by the time you graduate college, you'll have at least $1300 to use towards a new bag that can go with you to job interviews, grad school, or whatever is next! Your style might change, or you might decide you want to spend that money on a trip.
I got my first (and so far, only) designer bag when I turned 30. It was a special moment for me because I waited for that moment for so long-- I was financially and physically stable, and had paid off my student loans.
The idea that you're asking "I really don’t know if it’s worth it buying" tells me you kind of know that this isn't the most responsible choice-- and you might feel some guilt every time you look at the Alma if you buy it. I don't feel any guilt looking at my Neverfull-- it was carefully planned and saved for. You deserve that joy too!
There are a lot of people who have taken the time to give you great advice here. This is clearly a big expense for you (normal, you are 17 and starting your life!) and you are about to embark on your college journey. Even though you may have scholarships, being a college student is very expensive and I would save as much money as possible until I am done.
I just want to acknowledge that you have done a lot of things right already. Being focused enough to save approx. $2,000 for a high quality item that will last you a long time at a such a young age is amazing. You then come on this forum to ask advice from people who presumably have more life experience than you before making the purchase. Obviously you are smarter and more focused than most 17 year old out there. Good on you and I respect that. These are all great qualities that will serve you well in life.
If you really want to get a designer item, maybe you should buy a Key Cles. It would be a good way to see how much you like LV and it is a useful item that you can tuck away discreetly in your school bag. You can place your school ID, dorm keys, etc. on it, and it is probably way more useful as a college student. I agree that spending all of your saving on a bag at any age is a really a terrible idea; however, I do understand your desire to celebrate your accomplishments. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders! Congrats!
