"think of all the things you could've bought for $X,XXX!"

[wintersong]

sooo yesterday my best friend and i were talking. at the moment, she has a pretty hefty collection of designer silver jewelry (yurman, tiffanys, pandora) and was talking about how she wants to get these gold tiffany earrings, but isn't sure she spend so much on jewelry.

i told her that if she added up all of her other pieces in price, she could probably buy the earrings like 5x over haha and she told me that that's her problem--if she buys something for more than ~$500, she starts thinking of all the little things she could have gotten for that much.

does anyone else feel like this? i feel like the opposite, lol, spending $500 on a luxury item is spending on a luxury item, be it 5 smaller pieces or 1 big one. i spend a lot on jewelry (LOL i have since back because i'm a woking college girl), but i don't have a huge collection, whereas she spends almost as much, but hers probably is double mine. i'd rather put down money for one nice big item than several smaller ones. we do the same things, but have a different mindset about it.

opinions? haha.

 

[Junkenpo]

I really think it depends on what makes your heart sing. Some people like to have a lot of stuff to rotate depending on mood and some like having those very special (often very expensive) pieces and not as many of them. It reminds me of the Coach vs. LV vs. H discussions or the clothes vs. Jewelry thread that popped up here. lol

My clothing budget is small. I don't eat out often. I don't need the latest phone or electronic gadgets. My car is 9 years old.

...but I love my Tiffany, H, and VCA jewelry.

 

[emchhardy]

I think I was in this mentality of buying more instead of one larger ticket item because I was trying to build up my jewelry collection. I accumulated a pretty decent collection of Tiffany silver as a result of that. I purchased my first large (at least for me in terms of cost) ticket Tiffany YG item this week. It's the knot key with the 16" chain. It's gorgeous and makes me feel like a million dollars wearing it. I think this one purchase kind of shifted my mentality in that I would rather buy less pieces and be more particular about the pieces I add (in that I want them to give me that same feeling this piece gave for me, regardless of price point). I'm probably going to look through my Tiffany silver collection and sell off some pieces and for future, take my time more with jewelry buying (I've bought a lot this year).

 

[LVoeletters]

I always think about "if I added this this and this together I could have bought that". So that's what I try to stick to, issue is even that is a slippery slope. I thought buying the love bangle and putting money towards that instead of other things I wanted was smart, and even then I started thinking after "hmm maybe I should have waited and got the 4 diamond one".

Even now as I am planning out my purchases I think "hmm I can buy a nice sized diamond pendant from Tiffany if I wait and save..." And then I think "hmm... But more could get me a vca 10 motif..." It never ends haha

 

[NikkisABagGirl]

I am sort of the opposite. My problem is I love bags, shoes, make-up, jewelry, clothing. Sometimes I don't know what to concentrate on. I need to learn to stay on track for larger purchases that will make me more happy.

 

[ame]

I tend to think "if I hadn't wasted so much on crappy bench work in the past, I would have been able to pay for x x and x" but DH and I were saying today that if anyhing happens to my ering ever again we're probably not going to replace it this time and just use that money towards the house or something. I don't wear it enough to justify it.

 

[fashionscoop]

I think that you should have less jewelry pieces that are more expensive because there is only so much jewelry you can wear at once without looking like a Christmas tree. I am glad that I have purchased mostly Cartier and VCA jewelry because I still love it everyday and have no regrets about my purchases. Instead of having multiple strands of pearls I own a strand of Mikimoto pearls because I love them. I know I could probably buy 50 pearl necklaces for what one Mikimoto costs but I wouldn't enjoy any of them.

 

[HauteMama]

When I was younger I definitely tended more toward quantity over quality. However, time tends to change people, and as things stand, I would rather have a few stand-out items that I regularly wear than many smaller or less expensive pieces. But you are right that in many cases it equals the same amount of money spent either way, so it just depends on a person's priorities.

 

[stmary]

I used to buy little things of jewellery but am now trying to buy smart. I just got into jewellery about 4-5 years ago and at the beginning, i love to buy small YG pieces from Tiffany's (all DBTY) but now I concentrate on bangles, watches and necklaces from VCA and Cartier. I am now resisting temptation to get the sweet collection from vca because am saving for the perlee bangle in YG. I just hope I can be good and don't do silly mistake.

 

[arwen]

I used to buy more little things than just a huge big one in the past.
It's much easier to spend a little here and there instead of saving up for a big item.

That's how my Trollbeads collection grew steadily over the years and some time ago
I made the mistake and did the maths, I think it was when I had my first really expensive jewelry goal....and nearly fell off my chair when I saw to which amount all those "little beads" had added up.

Somehow this has cleared my mind, plus all those many beads just made me sick somehow, I felt I had way too much, never wore all of them regularly, stopped long time ago to constantly design new bracelets, had a few favourites ready to grab and go and that was it.

Since then I stopped buying more and instead concentrate on less. It's not easy, often when I've set my mind on something I get distracted along the way and honestly I am pretty impatient when it comes to buying. If I want something it is really hard for me to wait months until I have reached my goal.
This is why I was quite happy with bead buying I suppose.

I read a great mantra here, sorry, forgot who has posted that: Don't give up what you really want for what you want now. That helps me to focus and I actually really feel better buying less but more quality and luxury.
In my dreams I become purist and just have a few key items, all very well loved and regularly worn. And that would be for all categories: shoes,
clothes, jewelry, perfume...
And if I could go back in time and give some advice to my younger shopping ego, I would tell her to buy less small things and rather wait and save for a high end piece.

 

[skyqueen]

When I was 35/40 (good ole days) I was in the financial position to buy expensive, classic pieces and I did. Glad I did when I could...with prices constantly rising I probably couldn't do it at today's rate. Now if a see a fun piece of jewelry I buy it without guilt. I have my staples.
With the exception of my diamond collar necklace I haven't spent a lot on expensive jewelry in years.
Designer bags on the other hand.................................................

 

[Sugardragon]

I used to be someone who bought everything that caught my eye. That leads to either a lot of cheap stuff or a big bill. I made a separate jewelry savings account and deposit money each paycheck. Once a year it is set up to dump all the money into my main account. I only go shopping when the money is released. (In fact it is set for this week. Happy dance!)

During the year I keep a wish list of everything and anything that catches my eye. A few weeks before the shopping spree I sit with the list and make decisions. A lot of things I've fallen out of love with and cross off the list, a few things would be nice to have, and at least one item still makes my heart dance. If the special item is expensive it might be the only thing I get. If I have money left I keep working down the list.

This year it will be several items as I've recently developed a taste for silver and after 30 years of buying only yellow gold I really am starting from zero.

I know this system wouldn't work for the bargain hunters or the super fashionable who have to jump when things come up but it has worked for me for many years.

 

[Vegas Long Legs]

I tend to think "if I hadn't wasted so much on crappy bench work in the past, I would have been able to pay for x x and x" but DH and I were saying today that if anyhing happens to my ering ever again we're probably not going to replace it this time and just use that money towards the house or something. I don't wear it enough to justify it.

May I ask who your insurance carrier is? You really scored if you found one that will just give you cash back.

Some of us discussed this in anther thread. How all the carriers have changed their policies in the last 5 years to the stand that one MUST replace jewelry, item for item.
They are not giving back money. (Ins Co claim there was a lot of fraud before when they didn't do this.) None of us could find one that just pays back without all the control.
So some of us aren't insuring.

I have a less is more policy on jewelry. What I have is very nice but don't have a ton of stuff. Although DH would disagree with the last part of that statement.

 

[BreadnGem]

Good thread! Very interesting to read all the comments : )

I go back and forth on this. Mostly, i try to spend on one nice item instead of several small ones. When i am tempted by a fun piece of jewellery, i resist by telling myself that this $100, $200 or whatever can be put towards something nicer, like a nice watch or bigger diamond.

But there are times when i give in. For e.g., it is so easy to just buy Tiffany silver cos i feel less guilty spending a couple of hundred dollars each time as opposed to a couple of thousand bucks in one shot.

 

[Carnel]

I've always thought it's better to buy less but better quality...For instance I don't need to have 10 different watches when one Rolex is enough most of the time

I feel the same about clothes, shoes, bags...of course with time I tend to have more and more stuff but I still believe in saving and waiting until I can get the best quality wise...my next project being a Love bracelet!