It's no secret: I L-O-V-E accessories. Shoes, handbags, and sunnies are always what I gravitate towards when considering a new purchase. As I've matured (hello 30's!), so have my tastes, and with that comes higher $$ tags on the items I love. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that G got me my first truly high-end designer handbag this Christmas. I'm almost 33. And I just got my first large ticket item. But you know what? I'm grateful that we waited. Waited until we had the cash to purchase it outright instead of going into debt. In fact, all my expensive items are purchased in cash. Which led me to think that sharing how I purchase my high price items might enable some of you to feel like you can do the same! So here we go:
1) SPEND a lot OF TIME WITH THE ITEM
When I'm considering a purchase, I go and visit the item I'm contemplating over and over and over while I'm saving for it. I talk to different sales people at different stores. I ask Q"s of people on social media who have the bag. I spend time dreaming about what I'd wear the item with, and make note of every time I wish I had it to complete an outfit. Essentially, I want to see if my love for the item decreases, if others who have spent the money love it, and get a feel for how often I'd wear it if it were in my closet. All my big purchases have followed several months of this type of dreaming, and get worn again and again as a result.
2) HAVE AN OUT OF THE WAY SPOT TO STASH CASH
I save by hiding every gift card and all my change in a wallet that's behind my "extras" box in the linen cupboard - aka, somewhere I don't go often at all. This makes it easy for me to forget the money is there and save. It can take months, but eventually I'm able to grab my item in cash.
3) TALK ABOUT IT
It may sound silly, but I talk over items and why I love them with G constantly. I can't tell you how many times I took him to see my Coach Rogue before I made the purchase (okay, I could tell you... but it's embarrassing...). For me, having someone who really knows me to talk through the purchase with helped. I knew that if I was going after an item that was not going to work for me long-term, he'd say something. It made me much more confident in the purchase, and helped keep me accountable on the days I wanted to raid my cash stash and get some new jeans!
That's it! Dream, stash, & talk it out. What are some of your favorite big-ticket purchases?
