okay, why exactly did i pay that much…?
question of the day: why do we (some of us) crave to have the more expensive things in life? are they better? or do we just want that name brand on it?
if something is better, I can understand wanting the more expensive item. such as a mac laptop/ipad/ipod. I do think that these items are better than other options.
but what about the name brand concept? I admit that I am very guilty of this. I just spent 350 dollars on a pair of tory burch flats. They are something that I have wanted for a long time, yes. But are they THAT cute? I mean is their cuteness worth $350? Not really. They are gold faux snakeskin flats. I’ll wear them A LOT which means I can justify with myself the price of the shoes. But still….the majority of that price is because of the tory burch emblem on the shoe. It’s not like Mrs. Burch is my sister or anything…I don’t care to support her by wearing her name on everything. So this purchase really started to make me think. I’ve been chewing on it for a couple of weeks.
Then yesterday my sister and I went to Ulta (makeup/hair/all beauty things store galore). Of course I went straight to the Urban Decay section. There it was. The NAKED palette. I wanted it. I REALLY wanted it. Then I noticed the price. $50. FIFTY DOLLARS? for eyeshadow? I do agree that it is a great quality of eyeshadow, but geez that’s a lot of money. So I started walking around the store some more (holding on to my precious ‘naked’ palette just in case). The good thing about Ulta compared to other stores likes sephora, is that they have a whole side of the store for drugstore products. That means I can shop luxury makeup, or the cheap stuff. As I browsed, I started thinking about that whole namebrand thing again. I started to add things up, and the amount of drugstore eyeshadows I could buy for $50 compared to the just buying the ‘naked’ palette? A TON. So we left ulta, and I bought nothing because I was too busy thinking to actually buy the things I needed…..
So on the car ride home I continued thinking.
Why would I ever spend a chunk of money on something no one could even tell was expensive?
AH HA!!! I GOT IT!
I caught myself being interested in other people’s opinion of me. Subconsciously, I have been telling myself I love a product, and that I should spend a pretty penny for it, to impress others.
WOW SHALLOW MUCH? I was very disappointed in myself. Coming to this conclusion is so sad but true. I could honestly buy the visual equivalent of most things that I spend a lot on, for so much cheaper, sans the name brand. That is an obvious statement, but the reasoning is so pathetic.
OKAY so I do love having nice things. Doesn’t everybody? I do agree that you get what you pay for. I have owned a fake louis Vuitton bag. I know GASP. I was in 8th grade and stupid. So of course it fell apart in about 3 weeks. (NOTE: I no longer support the black market so don’t attack me people!) Another point is, I didn’t choose a MacBook to impress others. I adore OS X. I wanted to be able to edit videos. Steve Jobs is my hero sorda. I don’t care what anyone thinks about my computer bc I chose it for me. But on the other hand why did I beg my parents for my LV speedy for four years? I mean do I really look at that bag and say “OH THE STYLE IS JUST IMPECCABLE! IT’S GORGEOUS!” no not really. It’s kind of ugly when you think about it. It has been the most reliable and durable bag I have ever owned, though. But honestly, I saw disney channel stars carrying them and then I wanted one. And the monogram would tell everyone in the world ‘hey look i have the same purse as miley cyrus-look at me now i’m gettin paper” type thing.
I don’t know. I’m still thinking about the whole situation. Bottom line, I have decided to put more thought into my purchases. Some things are worth the money. But I really want to start thinking about why exactly I want the item. I don’t want to value other’s opinions of me so much that I lose track of who I really am….or go broke. I like having nice things-it makes me happy-but I want to start purchasing things for the right reasons, and be more money conscious. Plus, once I have a legit job of my own, I’ll be spending money I earned, which of course will give things more value to me. Right now I just spend my savings and gift money, or the items are given to me as gifts.
I don’t know. I’m not hating on brand name divas at all. I’m guilty of shallow shopping. I admit it. But it’s not worth it if it’s for the wrong reasons. What do you think?
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