We all have our weaknesses, certain items that somehow speak to us more than others and have more wiggle room in terms of what we declare is a reasonable price. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem, right? Well, I, Savvy, am a Shoe Junkie (Junkess?). There have been shoes that have made me weak in the knees, even let out a little unexpected squeal of joy, but so far I've managed to keep my undying love for footwear under control and haven't put myself into any financial trouble.
So, when I came across this LA Times article titled "Manolo lovers feel financial pain at the pump," I was naturally drawn to it. The gist: "The glass slipper has shattered and consumers have resigned themselves to splurging. Case in point: You pick up a sandal and sigh with relief when it costs less than your monthly car payment. And those sale endorphins surge when you see $1,000 platforms marked down to $675."
Maybe shelling out that sale price is nowhere near some of our budgets, but what I'm asking is, to what extent have you resigned yourself to splurging? And what items are most likely to get you to splurge?
Max Mara
L.a.p.a.
QS By S.oliver
oh man i don't know! It varies all the time!
1I am a sucker for cute shirts on sale. I dunno why...but I am.
I'm really trying to cut back the splurging. But I tend to go through different splurge obsessions - everything from shoes to makeup to crafting.
2Handbags and shoes every time. They always fit!
3I probably allow myself to splurge once in a while, but I usually have my limits... I try to stick to buying things on sale: like when I buy jeans, I usually try to stay under $30... shoes... depending on what they are under $40 or $50... But purses... I think that's where my downfall is...
4I always splurge on shoes, purses, and books. But since planning a wedding I have been really good at not spending any money on those things, its hard.
5For me it varies, books, a nice meal, sometimes beauty products, like balth salts and lotions. I wish I could say shoes but it's so hard to find shoes in my size and width and they are cute. In the last year, I have been holding back but now that I have a new job, I need to replish my beauty products that I have run out of. I am on the last drop of lotion and that is with turning the bottle upside down. I will be shopping today!!!
6Shoes are a definite item that make me want to splurge...but, I always have a limit. i give myself a certain amount of spending money every month so if I save up for a few months, I can get an awesome pair of shoes! Or, if I spend it every month, I end up with a bunch of different cute things...just depends on the mood!
7Shoes are definatley my downfall. Every time we go to the mall I have to literally tell my friends not to let me buy shoes b/c usually I will walk out with at least 2 pairs! And my thing is if I find a FABULOUS pair I really like I have to get it in black and in another color.
Needless to say I'm always broke. Thank Goodness for my parents and my BF who spoil me. 
8I am a sucker for a handbag sale. I can not resist!
9it's really interesting to see what our threshold for pain is with shoes. i used to work at a high end designer retailer where i got a nice discount so my manolos really weren't as expensive but now that i'm not there and i don't make enough money to support my habit (thank you carrie bradshaw)....i've resorted to looking on eBay to see what i could find. not such a bad deal to be honest since a lot of people are good about selling their shoes
10I splurge on books and high-quality food ingredients. Gotta feed the brain and the body!
11My splurges are definitely dinners out. I tend to go all-out at restaurants!
12I tend to buy clothing items that are a bit pricier because they have better quality and will stand to the ticket price! However, I do spend a little more on good jeans and other wardrobe essentials.
13I have to say shoes are a guilty pleasure. Ive bought 4 new pairs in the last 2 weeks....but spring is coming. The other is purses .. and we wont go there on cost.
14I have a thing for dresses ... since dresses are an outfit in itself. And jackets/coats.
15Jeans. It's terrible.
16I have a thing for shoes. And bags. And clothes. And makeup. But I don't put myself into financial strain for them. I always buy what I can afford comfortably.
17Definitely handbags! And jeans sometimes. It's amazing what prices I consider reasonable now that I have lived in NYC for almost 5 years..
18I've always steered away from the Manolo lifestyle living on a Nine West salary. The most I've paid for a pair of shoes was $90. Yes, I do admire the luxury but I will never sacrifice what I pay for rent on a pair of shoes.
19Sucker for makeup. Even in the heat of financial brokeness i will delve SOME kind of money from somewhere to finance the purchase. Sephora- I still LOVE YOU! lol
20my biggest splurges have been bags...the best was an $800 bag for 330$...i was shaking when i bought that...and my others were bopth 160$, down from 350$....
i have purchased $200 boots, but for shoes the max would be like $150
and my last major weakness is a leather jacket...you can't have too many of those!
21I have been pretty good since I got married. Here and there I have some money to spend on shopping for me, my rule for the most part is dont spend anything over 50 on a single clothing item or pair of shoes. Oh! and I love Filene's Basement (employees excluded)
22I have no problem splurging on food, mainly various baking ingredients, but I can't stop buying cheap clothes, even though I don't buy a lot of them. I swear I have some kind of psychological block when it comes to pricier (or, according to my bf, normally priced) clothing and shoes.
23i splurge on makeup/skin care and food.
24Shoes, clothes, handbags, you name it. Shopping is my true weakness.
25Shoes and handbags are my downfall! But I am the queen of bargains.
My best buys recently were a pair of Manolos (just like the Mary-Jane stilettos Carrie got in Vogue closet on SATC) and a pair of Prada loafers for $160 each. I don't usually spend quite that much on shoes, but I couldn't resist
26I buy shoes and I'm not gonna stop. They will have to pry the shoeboxes from my cold little hands. I also love bags.
27i've had to avoid endless.com because of my weakness for shoes!
28My BFF and I talk about this a lot. Lately we've been buying barely anything. H&M's prices have gone up — I'm not paying $60 for a dress that isn't made well — and I can't afford boutiques, either. I've been really into saving money lately, and most of the time, I wind up feeling *better* in the long run because I didn't buy something that I didn't need.
That said, I would love a nice handbag. Maybe I'll find some crazy 90%-off sale?
29I don't really "splurge" I just buy what I want.
30Fine jewelry. Right now, I'm having a love affair with blue sapphires.
31I'm a shoe and handbag wh*re - Thankfully my mom buys me 2 nice handbags a year for my b-day and for Christmas.
32Clothes, shoes, handbags--I've splurged on them all. I love the clearance section at DSW and always spend more than I originally intended. But given the state of the economy and the fact that I'm shopping for a condo, I've reined in my spending this year and have been sticking closer to my budget. Sigh.
33The women I work with laugh when I talk about my "giant splurges," and call it "baby spending."
However, I buy at least one pair of excellently crafted sexy knee-high boots a year, and one supreme pair of heels. All my silly colorful shoes never cost more than $15, because I know I'll hardly wear them.
I always have: two pairs of my favorite expensive jeans. One dark wash, one light wash. I carry one perfect, versatile handbag. I always have two pairs of prescription glasses (one ultra-professional, one fashionable) And I have two of my favorite black suit.
If my clothes budget were bigger...I'd buy a car. (a Mini-Cooper) *grin*
34I splurge is spurts and its usually different ocd-in-the-moment splurges and not really one particular thing... but above all I'd have to say I splurge on make up the most.
35Splurging is different for different people. $90 for a pair of pumps is a splurge for me. $600?! Unfathomable.
36I noticed that about H&M, too, Bella. Why is that?! I thought part of their draw was that they had such great prices.
I don't really spend a lot shopping. My main splurges are going out to eat on the weekends.
37Yea I have a problem with shopping PERIOD.
38I'm the exact opposite. I have to buy something every weekend, but I barely spend a dime. I am a sucker for any kind of bargain, if the shoes are over £20 I rarely buy, I'd rather have two pairs of shoes for £20 than not even one!! I would love oneday to own some really nice manolos and I saw a Fiorelli handbag I just HAVE to go buy once my next paycheck comes in, but that was only £35...
Just never got into the whole "spending hundreds of dollars" thing. I change my wardrobe three or four times a year and I'm not broke.
39I only consider myself to be splurging when I know I shouldn't be spending the money but I do anyway. I love my LV bags and Cole Haan shoes and Yurman diamonds. Clothes I try to get on sale cause after one season I have to replace them.
40Makeup. I usually only shop Sephora, but I feel like I get the most for my money and it last forEVER.
41I think even $100 for a pair of shoes is tooooo expensive. I normally pay max $60 for a pair of shoes and $80 for a pair of boots. I don't buy high end brands like Jimmy Choo or Monolo..because quite honestly I can't afford it. I stil to Aldo and Nine West.
I spend alot on skin care products though because I don't want to compromise on my skin. But even then I don't shell out hundreds of dollars for a moisturizer.
I paid $270 for my graduation dress and I thought that was ALOT! I will probably spend like $500 on my wedding dress
42I'm pretty good about not splurging. I also happen to live in an area where no one would even notice if you were wearing the newest Loubs so what is the point? I love shoes and purses and think they are gorgeous but I'm not going to spend that kind of money on something.
43I am a total splurger. In addition to my $30 a paycheck Etsy budget, I am a total girly girl, so it's all about dresses and makeup for me! Also poetry volumes...yikes, no wonder I'm on this site:)
44Shoes! I never spend more than $200, but man, there are some shoes that are so pretty and unique that I'd be tempted to spend the $500 to call them mine. In those cases, I'd save and then definitely splurge! I am a shoe addict.
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