personal realization #3 a.k.a. the bath earrings

i like nice stuff.  i like to travel in first class.  stay in hotels that are at least 4 stars.  buy jewelry (full of semi-precious and precious stones & metal) for souvenirs while on vacation.  latest technology purchases fill me with glee.  tickets purchased to attend broadway shows or concerts must be in a certain section or i won't go.  paying over $50 for a steak seems perfectly reasonable to me.  buy only brand name food stuffs from target. 

realized that in the last 4 years or so a shift has occurred where i will generally always choose the more expensive of two options because i'm willing to pay for "quality". not sure why i think it's okay to pay almost $200 for a handbag because it was purchased at the outlet and i have an additional 10% off coupon. i've become very good at rationalizing purchasing what i'm realizing are luxury items because as l'oreal has taught me with it's clever marketing..."i'm worth it."

i do think i'm worth it but i also think i need to reevaulate how much i'm worth if i ever want to buy an apartment, spend two weeks in australia, have a nest egg in case (heaven forbid) a family member goes through hardship, etc.

decided that the shift occurred after my trip to london in the fall of 2007. while on a quick trip to bath, netter and i wandered into a jewelry store in the main square. i found these gorgeous pearl and diamond drop earrings. the saliva in my mouth went into overdrive when i put them up to my ears. if ever a pair of earrings personified me in metal and stones, it was this pair of earrings. the price tag was £169 equalling about $400. we were scheduled to get on the bus super soon so i had to make a decision about whether or not to purchase the earrings. i chose not to buy them. just couldn't justify spending that much money. i have wished on numerous occassions that i had chosen the "i'm worth it" path and brought those gorgeous earrings with me back to the states.

now i use the bath earrings as an example of whether or not to purchase something that i want but maybe might need to spend some serious time contemplating. if a friend is with me as i'm contemplating all he/she has to say is "bath earrings" to put me in the thinking of whether or not i'll really regret not purchasing whatever expensive but pretty thing i'm holding in my hands.  generally the "bath earrings" result is my suitcase is crowded because of all the things i purchased knowing i would really regret leaving them on the store shelves.