Luxury items always seemed to elude me; I never thought I’d buy them, always assumed they were out of my price range and just figured luxury was meant for someone other than me. Can you relate? Good news! I’ve learned how to buy luxury items and save money in the process. All without buying fakes or dupes – at this point in my life I am way above wearing anything fake and the reason for owning luxury items in the first place is to enjoy the look and feel – not to wear a label or logo.
What are Luxury Brands?
The top 15 luxury brands this year are: Gucci, Chanel, Hermes, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Rolex. Tiffany, Prada, Versace, Armani, Valentino, Balenciaga, Cartier, Burberry, and Omega. These names carry hefty price tags but are made of the finest quality leather goods, fabrics, and metals. They are investments for sure.
How You Can Afford Luxury Items
Have your eye on a particular item? Maybe there’s a brand you’d love to own or have admired for some time. There are a few options available if you’d like to make a luxury item yours! Option one is to save, save, save! I’ll share how I did that in just a bit. Another option is to buy a pre-loved item. There are several online sites specializing in this service.
The Real Real, Fashionphile, Rebag, just to name a few! You can also shop Ebay, and Poshmark as well but you’ll have to do your research ahead of time to be certain you are buying the real deal. You can save hundreds of dollars this way but you have to be ready to act quickly when you find the item you want because inventory is not guaranteed.
My Experience
When I was in college, I dated someone who loved buying Gucci watches for me – over the course of our long courtship (we were supposed to get married btw) he bought me at least 3! He was Italian and loved the brand. At that time – late 1980’s – I honestly could not have cared less. They were beautiful watches and I certainly enjoyed them but I was a simple college girl. How I wish I had them now! I really have no idea what happened to them.
Over the years I have enjoyed some designer bags like Coach and Michael Kors. I had my eye on a Tory Burch bag for awhile and bought a small crossbody during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale this past summer. Meanwhile, one of my best friends started collecting a slew of luxury items. She had always wanted a Louis Vuitton Neverfull bag. Her husband got her that for her 50th birthday and from there she continued to add accessories and other bags. She shared her shopping experiences with me and definitely planted the seed.
When I started to feel the “pull” it was hard for me to accept at first. The internal struggle was real. How could I buy a handbag that cost more than my first car? Needless to say it took me about 2 years to come to grips with the fact that it was okay for me to treat myself. Furthermore, as I have matured, I felt the need to have fewer but better pieces. The first item I purchased was my Gucci belt and I bought it on Poshmark. I made sure it was authentic prior to purchasing and it was in excellent condition.
How I Saved and Scored Two More Luxury Items
That first Gucci belt was purchased with blog income. I made a deal with myself that any luxury items would be purchased by me and for me with any extra income. In September I met my future sister in law (my husband’s bother was remarrying). She shared with me that she donates her plasma as a way to subsidize her income and allow her to show her dog (which is quite costly). My interest having been piqued, I looked into it and realized the compensation was insane! The incentive for a new donor was $1100 for 8 donations! Let me be clear: I am not in any way saying you should donate plasma to afford a luxury handbag – I decided to donate plasma and figured I could use the extra money to help subsidize the extra expenses tied to my private practice, and to travel. But when I realized the amount of money I could earn at this one time it seemed to be a good motivator – I’d buy myself a Gucci bag! My husband teased me that I’d be buying it with blood money – ha!!
After researching bags via YouTube and websites, I decided I wanted the Gucci Marmont small metalasse shoulder bag. Once I had my money saved up I was ready to purchase. Before purchasing from the Gucci website, I scanned Fashionphile just in case. Wow! I found the bag (this is the actual listing) I wanted and it was several hundred dollars less. In fact, with the money I saved I was able to purchase another Gucci belt! I liked my black belt so much I wanted to add one in a lighter color.
Things to Consider
So, my story is my story and you are either thinking I am completely crazy or the idea is genius. Doesn’t matter to me either way. I share this story – as I do all my stories – to give you something to consider. If you’d really like a luxury bag or other item, there are ways to get the real deal more affordably.
When my bag arrived from Fashionphile it was beautifully wrapped, came in a Gucci box with a dust bag and came directly from Fashionphile. The belt I ordered from Gucci came beautifully wrapped as well with all the accoutrements. So either way, purchasing from a site like Fashionphile or directly from the brand, your luxury item will be delivered beautifully wrapped, only adding to the entire experience. This may be the answer to what you’d like for Christmas or maybe you are thinking of gifting a luxury item to someone else!
Shop Luxury Now!
Fashionphile has jewelry, shoes, handbags – everything! Here are some items that caught my eye!
- Evereve Fall Try On
- Then and Now: Jeans
- Tonal Ecru Denim Outfit Idea
- Friday Favorites September 15
- Cardigans Then and Now
