How much would you pay for…

I’m with Jaka and Stephanie on this right now. I’m a broke student and just can’t afford to pay more than $50 on most of the things listed (and would prefer to pay far less). Right now my main thing is trying to make everything I already have last as long as possible, watching for things I can use on freecycle.org, and checking second hand stores. I’ve also told friends and family to check with me before getting rid of anything functional in case I can use it. I have no shame! (But also no job, so, y’know.)

That said, when I did have money I was willing to pay more for what I liked. I’m in Canada and plus sized so my selection is limited, and often the attractive clothes in my size are quite pricey (overpriced, in my opinion .. a lot of the more stylish things at stores like Addition-Elle look nice but aren’t very well made and it really upsets me). I also paid more than 200 british pounds to order a pair of wide calf boots from an English website because it’s impossible to find wide calf boots in Toronto. I even paid $100 for a handbag once because it was this awesome banana-yellow colour and looked really well-made (normally I wouldn’t pay more than maybe $40 for a new purse), but it wasn’t real leather and it started flaking after a couple of months, so I’ll probably never pay that much again unless it’s the real thing. I can relate to the paying more for quality and keeping purchases minimal lifestyle. I think that will be me once I have a decent income again and get out of student debt.

There’s one other thing I just thought of that I’d like to add, about the $700 shoes — I know I can’t be the only one who’d look at $700 shoes marked down to $300 and say, “Woah, that’s a deal!” but yet scoff at other shoes that are full priced at $300.

FB, have you ever written about this sort of spending psychology before? I have no idea how I’d search your blog on this, and your archives aren’t exactly small. I’m pretty sure that has a name, too, but I can’t think of it right now…

Personally, I’d just wear heels like that whenever I got the chance. (Mall walking trips for me, usually, since I can’t drive in them.) Then again, they’d be shoes I’d be in love with, so I’d want to wear them every chance I got. So what if they’re tucked under jeans and nobody notices? I don’t buy shoes for everyone else to gawk at. I’m more jealous of the girls who can wear designer stuff (no names splashed across it, just designer labels inside) so casually and just be like, “Yeah, this is me, on a regular Friday.”
.-= Foxie´s last blog ..The Year of Extravagant Birthdays =-.

I usually keep a mental list of things that I will eventually need (not necessarily have an immediate need for) so I can shop around and get the best deal. Most items I can usually obtain for about 75% off. I love stores like Loehmann’s, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, Filene’s Basement, Smartbargains.com, Amazon.com, and Overstock.com. If you hit the right sale, use coupons, and take advantage of special offers you can really get amazing items for a fraction of the cost.

* Purse – I try to spend under $150. I can usually get a bag that retails $300-$400 for less than $150.
*Winter Jacket – I just spent $108 on a beautiful, wool DKNY winter coat that retails for $418.
*A pair of boots – $150 and under. I have a pair black boots and brown boots both of which are high quality leather, and I can walk a mile in with no problems. I probably spent about $100 on them combined. My shoe guy keeps them in good condition, so I really won’t need boots for awhile. I hit some great sales in order to get these boots.
*Casual but not formal dress – $150 (this seems to be my price point) I have one dress in my closet that I spent $157 on; everything else was usually much less than $100.

Hmmm… being another young’un my price points are pretty low to start off!

* Purse: $50 (just bought a beautiful new one, which is how much it cost_
* Winter Jacket: $250
* A pair of boots: I’ve never spent above 40, but I guess I might go up to $100 or more. Not to sure…
* A casual but not formal dress: $90
.-= eemusings´s last blog ..Protected: Moving on up – email me at eemusings[at]gmail.com for the magic word =-.

“I wouldn’t pay for a brand new car with all the trimmings, but some other girls might (Foxie?) …”

Mmm, maybe, depending on what we’re talking about here. I spend more on my clothing now because it causes me to spend on clothing less frequently. Somehow, it causes me to save more, plus think through each item and decide if it’s something I’m crazy about or meh. The “meh” stuff no longer gets a home here.

Honestly, most of the cars I’m after are old. Nearly as old as I am for some. I’m probably the only girl you’ll run into who’s craving the gem that is the 1986 Toyota Corolla hatchback. (I would die if I could find one, but they’re so f’in hard to get in decent shape!!) It’s just that my tastes lead me back to cars from decades gone by… If I had $30k to spend on cars, you’d better give me a stable because I’d be coming home with at least three.

I’ve dreamed of buying a car like a Ferrari brand new, but I’m not sure that’ll ever happen either. The way I put it is that buying a Ferrari used is like buying any other car brand new, you just don’t pick out all the options yourself. (Mileage is fairly close, I’ve seen cars selling with 250 miles. Ridiculous!) But…. If the Fiat 500 made it to the states, I’d be extremely tempted!!

One final note — I do crave a beautiful pair of Loubou’s, but I think if I ever spend that much on shoes I am sure as hell going to be able to drive in them! With some sales, they don’t have to be *so* bad…..
.-= Foxie´s last blog ..The Year of Extravagant Birthdays =-.

I definitely spend more now than when I was younger since I earn more, and I also don’t feel as thrown-back by a steep price as I would have a few years ago since I’ve learnt to appreciate quality.
I think I’d spend up to $ 600 on a purse if it’s one that I really want, a winter jacket I’d spend $ 400 on, boots up to $ 150 and a dress I’ll spend up to around $ 150 on as well.

Since I am still in my student days, my ceiling limits tend to be lower.

Purse: $40
Winter Jacket: $150
A pair of boots: $100
A casual but not formal dress: $60

I am trying to change from considering only price to considering price and quality.

Hm, what I’ve actually spent vs. my mental ceiling is different. I guess I’m ok with what I spent at the time but I don’t know that I’d do it again or more than once a year:

Coat: $300 (after 50% off sale)
Bag: $300
Dress: usually more around the >$50 neighborhood, but have spent $200 depending on the occasion.
Boots: no idea, haven’t had a good pair of (tall) boots ever.
.-= Revanche´s last blog .."Keep Unread" could be my undoing =-.

Holy crap. Everyone’s responses make me feel so…cheap. Money’s tight around here (we’re not making much) and I’ve been raised to keep my spending down, so spending more than $50 for any single item (or pair of shoes) raises my hackles. And it applies to when other people spend money on my clothing – I literally got nauseated when my brother (bless his heart) bought me a $150 formal dress for a homecoming in college.

Oh, me, me! I like games.

Purse: Erm, my last one cost me $100… BCBG tote bag from Gilt. It retired my $300 Coach, since I got tired of feeling like a label. (But I still love the bag for the colors, it’s just a tad dirty and has been in use for over a year.) Now I’m going back and forth between the tote bag (huge! I love it though) and my first Coach bag. (Small-ish, stripe collection so not so in-your-face Coach and only cost me $145.) Wallets I go through every so often, so I don’t spend much on those. I’m about to start looking for a nice, leather bag, around $250 or so I’m hoping.

Winter coat: I bought mine for $149, I’d spend up to $300 to get a good one that’s exactly what I wanted. Those can last a long time if you take care of it and get good quality.

Boots: I have three pairs of boots right now — knee high, flat heeled brown suede, my absolute favorites that I wear non-stop when the weather cools off; cost $100. Nearly knee high Ugg Felicity boots — they’re a light brown, with a sheepskin cuff and three-inch wedge that are insanely comfy; I paid $175 for them, they’re originally $300-ish boots. And, lastly, like a $75 pair of black, knee-high small heels that I have had forever. Classic black boots are necessary!

Dress: Ugh, I’m bad when it comes to these… I love all the expensive ones. I recently bought a fab cocktail-dressy dress for $125, but it’s a $300 dress. (BCBG, 100% silk) Love, love, love it. Also from Gilt. (Which is the devil if you’ve got the money to spend and find something fabulous.)

Then, of course, you get into a whole bunch of other things…. But for me, I’d rather pay a bit up front to get clothes that are great quality, last, and fit like a glove. For heels, buying higher quality usually means the materials are more comfortable, so when I start getting more heels I’m looking to score great bargains on expensive shoes. (But I do this for all things, since it keeps my closet fairly small as I won’t just buy whatever I see.)

What I do skimp on — layering shirts, tank tops and anything else that’s usually thrown under something.
.-= Foxie´s last blog ..The Year of Extravagant Birthdays =-.

This will be the fourth winter for my winter coat. I bought it from Banana Republic for roughly $350. It was quite expensive for me at the time, but I loved it so much and I still do! Before that, I had been buying a new winter coat every year and spending roughly $80-100, so it was definitely a good investment. I can’t see myself replacing it for at least another few years either!

Purse and dress.. I’d have to say $150, and $200 for boots.
.-= Cupcake´s last blog ..It has been a good day! =-.

I try to do most of my shopping at the outlets, so I get some good quality stuff that lasts, but might not be “this season” or whatever. As far as purses go, I like to switch them up, so I haven’t taken the plunge and bought an expensive one yet. I had my eye on an awesome pair of Ralph Lauren boots for $200, but then found a pair at Bass in the outlets for $43 that I also LOVE – so I got those ones instead.

Purse: $50
Winter Coat: $200 (mine was $125 at the Guess outlet)
Boots: $200 (but the most I’ve spent was $85)
Dress: $70
.-= JvW´s last blog ..Christmas Budget 2009 =-.

Here’s my limits:

Purse: $35
Winter jacket: $150
Pair of boots: $100
Casual but not formal dress: $100

Purses don’t matter much to me at all! I just like small wristlets and don’t care about the brand. Last time I bought a nice purse (I used as a travel bag) it was a Kenneth Cole bag for about $60 and two weeks later the zipper broke on the inside pocket. Maybe i’m hard on my bags, I don’t know, but right now I can’t justify an expensive price.

For boots and dresses, I’m fine with spending a bit more because I don’t wear either item often, so they tend to last me quite a while.
.-= leslie´s last blog ..October Groceries =-.

My price cieling for all of those categories would be about $200. I have never paid more than that for any of those things. My biggest splurge would have to be my Nintendo Wii(+games), shoes, and when I get around to it those sexy Louboutin heels that I saw. (Oh hello, simple pump 85).

But my splurges are few and far between and that has been my situation ever since I first started earning a paycheck. I think as I get older and my tastes expand (for example, the heels which I never heard of until this year, and my life is forever changed because of it), maybe my budget for those items will have to do the same. But for now, I’m keeping those costs reasonable.
.-= Investing Newbie´s last blog ..When Debt Strikes =-.

Purse – $800 (about once a year, and I try to get it on sale)

Winter jacket – $200 – I don’t really live in a cold climate, so I don’t need a winter coat. But that hasn’t stopped me from buying one! I find them so classy. That being said, winter coats last forever and look new if you don’t wear them on a regular basis.

Boots – For every day, fashion wear, around $300. For horseback riding, around $600, but i’d totally save up for custom made ones.

Casual but not formal dress – $100

These are all in USD before tax. I hate tax
.-= LA Daze´s last blog ..Dear friend, =-.

Yes, as I get older I am definitely changing (or trying to!) the way that I buy things.

After years of buying the cute, flimsy crap I just want something decent that won’t break or wear right away, and that is constructed well. And I’m willing to fork over some cash if it’s the right thing.

I still don’t have a lot of money, but I spend more time thinking about what it is that I want, and I spend more time looking, too. Slowly I am incorporating more good-quality pieces of clothing, furniture, etc. into my life.

My price ceilings? They’re up for debate a little, but I have some guidelines I try to follow:

Purse: Under $60 unless I get a really good-quality one (I just did)
Winter Jacket: $150
Boots: $200
Dress: $150

Because my weight fluctuates it doesn’t make sense for me to spend $400 on a jacket. I would only do that if I knew my size wasn’t going to change for the next 10 years, so instead I have to go the cheep&cheerful route.
.-= Ginger´s last blog ..In love with a Parisienne… =-.

I’m a penny pincher of note these days. I need to rationalise to myself *why* I need to buy more things, not experiences. And, like you, I go for quality over quantity. But I don’t think it’s because we’re getting older. Or it might be just one of the reasons.

So here’s my list:

A purse? Nothing because I already have a fabulous LV purse.
A winter jacket? I’m in sunnyish South Africa and our winters aren’t awfully cold. So I might get a coat but it’ll be vintage instead of new. And even then I won’t want to spend more than R500 (approx $70)
A pair of boots? $200 at the most. That’s about R1500 and for that money you can get some awesome boots from Country Road or Trenery at Woolworths.
A dressy (but not formal) dress? Not much because I tend to buy either vintage dresses or shop at lower end retailers such as Mr Price most of the time. I’d say $100 at the very, very most. And then it won’t be Mr Price but it’d be from a boutique.
.-= Joy-Mari Cloete´s last blog ..Don’t dis your own people =-.

Purse: $350, maybe $400
Winter Jacket: $300
Boots: $300
Dressy (but not formal) dress: $200

My spending habits have changed as I have gotten older. When I worked at minimum wage jobs throughout high school, my budget for all the above would be approximately 1/3 of what they are at now. When I was working part-time as a Research Assistant at my university, my budgets would have been around 1/2 of the price list above. Now that I am graduated with a full-time decent paying job, I am willing to spend more. I have always tried to spend within my means and always avoid falling into the “Keeping Up With the Joneses’ trap. With my current spending habits I am able to save at least 25-40% of my paycheque and still spend freely and pay all my bills on time.

Quality stuff lasts forever and you get that extra $$ out of it.
It’s just a matter of knowing the difference between fickle fashion and timeless.
.-= BWelch´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday =-.

Let’s see- since I don’t live in a place with winter weather my prices are going to differ of course:

Purse: $1000 (am i crazy? i LOVE purses and want a MJ) and this price is if i had the money lying around, as of now my ceiling so far has been $250.
Winter jacket: $50 i don’t even own one! i have a nice hand-me-down for vacations.
Pair of boots: $150 bought a pair from north face that’ll last me forever, i’d like some fancy boots- but I’ve seen nice ones for $30 at target.
Casual but not formal dress: $100 no use to spend more if it isn’t formal.

what about…………
heels? (for me, $50)
sneakers? ($100)
pants/jeans? ($50)
watch? ($150)

Boots and bags really do last forever, so it’s OK to spend a lot. As for coats–I agree in principle, but I’ve noticed that moths really go for the expensive stuff.
.-= frugalscholar´s last blog ..Yo Yo Ma vs New Orleans Black Chorale: Frugal Choices =-.