calculating the value...

so today . . . i wondered how long i would have to carry a $350 handbag to make me feel like i got my money's worth...

this morning i woke up with a scratchy throat. i felt tired all day. i almost asked if i could go home after lunch, but afternoon is the easy part of my day. so i stayed, did what i had to do, and then came home and curled up on the couch for a nap. i put shopping tv on quietly for background noise and proceeded to sleep for two hours...

when rollie woke me up to eat, i noticed that the show had changed. they were no longer selling jewelry--they were now selling handbags. $350 handbags.

these were beautiful handbags. they were made from lovely soft leathers. they had shiny hardware. they had lines of straight stitching. they had numerous zipper pockets--both inside and out. they were handmade in italy, not china. they were the perfect size. they might have even been worth $350...

but let's just clarify a couple of things-
1. i can't really afford a $350 handbag.
2. that doesn't stop me from lusting after them just a little bit.
3. i think i would be embarrassed to be carrying around a handbag that cost that much. really. i already have to sneak out of the church parking lot some days in my cute car (which i bought used, btw,) when i go past the line of people at our food bank.
4. i have a short attention span. as much as i might love the $350 bag today, several months down the road i know i would find another bag i loved more. but i would never be able to get rid of the $350 bag (because it cost so much,) so it would go to the handbag graveyard in the hall closet, along with all the other bags i once loved. (it would, however, be the most expensive one! by far!!)
5. if for some reason i did spend $350 for a handbag, i would have to carry it every day until i die. and then diandra would have to carry it every day until she died. and i'm pretty sure she wouldn't.

i have read that when evaluating if something is worth the price, you really shouldn't look at the actual price--you should really look at how much it costs per use. so if i bought the $350 handbag and carried it every day for a year, it would only actually cost $1 each time. and if i carried it for two years, it would only be 50 cents each time. and if i carried it until i died...well, it would be practically free!

this is masterful marketing by the high end fashion industry--just convince me that a ridiculously expensive item is a bargain, and i am instantly trying to figure out how i can afford it...

i am not buying a $350 handbag. i'm not. i think i am morally opposed to it. i'm sure my checkbook would scream in pain if i tried it. i don't need it. i have a handbag i love, given to me by my daughter for mother's day, and a closet graveyard full of other choices.

although, in terms of value, a $350 handmade italian leather handbag would probably last longer than my $400 netbook...