How do you afford your Jewelry?

[musey]

I don't have much, and most of what I have are gifts--but everything I've bought for myself, it's been all about budgeting and save-save-save!!

The most expensive piece of jewelry I've ever bought myself was under $400, so that's not a whole lot by PS standards, but I tucked money away for a few months even for that

I like things like jewelry purchases to feel easy, and the only way to accomplish that is to set little bits aside. It's like my bank account is none-the-wiser

 

[Fly Girl]

Married 32 years, put one kid through college and second just started classes today. Save, save, save. Retirement funds are in good shape. Mortgage on main house is paid off. I wore a 0.18 ct solitaire for 25 years. We just sold some property last week that we bought 19 years ago, and I decided to spend some of the profits on some lovelies that I have been putting off for years!!!

Save, and with any luck, one day a nice piece of jewelry will make it to the top of your lsit.

 

[jewelerman]

Ive been buying jewelry since I was 12 years old...I have been lucky enough to be in the trade and buy wholesale rather then retail...but you must buy with cash and as the people in the trade will tell you...we dont make tons of money in the jewelry trade...so i have always had to plan,save and look everywhere for deals...wholesale,retail,pawn,garage sales,newspaper,antique shops,junk shops,trade market,...I dont spend alot on eating out,cars,movies ect so I can ADD TO THE JEWELRY BUDGET....it took 5 years to save for the Rolex and 5 more for the 2.54 carat diamond...i have inherited some jewelry and recieved some jewelry from friends and ex girlfriends.

 

[:)]

Date: 9/2/2008 1:54:49 PM
Author:starsapphire
Hi, I am relatively new here, just like to browse and learn, and I wonder....how do people on here afford such expensive items, when the economy is supposedly in the tank? Just wondering....hope no one gets upset with me......I mean, what the heck are ya''ll doing for a living?????

Starsapphire, I am curious - You say that you are relatively new, but you have been a member since April of 2006. I have noted most long timers here spend a lot of time just enjoying others purchases, not necessarily purchasing themselves. Most of the purchases posted tend to be purchases for an ering which explains most of the ''such expensive items'' I believe you are referring to - perhaps that is where you are getting the impression that there are so many expensive purchases?

 

[miraclesrule]

I''m going to let my daughter and new SIL move into my home and I am moving out. I figure I will save enough in less than six months to get my earrings and a pendant. But then I will just ogle everyone elses until I can get my real dream ring....a custom micropave peace sign for my ring middle finger.

 

[starsapphire]

I evidentally registered about 2 years ago, and did not get the welcome email....in the meantime I forgot about registering, until recently. So it looks like I''ve been here for a long time, but really only for about a month or 2.

 

[:)]

Date: 9/3/2008 9:08:26 AM
Author: starsapphire
I evidentally registered about 2 years ago, and did not get the welcome email....in the meantime I forgot about registering, until recently. So it looks like I''ve been here for a long time, but really only for about a month or 2.

Ok, that makes more sense!

 

[beau13]

Date: 9/2/2008 3:17:39 PM
Author: Ellen
I'm just spending my kids college education fund.

Unfortunately there are people out there with gambling addictions and perhaps "bling" addictions that do spend the money allocated for children's education. I found an easier way to make $$ for those diamonds I just HAVE to have! Growing weed in your backyard is easy, and profitable!

I never pay retail prices for diamond jewelry either..I always find great deals, or I don't buy it!

 

[Hera]

I''m buying a house so I can''t afford it. I live vicariously through everyone here

 

[Love in Bloom]

I don''t have any kids yet, I don''t have any pets ( darn allergies

), and I''m difficult to buy for present-wise. Whenever my family gives me a gift, it''s usually money, and I save any extra dough for a rainy day jewelry fund!

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 9/3/2008 5:30:41 PM
Author: Love in Bloom

I don''t have any kids yet, I don''t have any pets ( darn allergies

), and I''m difficult to buy for present-wise. Whenever my family gives me a gift, it''s usually money, and I save any extra dough for a rainy day jewelry fund!

Can I recommend African Pygmy Hedgehogs. DH is hyper-allergic to most animals but fine with these. They also sleep all day so you don''t feel guilty going to work.

He was fine with ferrets as well - they''re lots of fun, but HARD work!

 

[Love in Bloom]

Date: 9/3/2008 6:12:35 PM
Author: Pandora II

Can I recommend African Pygmy Hedgehogs. DH is hyper-allergic to most animals but fine with these. They also sleep all day so you don''t feel guilty going to work.

He was fine with ferrets as well - they''re lots of fun, but HARD work!

Thanks for the recommendation Pandora! I remember baby Mr. Sticklebrick (?)...ADORABLE! Didn''t he have a mate?

My jeweler has bad allergies too (we talk about weird things), and when he was a boy he had a pet alligator. It seems that reptiles did not bother him... but there will be no alligators in my house any more, ever. Well, except for my alligator-head ruby, but that''s the only exception!

 

[omieluv]

For me and even others on this forum, recycling settings in good condition helps make purchases more affordable. In my case, I inherited a few empty platinum settings from my grandmothers. Though filling them will not be cheap, at least I have classic settings to work with and their sentimental value is priceless.

 

[snowflakeluvr]

dh won''t let me have plastic surgery

so whenever he gets a bonus at work, if all of our other financial ducks are in a row, i get something special. i''d rather wait a couple of years and get exactly what i want than lesser jewelry.(i just got 4.54 ct diamond inside out hoops this summer-hadn''t gotten anything like that for a couple of years) well worth the wait. ps i''m "older" too(40''s) and with five kiddos, i feel i''ve earned my bling

 

[LuckyTexan]

My RHR and mothers pendant... we used our 12m no interest line of credit at Kay...

My earrings I paid cash for.

My current project... BONUS!

Now... Handbags? That''s a whole other story. My obsession with those hahahahaha!!! We won''t go there! LOL!

 

[LuckyTexan]

Date: 9/3/2008 5:22:33 PM
Author: beau13

Date: 9/2/2008 3:17:39 PM
Author: Ellen
I''m just spending my kids college education fund.

Unfortunately there are people out there with gambling addictions and perhaps ''bling'' addictions that do spend the money allocated for children''s education. I found an easier way to make $$ for those diamonds I just HAVE to have! Growing weed in your backyard is easy, and profitable!

I never pay retail prices for diamond jewelry either..I always find great deals, or I don''t buy it!

You guys are too much!

 

[UCLABelle]

I have a few nice items...and do tend to buy them from nice places---

The economy hasn''t hit us yet (we both work for a large private university) nor has it hit my father (who runs a mid-size engineering firm). So we are all good (for the moment) with regards to money.

My husband and I do not save well (but we do save). We have a mortgage, and watch our spending to a degree but with me and my jewelry I do have 1 mantra----If I buy something big, I NORMALLY will sell a piece I do not wear...This isn''t always...

 

[LGK]

I run/own a small mineral makeup website and the DH & I agreed that half of what I make from it is fair game for sparkly stuff for me (other half is supposed to be savings but instead it''s gone to contractors lately, oh well.) It''s been very good business for the last half year- I don''t sleep much! For some weird reason about a third of my customers are Croatian, with well over half of my makeup orders going overseas somewhere.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 9/2/2008 9:57:40 PM
Author: bebe
It just means my kids won''t get so much!! I''m spending it!

lol! That reminds me of a story. I called my dad one day just to check in as I often did, and asked what he''d been up to. He replied, "spending your inheritance". He''d just bought a new truck.

beau, that was seriously funny, you caught me totally off gaurd.

 

[vespergirl]

Well, the economy isn''t in the tank for everyone - my husband is an executive at a private company that works on lots of government and military contracts - so he''s been really busy and making great bonuses since Bush took the White House. Since I don''t work, he buys me my "fancy" jewelry, but I''ve bought a few smaller pieces for myself with my savings.

 

[beau13]

Date: 9/4/2008 12:41:17 AM
Author: LittleGreyKitten
I run/own a small mineral makeup website and the DH & I agreed that half of what I make from it is fair game for sparkly stuff for me (other half is supposed to be savings but instead it''s gone to contractors lately, oh well.) It''s been very good business for the last half year- I don''t sleep much! For some weird reason about a third of my customers are Croatian, with well over half of my makeup orders going overseas somewhere.

I''d be interested in seeing your website, can you post a link?
Thanks

 

[LGK]

Um. Is it allowed? If you google Archetype Cosmetics it should come up first, it''s the obvious web name, lol. If it''s not OK to post even that info, ooops

Sorry!

Date: 9/4/2008 1:44:24 PM
Author: beau13

Date: 9/4/2008 12:41:17 AM
Author: LittleGreyKitten
I run/own a small mineral makeup website and the DH & I agreed that half of what I make from it is fair game for sparkly stuff for me (other half is supposed to be savings but instead it''s gone to contractors lately, oh well.) It''s been very good business for the last half year- I don''t sleep much! For some weird reason about a third of my customers are Croatian, with well over half of my makeup orders going overseas somewhere.

I''d be interested in seeing your website, can you post a link?
Thanks