Apartment decor redo or Cartier Ballon Bleu?

[Hospatogi]

Hi All,

My husband and I have been living in the same 1 bedroom apartment my husband had before we got married. I didn't bother to redecorate because I always thought we would be moving. However finding a house is getting more difficult and it looks like we will be here a while possibly a year or more. Is it time to redecorate ? Currently our place looks more like a bachelor pad than a married couple's place. I would love to buy a new comfy couch, coffee table, side tables, lamps, tv media console and a cute area rug for the living room. An actual breakfast table with chairs for the dining room. I would like to redo our bedroom with a new mattress , new comforter set, cute side tables and lamps for the bedroom.
We are getting a refund from Uncke Sam so my DH is not opposed to it. However DH says I have to choose between doing this or splurging on the stainless steel and yellow gold 33mm Cartier Ballon Bleu I have been craving for. What would you do?

 

[Dancing Fire]

There ain't nothing more important than jewelry...

 

[gregchang35]

There ain't nothing more important than jewelry...

+1... bling for sure: considering you are going to move soon...... at least the bling will move with you!

 

[Gypsy]

I'd re-decorate.

 

[movie zombie]

ok, I'm way tooooooooo practical 'cause I'd put the $ towards moving expenses and/or beefing up a savings account for a down on a house. and buying new furniture after the move.
I might buy something inexpensive [earrings?] but I'd want that $ for a long term goal.

 

[Hospatogi]

ok, I'm way tooooooooo practical 'cause I'd put the $ towards moving expenses and/or beefing up a savings account for a down on a house. and buying new furniture after the move.
I might buy something inexpensive [earrings?] but I'd want that $ for a long term goal.

Luckily we have been practical with most of our financial decisions thus far. We have more than enough for a down payment but just haven't found a home worth the investment. I would probably prefer to sell off most our existing furniture should we move because honestly it's not worth keeping . We have decided to use the money to finally purchase a wedding album from our photographer. We purchased a cd of our pictures but it would be nice to have a coffee table album to share with family, friends, and future kids !

 

[ame]

Since you don't plan to stay in this unit for too much longer, I wouldn't invest in TOO much decor. I'd get the watch in this case as long as it doesn't eat into your moving fund.

 

[ame]

Since you don't plan to stay in this unit for too much longer, I wouldn't invest in TOO much decor. I'd get the watch in this case as long as it doesn't eat into your moving fund.

 

[ame]

Since you don't plan to stay in this unit for too much longer, I wouldn't invest in TOO much decor. I'd get the watch in this case as long as it doesn't eat into your moving fund.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I wouldn't buy furniture or other decor items for a temporary space. What if you get a couch that can't make the bend up the stair landing to the next place you live in? Or if you get a significanly larger living room and want a big sectional? What if the next place has a built-in entertainment unit or an eating area set up that won't accommodate the furniture you buy now. If this is just temporary I would wait it out.

That being said, if you get the watch now and move in a year will you have the funds to furnish the new place?

Just my 2 cents!

 

[ame]

Since you don't plan to stay in this unit for too much longer, I wouldn't invest in TOO much decor. I'd get the watch in this case as long as it doesn't eat into your moving fund.

 

[ame]

Since you don't plan to stay in this unit for too much longer, I wouldn't invest in TOO much decor. I'd get the watch in this case as long as it doesn't eat into your moving fund.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I would hold on to the money to decorate your new house. If you don't, you are either going to have to use the same bachelor pad style things you have now or use things you got for your apartment, which may not be the best solution for the new space.

As much as I love jewelry, having a nice, comfortable living space is just as important.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I would hold on to the money to decorate your new house. If you don't, you are either going to have to use the same bachelor pad style things you have now or use things you got for your apartment, which may not be the best solution for the new space.

As much as I love jewelry, having a nice, comfortable living space is just as important.

Yep, I'd also save the money to use for decorating the new house. No way would I put thousands into decorating an apartment that we'd be moving out of in a year, BUT, I would probably spend up to maybe $500 on a few things at Ikea to make the place less bachlorpad-like, but then would look good in the type of house I was hoping to buy. Also, I'd use a bit of the refund for a small jewelry item that could be enjoyed until I could later get the watch.

 

[iLander]

We've been married 30 years, and we've lived in multiple apartments and houses.

I counted, and we've been through

7 couches

9 coffee tables

I now buy the cheapest possible furniture.

It simply doesn't seem to translate from one place to another.

The only piece that has stayed with us is a white leather loveseat that is small and always fits somewhere. It's a very classic style and cleans up with soap and water.

I have 1 watch. I only bought it a couple of years ago (used) but it's a Cartier tank. I think it will be my only watch, I love it very much, and it suits my personality.

 

[OreoRosies86]

I was going to say practical stuff at first, but girl...

You're moving! Get the bling

 

[missy]

I would get the watch but buy some inexpensive decent furniture to make your surroundings more pleasant and comfortable cause that's important. You can definitely get some nice pieces at IKEA without breaking the bank. Try the As Is section there and go a few times because it is hit or miss. We ended up getting a fantastic leather couch in the As Is section there when the cats destroyed our expensive couch. And it was inexpensive! So my vote is for the watch (timeless and forever) and wait on the expensive furniture till you get to your forever (or at least long term) home. Good luck!

 

[SB621]

I wouldn't redocorate in an apartment you don't plan on staying in long term...what happens if your furntiure or whatever you buy doesn't fit or work in your house when you move in next year.

 

[Hospatogi]

Thanks everyone for your feedback ! I appreciate it!
ame- I don't think it will eat up too much of our moving budget. Our 1 bedroom apartment is 660 sq ft so have tried our very best not to keep too many things. We also have an energetic dog who has turned our living room into an obstacle course so we try to keep it as clutter free as possible!

Dee*Jay and SB612- those were some of our concerns as well. We would have to get a very small sectional to fit in our apartment. It's an older building with narrow hallways and doorways as well. We would have to measure very carefully to make sure any furniture could even fit through the door!

Lady_Disdain , Gypsy, and MC- I completely agree that having a comfortable home is very important. I love Pier One, Home Goods, and Pottery Barn so I may look for some pretty accent pieces to spice up our place this weekend. I also have a friend who is great at finding treasures at flea markets. That might an interesting idea too!

ILander- Thank you for your advice. My mom has probably gone though as many coffee tables and sofas throughout the years. The only room in the house that never changes is my bedroom. She refuses to get rid of my childhood furniture . Maybe she doesn't want to believe I have grown up hehe

Missy- that's a great idea ! I will def check them out ! Thanks!

Elliot86, DF, gregchang35- I am very tempted to get the watch. The Cartier boutique is literally a ten min walk from our apartment. Good thing they are closed for the next 3 days for renovation! They actually had 1 roadster left so I got a chance to try it on too. It was nice but the BB looked better on me!

 

[Roxy]

ok, I'm way tooooooooo practical 'cause I'd put the $ towards moving expenses and/or beefing up a savings account for a down on a house. and buying new furniture after the move.
I might buy something inexpensive [earrings?] but I'd want that $ for a long term goal.

Luckily we have been practical with most of our financial decisions thus far. We have more than enough for a down payment but just haven't found a home worth the investment. I would probably prefer to sell off most our existing furniture should we move because honestly it's not worth keeping . We have decided to use the money to finally purchase a wedding album from our photographer. We purchased a cd of our pictures but it would be nice to have a coffee table album to share with family, friends, and future kids !

Awww, I was following your thread and really like this idea. I think you're going to LOVE having the album to go through & share over the years!

WRT re-decorating vs buying a watch, I think you should do both (and I think some others have said the same). I wouldn't put a lot of money into a temp apt, but a little something to change it from a bachelor pad would be nice, then you can still get the watch! If you have any extra, you can always add it to your splurge account for that next bit of "bling" that catches your eye !

 

[Hospatogi]

ok, I'm way tooooooooo practical 'cause I'd put the $ towards moving expenses and/or beefing up a savings account for a down on a house. and buying new furniture after the move.
I might buy something inexpensive [earrings?] but I'd want that $ for a long term goal.

Luckily we have been practical with most of our financial decisions thus far. We have more than enough for a down payment but just haven't found a home worth the investment. I would probably prefer to sell off most our existing furniture should we move because honestly it's not worth keeping . We have decided to use the money to finally purchase a wedding album from our photographer. We purchased a cd of our pictures but it would be nice to have a coffee table album to share with family, friends, and future kids !

Awww, I was following your thread and really like this idea. I think you're going to LOVE having the album to go through & share over the years!

WRT re-decorating vs buying a watch, I think you should do both (and I think some others have said the same). I wouldn't put a lot of money into a temp apt, but a little something to change it from a bachelor pad would be nice, then you can still get the watch! If you have any extra, you can always add it to your splurge account for that next bit of "bling" that catches your eye !

Thanks Roxy! It's actually been fun going through our wedding pictures and selecting the ones for the album. I can't believe we have been married a year and a half already! I think I am going to postpone the watch idea for a bit . Maybe there may be some sales later in the year from authorized Cartier vendors.
I won't go overboard with the decorating but I really need some kitchen appliances. I would love a Kitchen aid mixer and a coffee maker that also grinds beans. We are also in need of some pretty everyday dishes. My mom had a set of Corelle dishes from the 80's and it still looks brand new even after all these years!