Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Poor Girl's Fantasy

I've got almost 800 bucks saved to get the Saab back on the road.

I'm trimming corners by having low key, inexpensive weekends (drinking cheap beer as opposed to my more high falutin' mixed drinks, and eating grilled cheese at Habits instead of sushi).

I've also been benefiting from the cheap $1.25 one-way Metro bus fare over my $25 bucks a week (or more considering prices just went up) gas budget.

And I'm not buying much, as in fewer groceries, no clothes, no nothin'.

All this lean living has my brain thinking about a day when I get to Live Large.

This is the biggest, most intense kind of savings I've ever had to weather. I had to save during a couple different spurts last summer to go to London, but that was different. $600 bucks here for a plane ticket. Few hundred bucks there for spending money.

But this streak hurts a little bit more.

So many words to describe how I feel during this period. Challenged. Oppressed. Frustrated. Determined.

Grateful - because I won't have to live like this forever.

With that in mind, I intend on buying myself a little prize once I get ol' Sabine the Saab back on on the open highway (does everyone name their vehicles? Gretta Jetta was the name of my previous car - maybe I'm just weird).

Two names jump out at first thought. Tiffany. Coach.

Tiffany doesn't post the price of this online, but I imagine it's a bit out of reach.


Then I start thinking about Sephora. Banana. Saks.

At $960 a pair, these shoes are a bit out of my range. But if I don't fix my car, I could have two pair...


Or fancy schmancy restaurants around town I've been dying to sink my teeth into.

But living poor puts a new perspective on things.

It makes me realize that yes, Dad, I should put some money away for a rainy day. Yes, I should be a bit more judicious with my freewheeling spending.

But maybe I can just pick a nice handbag out after the car's fixed...

Coach lasts forever.

P.S. My new credit card came in the mail yesterday. It's the first bit of plastic I've had in years (aside from my debit card). Experts say frequent, responsible use of plastic is one of the quickest ways to repair credit, so I hereby promise to use it wisely and sparingly. KtG

2 comments:

The Notorious N.A.T said...

I know the feelin' sister. Sucks, sucks, sucks. One day we won't have to worry about it, will we. One day is what I keep telling myself ;-)

And I soooo want a Coach bag. Maybe I should save up for that. Then again, maybe I should put new tires on my car. Blah.

Kate The Great said...

Coach. I love it. I don't feel so guilty about a great Coach bag. It's not like an 800 buck Gucci or Louis (though I would happily accept those bags if someone gave them to me).

Coach is the Luxe Life on a diet!