OK OK - here I am, joining the club - pass the tea, please:)
I've followed this challenge from the beginning and I've resisted joining in the fun (fun, ugh - highly debatable:). Resistance proved futile - I have some bada$$ goals for 2018 and unless I kick my jewelry habit - I love natural gemstones and whenever there is a new mine find or a favorite, like Sleeping Beauty Turquoise about to be mined out - I spend every extra penny on my sparkly obsession.
Looking over my 2017 expenditures showed me that I lied to myself all of 2017 - I am an out of control, raging jewelry/gemstone collector. Yes, I've successfully beat the collector's fever down to a smoldering fire - a few times in the last three years and yes, I did no real damage to my finances, yet.
However, the ugly truth is that if I want to meet my goals this year I need to step away from the fire.
A few days ago:
Oh lord, help me - it's gem week and I just discovered that my favorite designer is offering an event price on the matching earrings and ring to the necklace I already own.
This is my birthstone and my birthday is coming up and I really want to own the complete ensemble - well, everyone knows a complete set is more valuable to a collector .....
OMG, I can't stand to watch - this is the last cut (meaning he is out of that stone cut) - meaning this is a one and done, unless I order this now - it will be gone forever. I.WANT.IT.!!!
I came to this thread thirty times and shut off the TV for the afternoon - when I looked again, the set was sold out. So I didn't really totally resist temptation, I knew that if I held off for a few hours it would be gone forever - oh the agony!
Relief too - this was $700 I could ill afford to spend and I knew it, still, while I was in the grip of desire - imagining wearing my new complete set on my birthday - I was coming up with all sorts of spins to make it happen anyway - I mean I could ask for the ring for my birthday, ignoring that I already asked for a watch - I'm worth it, right?!
Full disclosure:
I did order a ring during gem week, before I saw the jewelry ensemble to match my necklace. My intention had been to allow myself one item, but only an item that I had been drooling over for a while and only if it was at a killer event price to boot.
So there is that - 99 bucks worth incl S&H.
But - that was before I discovered the extent of my jewelry purchases in 2017 at another channel that I had managed to hide from my conscious inspection. So now I feel guilty, chagrined.
I am questioning my values and what I'm even doing on MMM - since obviously I may be bada$$ in some areas - but a total failure in the obsession with sparkly beauties department.
@lifejoy - I hope it is OK for me to hang out with you here. I do think jewelry repairs should be allowed, if we don't, we deprive ourselves of the joy of wearing our sparkling beauties.
I am holding off on having my mother's pearl necklace restrung because I don't wear it that often.
I will not have anything reworked or have a new piece designed around my Morganite stones collection like I hoped to do for my birthday either.
I'm really feeling the pinch of paying off the few sparklies incl a lovely Chrome Diopside necklace with awesome stone quality that I pounced on during the holiday sale. These were pieces to enhance my collection and I love and wear everyone one of them with great joy. The trouble is that I forgot how much of an impact even a $200 monthly payment can have on an already tight budget - there was much upheaval in my budget in 2017 and I'm still trying to adjust - not fun.
So since it is no longer in the budget and all my resources in 2018 will be poured into my two goals of $50K savings and filling up my travel fund in time for my Europe trip later this year - there will be no more Gazingus pins for me in 2018.
Oh and lifejoy, I am glad that I was never into diamonds, although I admire the Art Deco pieces, they never were in my price range:) Although I do own a couple, including one ring I bought in Amsterdam at the Diamond Exchange a long time ago, small, but exquisite.
I'm a sucker for gold though and one day I will buy that one particular style gold necklace I've always wanted, maybe for my 70th birthday. Yes, I think I'd like that.
In fact, as I write this I've come to a decision - that necklace will be the last thing I'll ever buy. I love jewelry and always pick up something on every trip I take, but I am well aware that the time has come to say enough is enough and in a sense, I am good with that.
So I will end it all in style with a fine gold necklace.
Whew - funny how these things happen sometimes - it will be so much easier to quit cold turkey now.
So now I am thinking - - yup, nothing at all is just fine with me.
Just think, I'll save a bunch of money now and in the future. I'll be able to meet both my goals a lot easier and I have that last fine gold necklace to look forward to.