Do you own these sorts of things?!

[featherrr]

And if so what do you earn? I am in a professional career but don’t earn masses, it’s only really at the top when you tend to start making a lot. That said we are all on above minimum wage and salaries in range of 50-70k.

Everyone I work with has designer bags, coats from Reiss, Nike Air trainers etc. I have none of these and it wouldn’t occur to me to buy them as I would find it a huge outlay on my salary (mid range of the above). Do people just spend this? Even on a modest income? What do you sacrifice to buy it? I am in rented which is 1500 a month so maybe that is the difference?

I don't have them but my kids do 🤣

Maybe they have huge credit card debt?

No because I don’t see the point as they wouldn’t fit my life. I do spend a lot on footwear but it tends to be of the walking boot / yard boot variety and they last years. Same with coats. :) each to their own.

No I see it as a waste of money.

We have a household income of around £140k, but we have a large mortgage of 2k a month and 3 expensive children so whilst comfortable, I don’t feel particularly well off. We don’t get any child benefit or help with childcare. because most of that income is my husbands, a lot of it goes to tax.

I mostly shop in tkmaxx or Vinted. ‘Names’ aren’t hugely important to me, but I don’t like shopping in primark or SHEIN. I don’t like feeling ripped off though and to be honest at the moment even next seems really pricey.

I like decent quality things (that last) but I don't buy designer brands just for the sake of having a designer brand.

@featherrr Those items aren’t ridiculously expensive and can easily be gifts for birthdays. When I was younger I always had fashion items for birthdays and Christmas. Or even saved up. I was thinking you meant LV or The Row!The fashion items you mention are high street and not that expensive. However if fashion brands don’t interest you, that’s ok isn’t it? We aren’t all the same.

Your rent is quite high and if you shared you’d have much more money available. Assuming this is possible of course.

I’ve got Nike trainers as have my kids. DH prefers adidas.
I don’t have designer anything though and I don’t think trainers are in the same league as £1000+ bags. Ours are all from sports direct and never cost more than £80.

Sounds like I earn similar to you, and no, I don't. I get most of my clothes from charity shops. I'm not bothered by labels.

I'm in that salary range. I can afford that kind of stuff. I have had two Mulberry handbags over the years, I have some HOKA trainers I bought with a discount. I did have a Reiss winter coat a few years ago but my current "big coat" is from John Lewis.

I tend to save up for classic quality items that will last a good few years and only have one of them.

My expenses are propably lower than many people's though as I don't run a car and do not have children.

I can't imagine any level of wealth that would have me buying designer handbags - they're just not something that would add any pleasure to my life. Like @Flossyts we have a very decent combined household income but high outgoings also and like to have a good buffer of savings, so even though we're lucky enough to be financially secure, there are few trappings of luxury in our lives, and that's fine with me.

None of those but I do have some nice bags and clothes, I just get them in the sales.

@TizerorFizz what do you earn?! You really don’t think over 300 on a coat is a lot?

@Flossyts i agree next seems expensive these days too

I think I might have a pair of Nike trainers and I wouldn’t put them in the same category as the others but other than that I’m totally on board with you.

In my circles they’re not ‘normal’ to have, I know two people who have those sorts of things but they’re very much about labels and appearance. They also get Botox etc so in my head those things fall into that sort of demographic.

I earn double your salary, and my husband more again, and I don't own these things because I don't want to. I genuinely don't understand designer stuff, it's just a label.

None of those but buy in that price range and above occasionally. My adult children in that price bracket. Top 10%.

None of my clothes or bags have designer labels or are expensive.
Most of my stuff is second hand.
I do have Nike air trainers but they were about £10 from vinted.
I did buy myself some new fly London boots which cost £80 at the time, when they broke 14 years later I bought myself some new Dr Martens (£60 in the sale!) Going into my third winter with these now. I do spend on my boots, but I make them last and I wear them every day (and walk at least 30km a week, usually more).

You can get Nike Air trainers from Sports Direct. Wouldn't consider that designer

@TeachesOfPeaches ive never spent more than 25 quid on trainers so over 100 seems extortionate to me!

@featherrr My last good/smart winter coat was £275 in the sale. I'll replace it this year and expect to pay £600/700. I'll expect it to last 10 years.

It's about cost per wear.

The kids buy good shoes and trainers - they don't splurge on other stuff.

I have quite a lot of designer/high end stuff but I buy it all cheaply second-hand, perhaps they do too. Or perhaps they just prioritise having nice clothes over other things like holidays. Or perhaps they have lots of debt! No way of knowing without asking them.

Everyone you work with?
They don't sound very individual in their style or thinking.
I have never had a designer bag, I prefer a well made non designer one, am an Adidas girl when it comes to footwear and am not bothered about coat labels.
I prioritise my disposable income on my son's fashion wants my sports (running shoes, bike kit, wetsuits etc)

I have expensive trainers, and expensive sport stuff.

I don't care about bags and expensive clothes so don't buy them.

There are definitely circles where people are like this though.

I wouldn't want to spend more than £200 on a coat.

No, and they're the last things I'd ever spend money on. So last, I'd never even think of buying them.

However, I have horses which probably cost me waaaay more than people spend on designer bags etc 🤣