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?

If it's a race to the tiniest budget....I'd never dream of spending £200 on a coat. No more than £100.

I have designer bags..not loads though. However I don't go on holidays abroad...nor would I spend 5k on a week in the sun only to come back home and be miserable. Horses for courses..

Some people splurge on investment pieces but don't have loads of coats, bags, shoes etc.

It depends what your interests are and what you like to spend your disposable income on, really.

Depends how often you buy. I make make 30k and have a small mortgage but I'd happily spend £300 ona coat that will last years. When I was 20 I spent £200 on boots that I wore daily and have had resoled about 5 times now.

I rarely buy stuff but when I do its either second hand or a one off expensive purchase. I'm happy to spend £100 on a bottle of something I like to drink because it will last me all year and I dont fritter away a tenner a week on wine so I'm still quids in. My point is that the price tag doesn't mean much

Context is everything.

I've never been swayed by fashion, trends, or designer labels.

If the trainers fit (and sometimes I have to try on dozens before I find some that actually do), then I'll buy them. The logo on the side is totally irrelevant.

The last handbag I bought was from TK Maxx and cost me £70 or thereabouts, and it was exactly the size I wanted with all the right pockets in all the right places, and plain black. It has the designer's name on it, but only small, and I certainly didn't buy it for that reason. Nor did I buy it because it was reduced from about £250. I just liked it. I'd have been just as happy if it had cost £10 from a supermarket.

We're skint but I still spent £50 last month on a fountain pen I didn't need. I bought it because it's shiny, which I suppose is similar to buying labels over generic and bog-standard items.

Not here.

We have a decent family income, a large home and privately educate our children but we have nothing on that list and have no intention of buying such items in future.

I have zero interest in brand names apart from reputation for quality - even then, I'd look to get something second hand before buying brand new for £££. It doesn't matter how much I earn, this attitude is pretty much engrained in me!

I will not disclose my salary but, my sunglasses are "RoyBans" from a lucky-lucky in Tenerife. They are my pride and joy.

TK Maxx & charity shops.
M&S or H&M in the Sale.
Outlet village for a treat day.
Max spend is €200 on a coat or leather boots.

I wouldn’t know where it’s possible to buy trainers for £25! Footwear is something I value quality in. Good supportive trainers, boots, wellies, birks etc last me for years.

Outerwear is equally important for me. Especially living in the UK. Again my coats will last a long time and I look after them.

Handbags I’m not so fussed about, I wouldn’t find thousands but maybe £100-£400 on a good bag.

Other clothing I mix low cost basics and buy decent items on Vinted and Vestaire for reasonable prices.

I earn 75k

I'm a high earner.

I don't own, or desire to own, any of these things.

Total waste of money

I spend a lot of money on clothes, makeup and haircare. I only wear converse day to day so not a massive amount on shoes - maybe £60 quid. But I buy my son nike air Jordan's and branded clothes and my husband wears expensive branded clothes.

I have own/owned those things, yes. Why? Brand familiarity, what is normal to me regarding shopping habits, and because I like them. A waste of money for some, sure, but then again there are plenty of other things that someone else would treasure that I would consider a waste of money for me. We don’t all like the same things, and luckily we don’t have to.

Those aren’t extraordinary or extravagant purchases for everyone. Buying Nike trainers or Reiss coats is no more noteworthy for some than going to Primark is for others - ‘normal’ and ‘expensive’ is relative.

Dont we all just spend money on different things? Cars are expensive, as are holidays - are you sniffy about them too?

Nike trainers are pretty common- you don't have to be rich to afford them. On a salty of sound 60k and if they live with a DP who is all on a good salary then I would think they can easily afford branded trainers and items from more expensive high street shops. A designer bag is is a pretty common item to own, even amongst people with modest incomes. It depends whether that sort of thing is important to you or not rather than being able to afford it.

I'm on a good salary and I have decent quality branded items which I buy in the sales. I very rarely pay full price for anything as I like to make my money work hard. Cheap clothing is a false economy generally speaking.

I support the idea of having less stuff, but better quality. But that doesn't mean labels! In fact I actively avoid labels because I hate the idea of being a herd-follower (that's my personal from of snobbery 😀),

I think I'm a good judge of real quality as opposed to just accepting that certain brands are the only acceptable ones. I suppose my taste isn't mainstream so things like Mulberry etc pass me by.

If you want good quality things, eBay is your friend. You can get new items at a much-reduced price and I've had lovely cashmere, Italian leather bags and gorgeous Max Mara coats from there at a fraction of the price I'd spend in the shops. But the key is to not mind if it's last season. Some of my clothes/bags are 20 years old, so I clearly don't give a damn about that!!

I’m on £50k and can afford expensive things if I really want them, but I don’t drive a flashy car, eat takeaways or spend on things that don’t matter to me
I shop everywhere from charity shops to designer outlets and am not into throwaway fashion but prefer classics
If I have spare cash it generally goes on travel or jewellery

I don't buy that kind of thing as brand names don't interest me . Normally get stuff from Next (their own brands rather than the designers they stock). However my DS (early 20s) always wears designer sports stuff and trainers . He has a very limited amount of off-work clothing which he has as birthday and Christmas presents (from us and his GF).

I don’t buy any of it. I see it as a waste of money, well maybe a nice coat isn’t but you can get one for decent price, debenhams online have a permanent sale on things.
I WFH so dressed in tracksuit bottoms and comfy hoodies 🤣 Have nice clothes for going out but haven’t bought anything decent for ages, there is no need

I have all those things - not necessarily the same brands but that sort of thing. I have far too many of these things. That's because I have a bit of a charity shop addiction! However, I don't think that labels or price necessarily equate to quality. A lot of the price is going on marketing not the product. I look at the other labels, down the side of the clothing, etc, where it tells me what they are made of as well as the overall cut and quality of the garment/bag/whatever.

I actually would pay for Nike Air trainers. I bought a pristine pair from Ebay and they are the first pair of trainers that properly supports the arches on my feet.

Oh yay, the competitive-frugality I-don't-care-about-labels virtue signallers are out in force.

Everyone has things they prioritise within their budget. Everyone has their necessaries and their luxuries that they're attached to. The specifics and the costs vary according to taste and income. So what? Bragging about how you have tons of money but Would Never buy anything but the cheapest item of clothing really doesn't make you look as awesome and unusual as you think.

I don’t think £300 is a lot for a coat. I wear my coats hundreds of times and look at it on a cost per wear basis.

The op hasn't said which designer bag brands