To Spend £1345 on a Set of Earrings ?

[Moaning5]

My dad has just gifted me £2000 - how nice !

My parents have NEVER gifted me money in this way. He’s done something with his pension and given all of us (4) the same amount.

I have no real savings to speak of other than an emergency fund. I have no mortgage to put it towards. I have grown up children who are independent. I have no debt to clear.
AIBU to pay £1345 for a pair of gold hoop earrings with pear drops as worn by Princess Catherine which I have always loved ?
Or am I being ridiculous and it needs to be be spent more sensibly ? On what though ?

I would buy a good replica pair (no one would know the difference) and save the rest

Buy the earrings if they will make you happy. You are using money you weren't expecting to get. So it's not a hardship for you. Your life will go on the same only with a pretty pair of earrings to wear.

Yes you could put it away in savings or similar, that doesn't seem to be what you want or you would have done that and not come on here asking permission from a bunch of mumsnetters if you should buy them.

So here is my permission (for what it's worth) go buy them. Also you may want think about insuring them as well.

Yep

Absolutely, go for it! The joy you will feel every time you wear them will be worth it. Everyone deserves the wow factor in their life. You will know that your dear dad made it possible for you to have them. Insure them also. Enjoy. x

One other thing to check is that earrings are often non-returnable. Double check the return policy before buying.

Because Kate Middleton has them? Go buy the knock off version from Ali Express and save the rest. Very silly way to spend the money and imagine if you lost one. You’re not rich, she is.

Save it?
give your kids / grandkids a share each of it…
Book a holiday …
Save it for when the boiler or something needs replacing!

personally I know how many earrings I’ve lost over the years, they fall out and I don’t even realise till someone asks why I’m only wearing one! At that price I think I think I’d be scared to take them out of the box!

This is the sort of purchase that I’d say someone had more money than sense.

I had my ears pierced when I was 14. In the subsequent 58 years I’ve never lost an earring when wearing them. I’ve had my diamond studs for over 20 years and they still spark joy every time I wear them. Buy the earrings @Moaning5, you’ll never regret it.

It's your money, do what you wish with it!

Absolutely this.
But please do get them insured

I wouldn’t go with British Gas again, too overpriced.

It’s not really interest free if you are paying British Gas an extra £2k for the install.

I certainly wouldn't spend that amount of money on a pair of earrings! Buy yourself something nice that will always remind you of your Dad and have sentimental value, but leave at least half of the money in a high interest savings account. You may have an emergency fund, but how big is it? Adding to it wouldn't be a bad idea.

Honestly don’t do it - you will regret it - earrings can be so quickly lost! Stick the picture in chat gpt to find cheaper dupes ie Monica vinader - you could then get a set! Then get an heirloom type bag ie gucci if you want something that will keep better. If it’s been given for fun, use it as fun, but if you’re not the type to have lots of expensive jewellery anyway, perhaps look at cheaper designers who are just as nice. Ask in style and beauty for recommendations (if they haven’t been given here already - haven’t read it). Also it’s Black Friday so there are lots of sales too. Enjoy!

30 years ago I was left £1000 by my grandma. I put it in a savings account for emergencies.. 10 years later I decided to sod being sensible and bought a pair of diamond earrings - they bring me joy every time I wear them and I know my grandma would love that they make me happy. DO IT, BUY THE EARRINGS!

35 years ago I was gifted £1000 by a relative. I bought some shares with it and soon they were worth £10,000. I cashed them in and gave the £10,000 to a stockbroker who turned that into £48,000. I used the £48,000 to buy a £150,000 property with a mortgage. I recently sold the house for £1.5 million. In short - invest the money.

Can you pay for them monthly? And put money away incase

Have you bought them yet? Go on ... do it! These people that are telling you to buy a cheaper, similar pair - you won't like the earrings as much if they're not 'the' ones. Get the ones you love, that will bring you sheer pleasure every time you wear them. I treated myself to a Rolex watch a few years ago. Love it! No regrets. At all!! Not one!

(And then the dog stood up and clapped.)

OP can have joy in her life now, or wait 35 years and, if a speculative investment pays off, have cash to buy diamond earrings when she's knocking 80 years old. Life's too short!

Google says at 5% interest you could double it in 15 years. Of course you could try for a better return, but those carry more risk.

So you could invest now and buy two pairs in 15 years, or maybe retire 2 months earlier, or spend it on something that will give you pleasure now and can be enjoyed for the next 15 years.

If only I had been half as smart as you....

@aluna The flaw in your argument is that a) shares can go down as well as up so you were very lucky b) the OP is now in her 50s (ish) so as investment is always long term, she may not be around in 35 years and any short term gain will be insufficient to make a massive change to her lifestyle.

Your gain on the house was not so much about your financial wizardry, but inflation. Many houses in the SE have gone up 10 times. So that was nothing at all to do with you.

What it does mean is that very few people can afford a house like yours that increased with inflation and the young are priced out of the property market in the SE - so I'd not boast about your gain.

Investing £2K is not exactly big bucks. Most people could, if they are saving a little each year, can invest that in a share ISA and see growth, maybe at 10%pa but it's not guaranteed.

Except she wasn't smart- it was inflation that made her house increase 10x so much so that a tiny percentage of people could afford to buy it.
Not something to boast about considering the dire shortage of affordable homes even for young couples each on 6-figure incomes if they live in the SE.

I think MN is a parallel universe.

I can't believe that in RL anyone would really be so opinionated or invested in someone buying a pair of earrings for that price.

Many people spend £1K on an iPhone, use it for 2 years and upgrade, at a loss.
(Or it gets stolen!) And no one asks 'permission' to buy a phone.

This really is a huge storm in a tiny teacup.

Always helps to read ALL by OP before posting.