by Stacey Allen

Created on: August 28, 2008

I have to admit something. I have a hard time understanding women that will happily shell out a ridiculous sum for a purse because it is "The" purse, or brand of purse, to have.

Don't get me wrong though. At the same time, there are certain personal items I will splurge on, and I use splurge as a relative term. I will not hesitate to spend decent money on a good pair of attractive, yet comfortable heeled boots. For me to justify spending more than 300 dollars on a pair of shoes though, they better make me look like a supermodel, last for 10 years and make it feel like I'm walking on silver-lined clouds.

While I will justify spending decent money on shoes, there is ulterior motive. It comes down to comfort. I do a lot of walking, yet still like stylish heels. I can't have shoes that cramp and crush my toes. Purses on the other hand are purely functional, comfort does not matter when making your decision. And, spending more money will not make it any more functional than a cheap purse you could pick up at the local department store. In my mind, purses are not meant to be works of art or cost more than a diamond necklace. They are meant to transport your keys, wallet and lipstick from one location to another, that is it.

I cannot imagine spending a few hundred dollars on any one purse, no matter the perceived quality or the "status" that comes with its label. A few hundred dollars could pay my car insurance for a few months, or in the case of the most expensive Coach bags, it could pay my car insurance for a year.

Three years ago, I purchased a cute little Nine West purse on clearance for less than 15 dollars. The light brown bag is still as functional as it was three years ago; is a timeless style; the perfect size and shape; and still gets compliments when I am out on the town with it. Considering it is my "spring/summer" purse, that is often.

When people inquire about it, I happily tell them how is was bought on clearance and how little I spent on it. Usually, their response is that of surprise for the impressive shape it is in after all this time and then jealousy for how little I spent on it.

Obviously, there are many people who will disagree with me. I would happily ask them to take their aged Coach and compare it to my little inexpensive clearance Nine West. I am guessing they will have aged the same and price-wise, I certainly got the better deal.

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