With my “no jeans for a month” diet ending yesterday,
I’m wasting no time as I’m making another public commitment:
no latte for a year
I’ve decided to coin the term fashionable latte effect :) The rules are pretty simple:Â just substitute your caffeine treat for another, more fashionable one. Here’s the math:
Price of a single designer latte $3.50.
On average, I drink 5 lattes a week.
That approximately adds up to $910 per year.
At the end of the year I could use that money towards purchasing one of my three favourite handbags of all time:
Marc Jacobs Classic Quilted Stam Bag - $1,415
Balenciaga Giant City - $1,777
And the one that melts my heart every time I see it:
Chanel 2.55 - The Chanel Classic Flap Bag, Medium
22 Comments
Great idea. Why didn’t we think of it sooner!
what?? so no more coffee dates?! Actually I think its a good idea…. I’m doing something similar too(but cheat every so often)
Isn’t it? :D
I gotta say, I’d quit the lattes for the balenciaga bag..
I’m finding that the classics of every brand (chanel quilt, burberry tote, hermes orange burkin) are on every corner. and upon closer inspection, they’re just really well made knock offs. but I can’t help but feel the exquisite look of the bags is somewhat demolished now that every 18 year old with a couple of hundred bucks is waltzing around in faux Chanel and faux Uggs with the faux tan as well :)
Nelly, I completely agree, especially after reading “How luxury lost its luster” by Dana Thomas.
However, despite all that, I still appreciate the beauty of a classic handbag, especially if it has prominent hardware like these ones here :)
Well, I guess sushi is the only “our” thing left in the delectables category, now that you’re boycotting THE latte…and I would go for the Balenciaga in my opinion ;)
On another note, try reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, I’m definitely having second thoughts about meat and I have cut back A LOT. I just don’t think sushi can be one of them :( EVER!
Roxi, you should read this then:
http://www.onebookaweek.com/2010/02/02/eating-animals-a-case-against-factory-farming/
I passed by a street vendor in Philly with a trunk full of designer bags – and saw a burberry knock-off identical to the one that I saw (and drooled over, and cried and flailed about) in London. I couldn’t believe it. down to the label and superb stitching.
we need tougher knock-off laws :)
sounds like a perfect idea!!i’m drooling over that balenciaga. the cream color is just gorgeous <3
goodluck dejana :D
ps: stay away from that starbucks on college & beverly! :p
http://www.monochromachic.com
I’ve been dreaming about the Chanel 2.55 for eons…..thanks for the tip on possibly making my dream come true! Good call on giving up the latte fix! :)
Nelly –
I’m pretty sure what that guy in Philly was doing was completely illegal.
I did once buy a counterfeit bag at the Wasaga beach market, the Louis Vuitton Monogram Manhattan GM one. I ended up throwing it out after using it only a few times – it just didn’t feel right.
After reading a few articles/books about the whole counterfeit business, I won’t go anywhere near a fake, and I wish more people felt the same way. Whenever you buy a counterfeit item, you’re directly supporting illegal child labour and terrorist organizations, just to name a few…
Kristy – and Second Cup a bit East from there :)
Wow that is ambitious! I say you need to play lottery tonight, the jackpot is $42,000,000! So if you win you can buy all those purses, and you can continue drinking your lattes! Haha
Ahhhh maybe one day!
I checked out the onebookaweek review a couple weeks ago, but my work colleague was talking about it even before that and I borrowed it from her. Great read, too bad it’s from a US perspective, I would be interested to read a Canadian version if there’s one out there yet. I do have a feeling things here are much more regulated and significantly better.
not only that.. you’re also inflating prices b/c designers need to compensate for their time creating these things before someone else makes them worse and for cheaper.
i know what you mean re: knockoffs. someone gave me a knockoff at uni (LV, cylinder mint) and i ventured outside with it once. it DID feel dirty and quite cheap. the whole time i was thinking, “this is the worst-feeling bag ever”.
*never again.
I switched to single Espressos three years ago for the same reason – the Chanel! I just refuse to give up my afternoon treat completely (still saved $2/day). However, I got impatient of saving and ended up spending $$$ on shoes! Still better than nothing!
I like the MJ ‘Stam’ the best because it’s the perfect bag (size, shape, straps) with a decent price.
Good luck!
Roxi, I’m afraid of reading it and then not being able to enjoy a good burger afterwards :)
Anya, by publicly declaring so here, I think I’ll be more determined to stick to the rules. Maybe you could eliminate the espressos alltogether, and then we can make a joint blog post when we get our Chanels :)
Oh wow, I’m always impressed with your ambition! As a mild caffeine addict, I think this would be too challenging for me – I always find it difficult to see the long term picture! Good luck – can’t wait to see your new bag next year.
I have to say, you’re blogs always have something of interest to me. I enjoy your pictures and your love of all things related to fashion. You have your pulse on the latest and greatest on what’s going on in fashion all around Toronto.
Keep up the good work – Sylvia
I think you should totally do this! It’s a pretty healthy choice and also you’re saving money for a fashionable goal. Braavo!
So is it no buying any coffee at all or no designer coffee? Good idea though! I don’t drink coffee often, but when I have cravings, it is hard to stop me. :)
and Re knockoffs…. I also have my fake shame – a Gucci bag with red and green stripes, which a friend got me as a gift from China. Never used it, but still have it around somewhere in the basement.
Genya, I won’t be buying ANY coffee. I don’t consider myself a caffeine addict, so I think I’ll be ok :)
Thanks for your support everyone!
I am so inspired to see someone else like me, I have been doing the same thing since the beginning of the year but everybody around me thought I was crazy as I decided to completely give up junk food for a year and save that money for a classic handbag as a new year treat for 2011. You just made my day Dejana.
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