I’ve been stalking this cute little Dooney and Burke number for weeks now. It’s called the Valerie handbag and it’s from their signature collection and priced at $235. I first spotted it in black and it immediately caught my attention, then I discovered it in pink and it instantly became my spring handbag obsession. I’ve had my eye on it ever since; staring at it work while I eat my salad at my desk, making it my desktop image in anticipation of my next pay day, and even admiring it from afar at the mall for fear that if I get too close I might just whip out the credit card I swore I wouldn’t use this year. I love this bag and I have to have it from my arm and my closet rack. Normally it would be mine by now, but there have been a few “obstacles” standing between me and my bag this month – mainly focusing on what’s important in our marriage. As painful as it has been to carry on without the bagt, it has been a necessary sacrifice, a chance for me to learn a few little lessons, and a constant reminder of what’s ultimately most important right now.

Thanks to this bag, I am learning that

…even the smallest sacrifices can reap the biggest rewards. When I first saw the bag I was actually out shopping for The Man’s birthday gift. I wanted to buy it right then and there but I knew I couldn’t really afford to purchase both at the same time. I won’t lie, for a moment (or two) I considered scaling back his gift (just a little) and snagging ‘em both, but I eventually snapped out of it and did the right thing. I’m so glad I did. The other day The Man accidentally found his gift while putting something away in my closet and his kid-sized smile was enough to wipe away any remorse I had over not buying that bag. (His birthday isn’t here yet, but I let him open it anyway – hey, we’re adults, what’s the harm?)

…prioritizing requires so much pain patience. After The Man’s birthday gift was bought, wrapped, and stashed, I still had three more paychecks coming my way that I could have used to buy The Bag. The problem was, there were also quite a few far more important, although admittedly less glamorous, things to budget for this month that would ultimately make our lives easier going forward. Things like unpaid parking tickets, car insurance renewals, and repairing his fast dying car. I’m a married woman now and that means “our” money matters now more than ever. How could I sleep at night knowing we didn’t have money for his tune-up because I just had to have a  overpriced pink bag? Continue reading →