Birkin Straight Talk.

The other night my husband and I had "the talk." Maybe it was prompted by my finding this amazing picture of Jane Birkin and her legendary bag. Maybe it was due to the fact that we are on the brink of a serious depression in this Country (watching the stock market is enough to make me want to cry these days.) Or maybe it was due to the fact that after the month we had I really didn't want any more disappointment in my life. Most likely it was  because while I sit six months from turning 30, I am realizing that I am slowly (and grudgingly) turning into an adult (yikes.) 

Whatever the reason, as we were climbing into bed last night I asked (holding my breath.) How are things going with the Birkin search? I saw the flinch and the hesitation in his eyes and I knew he hadn't even started looking. "Do you really think you still need this $8,000 bag," he said. "I thought we had already had this discussion a thousand times?" I replied. It was his idea to give it to me for the big 3 0, not mine. "I just think that we should try to save more before we begin buying insane handbags, $1,500 is one thing, this is another," he reasoned. He had a point. I too have been thinking about the necessity of the bag. But I still really want it. I am this close to the most amazing bag in the history of bags and now it is being taken away????? "This cannot be happening," I began to whine. "Can we just have a rational conversation about this?" I began to plead.

His response, "we can never have a rational conversation about a bag that costs more that our first 3 cars, put together." And with that the conversation was over. After 15 minutes of deafening silence I realized he was right. We should save more. These are really scary times, and our new mortgage is huge. I certainly have my share of bags, and the fact is if we are going to have another baby, I'm going to be carrying my diaper bag for another 2 years (btw my diaper bag is amazing; see this coming thursdays post for specifics.) 

Just like on TV a plan began to hatch in my head. I know I've mentioned about a million times that I have been dying for a Burberry Trench. the one with the patent leather piping, and wool zip in insert. Dying. While the coat is expensive, lets be clear it's not a Birkin. There is no way I was going to get both.....unless, "what if you get me the trench for Christmas, and when the next baby is born (hopefully next August/ September fingers crossed) we would really begin to try and get the Birkin?" That would buy us an additional 18 months of savings, and I would get the bag exactly when I could use the bag. His response, "Deal." 

Shut up! I get the Birkin, I get the trench, and we get a solid nest egg. Win, win, win. It almost broke my heart to remove the Birkin Countdown from my blog, but let me tell you I've never felt so financially responsible; so grown up. I guess I didn't realize how much guilt I was carrying around about laying down that kind of cash for a bag when we are just starting out, never mind the fact that people are losing their homes and life savings all around the Country right now. 

Waiting another year will only make getting my little jewel that much sweeter, and I will be keeping amazingly and stylishly warm this winter. As far as I'm concerned fiscal responsibility never looked so good.