Miss Kat - Have you read the Shopaholics Series by Sophie Kinsella? You sound like Becky Bloomwood!
Hmmm, I'm kind of torn on the whole issue. I think of myself as a very good budgeter, but I do like to spoil myself on purses and jeans. Those are my only big fetishes, so I figure it's excusable. I am not interested in TVs, or B&O sound systems, or anything like that, so purses and jeans are my little treat to myself.
I would never allow myself to rack up any debt over my purchases though, and if I owed ANYONE money, they'd be paid back first, before I'd ever think of buying myself a pair of Sevens. The idea of owing money to others is just unthinkable to me. I just can't stand when people live paycheque to paycheque, or BORROW money to buy these things. I just find that a little pretentious - can't even live within your means, but you HAVE to present yourself as being able to?
No one NEEDS to have dozens of $200+ jeans and designer purses, but I figure if you can afford it and it doesn't drive you into debt, why not? Once in awhile isn't a big deal. I do think that if you have to lock yourself in the house so that you don't make these purchases, that's a total lack of self control.
BTW. I noticed it's all the Asians in this thread that seem to be justifying the lavish and overly priced jeans and purses and tvs and stuff and seem to like to advertise what they own, and how much it cost. WHy is that? I'm Asian myself, and are we all just pretentious show offs here, or what?