This Isn't Makeup: I Finally Bought a New Purse

I'm somebody who has, for the last decade, had zero problems dropping $100+ in a single go on fancy foundation and more red lipsticks. Yet I've always struggled to spend that kind of money on other products. This includes clothing and accessories: the only jewelry I wear these days is my engagement ring, and I get almost all of my outfits in thrift stores or off of sales racks. So it's not surprising that I've had the same Fossil bag, and only that one Fossil bag, for a solid four years.

Even buying that bag (on the right) was tough for me. I scoured the internet for the cheapest price, eventually finding the tan shade for under $100. When I received it, I made sure to treat it with leather balms and protectants. I loved that bag. The front pouches were perfect for my wallet and keys, there was an inside zip pocket that I could stuff with tampons and medicines (I'm a walking pharmacy/grandmother/whatever), and there were two small sections on the inside that were perfect for hand cream, lip balm, business cards...basically, there were many junk pockets.

This month, I finally admitted that my beloved bag had bit the dust. The zipper had ripped away from the bag itself, making it impossible to shut properly, and beyond the normal, expected discoloration of the leather, I'd noticed a lot of black staining. So I went ahead and bought a new bag, also from Fossil: the Sydney crossbody. It was already on sale for $97, but I found a coupon code on Google that dropped the price to about $72 shipped.

You know what's weird? I knew I needed a new bag, and I got a sturdy bag for a good price, but I still struggled to spend the money. And when I thought about it, I realized...it's harder for me to spend large amounts of money on anything now that I've been downsizing and no-buying. I used to spend this kind of money on lipstick without even flinching, and now I spend a lot of time asking, "Is this makeup worth a whole day's work?" I mean, buying $200 worth of makeup twice a year? Doable. Using gift cards or receiving PR? Whatever. But I don't feel comfortable spending this kind of money on non-necessities on the regular anymore.

Now that it's here, I'm really enjoying this bag. It's a little smaller and has fewer pockets, which I wanted so I'd carry a bit less shit. That's...kind of working. We'll see if I can downsize my bag's contents even more!