.
Portia
.
Hello Fellow Fumies,
Every Saturday we have a Question, an idea purloined from Olfactoria’s Travels. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it is a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.
The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.
I’m currently away on holidays in India and will have limited internet but be assured that I’ll read every comment and answer when I can.
Saturday Question: Do You Budget?
Something I always tell the newbies to the perfumed rabbit hole is to set a budget. This addiction is expensive and ultimately frivolous. Here Warren Buffett puts many of my Dads lectures into a very simple sentence.
“If you buy things you do not need, soon you will have to sell things you need.” — Warren Buffett
It’s very easy to get carried away with our hobby and especially so with the way the market has become in aspirational pricing. Is that 50ml bottle of whatever REALLY worth $400? No, of course not but we are so crazy in love that the sensible part of our brain goes of holiday. Most of the time I know exactly how much work goes into earning $400 and respectfully weigh the spend but somehow with fragrance I have a good sense bypass.
I’m looking for advice today on how you keep your spending reined in.
My answer to Do You Budget?
Short Answer: No
How I wish I was better at money. I’m terrible at it. Not super terrible but sometimes I reflect on dollars squandered on living a full, fun and fabulous life and my stomach drops.
My parents worked hard all their working lives to make sure my sister and I were fully provided for after they left this mortal coil. Without their legacy I could never live the life I have. So my circumstances aren’t that usual. My basic need of shelter is provided.
I’m also incredibly lucky that my idea to save my own fading career as a showgirl (Turbo Trivia) has become a Sydneywide phenomenon and that we are now employing 8 Drag Queen Contractors including myself. This story would have entirely different outcomes if I had not made a few desperate changes 16 years ago.
So while I’m not rich in any sense of the first world hierarchy, compared to billions of the earths other citizens I am extremely comfortable, and grateful for it.
My Saturday Question to you is:
Do you budget for your perfume consumption? How do you do it? Is there a spend limit weekly or annually? How do you check yourself?