I Know I Don’t Need It…

by FrugalBabe on April 2, 2008

The last time I bought jewelry was about a year ago when we sold my diamond ring and bought a man-made diamond instead.  Before that, I don’t think I had bought any jewelry that cost more than about $10 since we bought my first engagement ring five years ago.  I normally just wear my watch, my wedding/engagement rings, and a necklace from my collection of inexpensive funky jewelry (like the big washer that my sister etched with paint stripper and put on a chain).  But last year, after we bought my ring, I noticed that the same company sells a necklace that I really really loved.  I’ve gone back to their website a few times to look at it, but I could never justify spending the money to buy it. 

Then today I got an email from them, saying that some of their stuff is on sale this month.  And that necklace is one of the things on sale.  It’s about $100 less than it’s been ever since I’ve been watching it.  I thought about it today, and decided that we can afford to spend $166 – and my husband insisted that I get it.  But I just went back to the website and read the description of the necklace, and was very bummed to see that it says “chain sold separately.”  Well, crud.  Their chains start at $129, which makes my $166 necklace more like a $300 necklace.  I suppose I could get the pendant and then hunt around to find cheaper chains somewhere else.  But now I have to think about it again. 

TBH wrote a great post a while ago about  wanting a ring she saw in a jewelry store.  Sometimes even we girls who don’t wear makeup or heels end up with our hearts set on something pretty.  Now I just have to decide if I want the necklace badly enough to pay extra for a chain.  Decisions, decisions….

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  • http://simplpresentrichfuture.blogspot.com Carla

    I know the feeling! Since we’ve amped up our frugal efforts, I’ve stopped going to the mall because I love shopping. But I think if the pendant is something you really love then reward yourself with it. Like you said, you can always fins a cheaper chain elsewhere. I don’t know what the pendant is made of or if you are picky but you can always look for a gold fill chain or another one of those alternatives then get the real deal later on (I don’t know much about jewelry so I’m sure there are tons of options). Besides, once your baby arrives, you may not have time to shop or want to splurge on yourself (I speak from experience).

  • Debbie M

    You don’t have any kind of chain that could work? How about something funky like a thin leather strap? Something barely there made of fishing wire?

    I wonder what the back looks like. For example, would it be possible to use a safety pin to turn it into a lapel pin?

    At the very least, you could use a thread to hang it from something in your house where you could look at it and watch it sparkle.

  • FrugalBabe

    Debbie, I’m thinking about finding a less expensive chain. I might order the pendant and then see what I can find to put it on. I don’t really need the chain to be as high-quality as the ones they’re selling for $130. And silver would work just as well as white gold. So there’s still hope for my necklace :)

  • Flaime

    local discount jewelers will often have gold or silver chains in the $30-40 dollar range. Maybe a little more for a heavier chain.

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