Designer Luggage
Okay, the first item on my list of what not to buy luxury is designer luggage. So here’s the deal, we were traveling through Arizona recently, and at the last hotel we stayed, I saw someone lugging around all this Louis Vuitton luggage. Now, I don’t know if it was fake, but those rolling bags are like $3500 and the duffel bags are about $1500. Maybe it’s just me and maybe I’m out of touch, but that luggage is a complete waste of money in my opinion.
From a quality standpoint, there’s no way the luxury brand is $3000 better quality over something like the Carl Friedrik hard side roller suitcase that I use. Now, if you can afford it and spending $5000 for you is like me spending $50, then perfect. Go do it. I have no problem with that. But just keep in mind that your $10,000 luggage set can be had for a lot less, minus the logos of course.
Designer shoes
The next item is designer shoes and sneakers. There’s a lot of amazing, quality shoe companies out there right now, and in my opinion, there’s no reason to spend $700 plus on a pair of sneakers or $2000 for a pair of dress shoes. The quality difference doesn’t justify the price. You’re only paying for the brand. Now, let me be clear, because the last thing I want to do is make anyone feel guilty for buying something they like. If you can afford it, and don’t have to put it on a credit card or a payment plan, and if you can honestly say it’s not about flexing the logo, You’re a grown man and you can make your own decisions. But just know, there’s a lot of great options out there for a lot less money.
Designer Jeans
The next item that I don’t think you should buy luxury is jeans. Once again, maybe it’s just me, but I don’t understand $400 and $500 jeans. Someone explain to me what makes a $500 pair of jeans any better than a $100 pair of jeans. I have an open mind and I’m willing to accept that the denim might softer, and more durable, and will last me 20 years. But as of right now, I think every pair of jeans in my closet was under $100. The fit is great, the comfort is great and the durability, so far has also been great. And I didn’t spend thousands.
Expensive T-Shirts
Another thing I don’t understand is expensive t-shirts. They’re gonna get just as stained and stretched out as my $9 t-shirts from the GAP. I’m not even talking about the luxury brands with their logos on ‘em. I’m talking basic white or black t-shirts. Now, of course, some are gonna have a little thicker fabric with a little texture to it, but $95 for a t-shirt? I don’t know man… I’ve said it before… the cool thing about not wearing logos is nobody can tell the t-shirt you’re wearing came from Amazon and only cost you $12.
Expensive Cars
Okay, let’s talk about non-clothing items for a minute. The next item may be a little controversial because I’m not really one to talk on this, but it’s expensive cars. I’m learning my lesson with this one but I’m a car guy and I always have been. I’ve got a weak spot for horsepower, performance and technology and I want as much of all of that as possible in the car that I’m driving. However, the reality for me is, I can’t afford the level of performance and tech that I’d like, and I’m coming to terms with that.
Most of you guys know that I raced for a number of years and won a championship as a driver, but cars are something I’ve always splurged on and tinkered with. I used to sacrifice a lot to have a fast car, but I realize that I can’t continue to do that anymore. I did just get out of my really expensive Audi into another less expensive Audi, and since that just happened a few months ago, I’ll be making a video pretty soon talking about the new one, so stay tuned for that video. But once again, if you can afford it, by all means, drive the car you want. But just know, there’s a lot of options out there for a lot less money.
Investment Furniture
Next, I want to talk about furniture. Now, I’m not saying to go buy everything IKEA, but I would suggest avoiding the trap of “Investment Pieces”. You know… that $10,000 dining room table you can pass down to your kids. Because here’s the thing, by the time it’s ready for your kids, it’s outdated and they probably don’t want it. Buy quality, but buy smart. Don’t think that at 35 years old, this is gonna be the last bedroom set you’ll ever own. 5-10 years from now it’ll look outdated and you’ll be stuck with it because of how much you spent on it. And, you won’t be able to sell it for what you think it’s worth because once again, it’s outdated. Keep up on current styles and buy smarter. That way, it won’t hurt as bad when you want to replace it 5-6 years down the road.
Leather Jackets
Okay, back to clothing real quick. Next up is leather jackets. Quality leather jackets are expensive, no question. However, faux leather looks just as good, feels arguably better and more comfortable in my opinion, and it’s a lot less expensive. If you’re not riding a motorcycle, you can get a lot of bang for your buck going with faux leather and faux suede. Unless someone is right up on it and knows what they’re looking for, most people won’t even know, or even care that it’s not real leather. And the benefit of buying faux leather is, you can get several different jackets for the price of one fancy one.
High End Suits
Next is suits. Now, there might also be some controversy with this one as well. Because a lot of you guys know that I own a bespoke suit worth a couple thousand bucks. But I also own suits that only cost a couple hundred. If I wore suits every day, I can see paying more because custom and bespoke are a lot more comfortable to wear all day long. But, if you only wear a suit say… 20 times a year for special occasions and events, you should still buy quality, but you shouldn’t have to spend $1000. Go check out Suit Supply or Indochino showrooms near you and get fitted for a great suit for about half that.
Luxury Watches
Next is high-end watches. Now, I realize luxury watches is a whole sub-culture of its own, but for me, personally, I don’t really get it. I do appreciate the craftsmanship and maybe it’s something you buy yourself when you reach a milestone of achievement, but for an every day, kick around watch, I don’t know. There’s a lot out there that looks just as nice for a lot less money. Don’t get me wrong though, I do like and appreciate nice watches and I’m not hating on anything. But for me, right now, I’m happy with my Orient that I wear almost every day, my Seiko, my Timex and a few others.
Designer Sunglasses
Last on my list is expensive sunglasses. I used to buy all my sunglasses at the drugstore for about $25. I didn’t really care. These days, I do care more about craftsmanship and lens quality, but I still can’t see spending $500 on a pair of sunnies when you can do just as good for less than half that. If you want the big logo to make sure everyone knows what you have, that’s fine. Just know that you’ve overspent. And once again, I don’t say that to make anyone feel bad. I say that because there’s very similar options for a lot less money, and that’s the whole point of this post.
