Spending money on expensive goods unnecessary

While walking the crowded hallways during break, a girl adorned in a velour pink Juicy Couture hoodie elbows you on accident. As you reach up to open your locker, you get accidentally hit in the head by the Louis Vuitton signature canvas bag hanging on the shoulder of the girl next to you. During class, you can’t help but stare at the shiny Bathing Ape sneakers of the boy sitting in front of you and wonder, “Is this excess really necessary?”

It’s no secret that many students here have rich parents who spoil their children. While the sensible thing may be to store the money as a sort of savings, the more appealing thing to do with the money is to spend it, especially on designer items.

Now, once-in-a-blue-moon splurging on high-quality, timeless pieces is understandable. Buying a real leather, Birkin bag that can be used for years might prove to be worth the $1,400 cost. Spending a few hundred on a pair of True Religion jeans, when considering the tailored fit and exquisite denim, might make sense, too.

But it must be stressed that this should be done in moderation. Nobody needs 10 pairs of $200 jeans. And how many designer bags is it really necessary to own? (Boys, don’t think you’re exempt either; you don’t need the 10 pairs of $60 shoes you constantly flaunt with rotational wear).

The truth is, a lot of the designer splurges are for items that quickly go out of style and become obsolete and “so last season.” Constant buying of new styles to keep up with the latest of the fashion world is pointless; copying the latest celebrities’ styles is also a waste of money considering how fickle the industry is. Also, what’s the point of buying all the latest styles when the only people who are going to see are classmates and faculty, people who aren’t going to be fawning over your latest buy? Sorry to break it to you, but there aren’t paparazzi here just waiting to photograph your amazing sense of style.

The thing about spending on designers is that, half the time what you’re paying is the label. Guess clothing is expensive and one may mistake this to mean that the quality is superb. Newsflash: The only things Guess gets right are jeans. The rest of its merchandise is poorly made and easily ruined. And the Juicy Couture terrycloth jacket sold for $92? It’s made from the same material as the $20 bath towels sold at Target. The other $72 is paying for that Juicy Couture metal J zipper, the only part of the jacket that really states “Juicy.” If you didn’t pay attention to the zipper, you could buy an identical copy from JC Penny for a fraction of the price.

Spending money on unnecessary, expensive items can lead to bigger problems, especially when the behavior of lavish living has been instilled into many students from a young age. What happens when they leave home and enter the real world where they need to support themselves? Most students cannot rely on their parents’ money forever.

So students, be wise with your allowances. Is it that crucial to have multiple Coach purses and Lacoste polos ($72 each for the most basic versions) in your closet? And parents, don’t be so free with giving your money to your children whenever they ask for it, because it’s not going to benefit anyone later on. Money isn’t something that should be spent mindlessly. Before you buy that $500 BCBG dress, think about how many times you’re really going to be wearing it.