my spending vice

I have a problem with buying designer jeans on eBay. It’s not yet to the point of needing an intervention, but I’m afraid I’m only a few pairs away. Currently, I’m waiting for the auction to get below two minutes so I can swoop in and bid (yes, I’m that buyer) on a great pair of William Rasts. OK, that is old news. I won them. Now I will instantly pay with Paypal in hopes that the seller will ship them sooner as a result.

Steve does not understand my slight obsession with jeans. He cringes when he sees the dent in our checking account over yet another pair of pants. I am getting better. Now I ask him if it’s alright to buy jeans online before bidding, and he’s getting better in that now he doesn’t ask how much they’ll cost. Or how much shipping adds to the total amount. Or why no matter how many pairs I accrue, I always seem to be wearing the same few pairs anyway. Or maybe he doesn’t ask that last question because he knows the answer has to do with my fluctuating weight, and some questions are better left unasked and unanswered.

I determined today, however, that next summer I will start wearing shorts. I don’t wear shorts now because (a) I’m not always smoothly shaven (ok, I’m not ever, who am I kidding?); (b) I’m translucent white (once asked at a bar if they have the sun where I’m from); (c) I insist on wearing socks at all times and I think flip flops look best with shorts. I also think tennis shoes don’t look right with anything but a tennis skirt or shorts, but that’s my own problem I need to sort out with tennis shoes. I’m getting off track.

What does this have to do with jeans? This means that I won’t be wearing them as often. Perhaps I will get rid of a few pairs. The only problem with that is, when I have given them away, the recipients weren’t appreciative of the status of the jeans. To them, they could have been Wranglers or Lee’s (I’m cringing). If I try to sell them to someone I know, they’ll offer me some low-ball number that I scoff at. I then tell them to hit up Old Navy, but not to bother bartering with me again. This is not the Oregon Trail computer game: I will not give you clothing for a rabbit; these are my most valuable possessions. The only place I can sell my jeans to people who appreciate their status and value is back on eBay.

Problem with this is this is where my obsession began in the first place. When I sell something, the amount in my Paypal account increases, which I rationale should be used back on eBay. It’s a vicious cycle that takes up most of my closet, most of my budget, and most of my magazine browsing time. We all have our vices. What is your’s? If you don’t have one, perhaps I can tempt you into my sinful den of denim. Here are some pictures of must-have jeans. And no, all jeans do not look the same. This is a reason each brand has their own pocket design. No one wants to be mistaken as Lee’s.