If you are like me, you are either already in the designer handbag boutique or going sometime today, so I will be short and to the point!

1st: Stalk your bag

Use everything within your reach to research your bag: Many YouTubers & fellow Bloggers have already owned and done reviews on your bag. Images of your bag already flood Instagram and Pintrest. Just type in the brand, the name of the bag, and any other details which will narrow your search and it will make the search go quicker!

If you don't know what brand or name of the bag it is, describe the bag in the search on Google. For example: "Designer Tote Bags" or "Luxury Handbags" or "Luxury handbags that have handles, zipper closure, turn-lock closure, etc.." and most likely, a pic of that bag will pop up! Then click on that pic and VOILA! You bag now has a brand and name!

Ex: Google search: "LOUIS VUITTON Neverfull GM in Monogram" . "CHANEL Medium Classic Double Flap in Black Caviar with Gold Hardware"

If you are uncertain about what types(names) of the bag that fashion house produces, then widen your Google search by using broader terms: "LOUIS VUITTON Neverfull" and pics of the Neverfull bag and the actual website will appear as a choice "LouisVuitton.com" where you can see your favorite bag in all the sizes and colors available. Looking for a CHANEL CLASSIC flap? then type into Google search :"CHANEL Classic Flap" and same thing will occur with an option to choose "CHANEL.com".

2nd: Look at the B-word..Budget

It is easier to enjoy a designer handbag when you have paid for it in cash. Just knowing that you don't have credit card debt keeps you feeling relaxed and saves marriages.

Don't despair if you don't have $900 to $6000 in savings to purchase that dream designer bag because saving for your dream bag is totally do-able and you won't give those credit card companies power over you!

We learned a lot from going through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. Here is one of the projects we did which showed how much money we wasted: for the next month, we had to total up just expenses from going out to eat. My husband and I don't go to expensive restaurants to eat very often so we thought we would do great in this respect...but half-way through the month, we had already spent $400 in going out to eat... at Subway! Those 5-dollar footlongs add up cuz we usually bought chips and drinks and those delicious cookies, too! So, prepare your meals at home and take meals to work, then put just a tiny portion of your monthly paycheck away in a special piggy bank and watch the savings grow!

You don't need to buy a new bag to feel the luxury. These bags are made so well, that when they are pre-loved (aka: "used"), they still look amazing. Several of my bags have been bought pre-loved and I have saved a significant amount of money. The pre-loved website I trust and have used the most is Fashionphile.com. On the opposite end, the most risky website I have used to buy luxury designer handbags is Ebay. It is here that you must know how to see the differences between fake and authentic designer handbags. Most of my knowledge and experience is with the fashion houses of LOUIS VUITTON & CHANEL. In my blog "Are they REAL or FAKE?: Part 1: CHANEL" as well as in my YouTube video "5 Easy-To-Spot Features of an Authentic LOUIS VUITTON Neverfull Bag", I do a quick review of basic easy-to-see features of both CHANEL & LOUIS VUITTON authentic bags.

The fake LOUIS VUITTON bags and the fake CHANEL bags are getting really, really good, so sometimes it can be hard to tell that they are knock-offs...but there will always be a difference (just like a bad boyfriend..but that's a whole different discussion for another time and place.. in my other blog! :)

Also! You will never go wrong by trusting your gut or intuition (just like a bad boyfriend..)

Lastly, since these bags are investment pieces, using a trusted authenticator like Realauthentication.com are totally worth it. Their fees are not high and it gives you peace of mind knowing that the bag you are about to purchase is an authentic designer bag.

3rd: Avoid being distracted by "bright and shiny things"

Going into a luxury designer boutique for me is like walking into a spa with instant happy tingly feelings; the aesthetics in the decorating and the displays are always impeccable and gorgeous. My Sales Associates know that I absolutely love handbags and will go in looking for something specific in mind... but then I will often leave the boutique something totally different...something totally impulsive. This is a risky thing to do. There is sometimes a happy ending to being impulsive, but there is a much higher chance of ending with buyer's remorse. AND! since I usually want to use the bag right away, I carry it out of the boutique on my shoulder with all my previous bag's contents in it, which makes me unable to return it since it is already used.

So, stay focused and realize it is ok to leave the store empty-handed. If you spot a bag that you hadn't considered purchasing, but you haven't done steps 1 - 3, leave that bag, walk out of that mesmerizingly magical boutique, and start over with Steps 1-3 above. Then go back later into that gorgeous boutique and see if that bag still looks better than the original bag you wanted because most times than not, the designer handbag that you have always lusted after or been in love with will never ever leave your heart.

Whichever designer handbag you chose, will be carried to the back store room where your Sales Associate will wrap up your new designer handbag with care, ribbons, tissue paper, and love...During this time by yourself in that luxury boutique, close your eyes, and remember the excitement you are feeling at that moment!

Your new handbag will always fill you with awe. So smell her, graze your fingers along all the perfect details ...and never forget that feeling of gratitude of being able to own such a beautiful work of art.

I look forward to seeing pics of your new handbag and please share your tips with me as well!

As always, Look with Intention

XO, Jen