Joan Juliet Buck | 04/02/2009 11:00 pm

Joan Juliet Buck's 19 Regrets

In response to: In the harsh light of this new frugal economy, what did you buy/spend money on in recent years that you now regret?

• Two pairs of Yves Saint Laurent sandals that looked great but hurt like hell and now belong to Annie Ohayon. 2005
• A purple Hermès handbag without a top flap. 2002
• Two Matthew Williamson evening tops with the beading falling off bought at a sample sale. 2007
• Extra linen sheets and duvet covers for those 17 extra beds I don’t have. 2004
• A deposit to a contractor I trusted. 2008
• A loft in Hell’s Kitchen. 2007
• Many French pills for cellulite, none of which I have taken, all of which have passed their sell-by date. 1999 - 2008
• Eighteen lengths of fabrics to drape myself in on a yacht. 2008
• A nine-hundred-dollar pair of prescription sunglasses with rounded lenses that I cannot see through. 2009
• Hermès leather diary covers in yellow, plain pigskin, dark red, maroon and maroon with saddle stitching. 1995 - 2000
• A pair of German deco wall sconces that don’t work with American wiring. 2009
• A white satin nightgown from Sabbia Rosa bought for a wicked holiday with a man who turned out to prefer watching porn alone. 2000
• A new lease on a Volvo S60 when I knew I was leaving Santa Fe soon and wouldn’t need a car anymore. 2005
• An online subscription to the Encyclopedia Britannica that I can’t seem to shake. 2007
• Alexandre de Paris large plastic hair pins and combs that stick up, fall out and make me look like I’m auditioning for Cho Cho San. 2007
• Pale lavender eye shadow from Sephora. 2008
• Those extra 18 Baccarat wine glasses. Why did I think I needed 36 sit-down dinner wineglasses? 2000
• A $600 Yes We Did poster from e-Bay. Why didn’t I just give the money to Obama?
• A really second-rate land-line telephone with built-in static

Read more about: Finance, Lifestyle, Money, Recession, Shopping, Spending

7 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

And you never returned those sunglasses? You are one funny lady! You may want to give those German wall sconces to Mr.-I-prefer-to-watch- Porn-alone along with the French pills that have passed their mark. A little continental flavor to wet his appetite or perhaps curb his enthusiasm.

By phyllis Doyle Pepe on 04/03/2009 9:10 am

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Not "wet," Mrs. P. "Whet" as in "whetstone." Sorry (really) to be pedantic but I read today that President Obama "clenched the deal" and I am still smarting (really). What happened to "clinched"? Heaven forfend that "whet" and "clinch" disappear from our vocabulary, only to be replaced by words that sound the same but mean somethig completely different.

By Sam Mirando on 04/05/2009 6:03 pm

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The THIRD treadmill( in mint condition)

The pilates Chair….bought just before my knees disintegrated

The Salon shampoo..when the cheaper stuff cleans better

The "one in every color" Cashmere sweaters ( I wore just one this winter)

Spending like a mad woman just before the market tanked!

Mea culpa, lessons learned..belt tightened!

By Ladyhawke .. on 04/03/2009 9:28 am

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Great list….!

By nanchan u on 04/03/2009 10:18 am

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OK, you buy 18 Baccarat wine glasses, but a second rate land line telephone ? What’s wrong with this picture ??

By EKA - on 04/03/2009 2:35 pm

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YOU ARE JUST THE BEST!

By Charles Dance on 04/03/2009 7:46 pm

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You bought so many amazingly expensive frivolous items that I had to look you up on Wikipedia to see "who" you are. What I read on Wikipedia explains why you made some of those purchases and what I read here reminds me that even the most sought-after possessions don’t necessarily make people happy.

I went into the Hermès store in NYC just once, to pick up a small gift for a friend to give to her daughter. The exquisitely polite salesman wrapped up the gift and said, "Would you like anything else, madam?" I replied, "Yes, everything in the store!"

By Sam Mirando on 04/05/2009 5:57 pm