Devil of a blue dress and how I broke my own money rule

I broke one of my personal finance rules yesterday. I tried on this blue dress even though I KNOW better. 

Gorgeous, isn’t it? A new Winners opened in my neighbourhood this past week and while it’s small, it’s supplied with items that would appeal to the demographic living in the area. I decided to check it out because Winners can be a place to shop when you want to save some money. I buy a specific brand of shampoo and conditioner there because it’s often up to $12 less than retail.

So there I was with my hair products and I wander over to the dress section. I casually flip through the rails telling myself I’m just checking out the new product and I’m not going to try anything on. Then I see this dress. It’s gorgeous, that shade of blue. Which looks great on me. I check the size – ooh, that could work. I look at the label – Stella McCartney. Hmm. She makes terrible jumpsuits but her suiting is sharp and I really, really like this dress. I take it to the change room and what do you know, it looks great.

It’s also $599 before tax. Great price for a Stella McCartney dress but out of my budget. Oh, I dithered a bit, attempting to justify buying it. More selfies ensued because I love dresses. Love.

I thought of a few reasons why I should buy the dress:

1. It’s classic! It would never go out of style
2. It’s well made and the fabric was good quality – a wool-blend
3. It’s cheap for designer, so that makes it a bargain.

But to be honest, I know I didn’t really have a reason to buy it. I freelance and that means most of my time is spent in casual clothing like jeans, a top and a blazer if I have meetings. Where was I going to wear this dress? So with much regret, I left it and the store.

Now I’m thinking about it and that’s my fault. I shouldn’t have tried it on but what’s done is done. Still, the next time I see a dress, I know I can’t try it on unless I can afford it (and have somewhere to wear it. Someone invite me to a party, yes?)

Oh, I also forgot to buy the hair products, dammit. I blame the dress.