My Kryptonite

I have a weakness for buying things on installment basis. So far, I've been fairly responsible, choosing to buy mostly big ticket items for our house on installment basis (i.e. aircon, ref, steel shelves etc), although I have slipped a few times and bought non-essential things (i.e. new eyeglasses and leather bag), since my mind automatically chops up the price into 6 equal pieces and proudly declares it as kayang-kaya!

Another weakness that has made its evil presence known fairly recently is a hankering for jewelry. I don't really like jewelry per se, but I do have this secret dream of collecting pieces that I can pass on to my daughter during milestones in her life. The pieces I have in mind are pearl earrings, diamond earrings and a gold necklace with a simple diamond pendant. Classics that any generation can appreciate.

I was introduced to my friend's alahera a few months ago after I revealed my dream of owning south sea pearl earrings (a dream that had its inception after my lola's SSP earrings were passed on to the eldest cousin, a.k.a. Not Jill). And there it was, a set of obscenely sized champagne colored pearls set in gold. The price made me gasp at first, but compared to the alahera's other pieces, it was practically a giveaway. She agreed to sell it to me for 12 equal installments and we were both happy.

However, I saw that she also had these gorgeous diamond donut earrings set in white gold and I couldn't stop thinking about them. The alahera came back last week to tempt my officemate and I with her new pieces. I wasn't really interested in the jewelry sets or the pearl lariats, but the diamond earrings were still there and when I tried them on I was smitten. Ack. 

To cut the story short, I am now the proud owner of a pair of diamond earrings and while I love how it sparkles on my ears, I will never, ever reveal how much I paid for it (at least to my husband). The alahera cut me some slack and told me that I can start my installment payment by May of 2013, since I'm still paying for the pearl earrings and will continue to do so until July of 2013. 

I appreciate the consideration but what worries me now is that I'll be on maternity leave by May or June of 2013, and the thought of the monthly payments eating up into my SAHM budget, as well as cutting short my planned maternity leave, troubles me. I have thought of returning the earrings, but I don't want to (cue brat mode). So I have come to the conclusion that if need be, I will dip into my VUL fund, a.k.a. The Europe Fund, to subsidize my new earrings.

What is it about diamonds and girls? Sigh.