Granny for Sale.

I was talking to one of my young colleagues the other day and she was telling me that she was creating a bucket list because, as she put it, you never know. Amongst the usual things such as sky-diving and travelling to exotic lands, she has a hankering to own a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes. She has a jar which she is intending to fill with two-pound coins, when it is full, she will have the necessary £500 to buy them. 'How much?' said I, choking on my coffee.

I wouldn't spend £100 on a pair of shoes, never mind £500, I couldn't justify it to myself. You can argue all day long about the benefits of buying expensively such as quality and longevity but for most people money is an issue. Just because you are relatively well healed doesn't necessarily mean you can afford a Lamborghini.

However, like my friend and her desire for fancy shoes, most of us have a material 'holy grail' for which we would possibly sell a granny to acquire. In my particular case I was extremely lucky. My wonderful children chipped in and bought me the guitar of my dreams for a significant birthday. I would never have been able to justify the cost as there is always something more pressing to spend my money on so I would probably have gone without. I don't need it but I'm unreasonably proud of it.

My Dearly Beloved has spent an eye-watering amount of her Christmas and birthday money on some top of the range make up, so eye-watering she won't disclose exactly how much. Now I have to walk the thin line of  commenting how nice she looks in her new slap without implying she looks less lovely without it. It's very tricky and fraught with danger. For her it's worth the expense, but I clearly can't agree.

So the question is, what unnecessary, materialistic and lavish self-indulgence would you sell your granny or break the bank for? £1000 on a golf club, £700 on a single camera lens? Not for me but I bet I know people who would.