I suffer from a condition called BBB: Bougie But Broke.

BBB is when you have a taste for the expensive, but your bank account and wallet force you to shop at places like Wal-Mart and the Outlet Mall. You're in literal pain because you cannot afford the beautiful things in life, the things that only the wealthy and powerful are allowed to own (thanks a lot, capitalism).

Every day on my way to work, I'm forced to pass by stores like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Versace. They entice me to enter their holy grounds with promises of luxury handbags and stylish clothing, but, they know my dirty little secret. They know that I am one of the commoners, the unworthy, those who could only dream of buying one of their beautiful products.

I have only ever brought one luxury item before in my life and it was amazing. I was at Saks Fifth Avenue, armed with four Saks gift cards in my wallet, scouring the accessories department for the perfect pair of Chloé sunglasses. I found them, my darling Carlinas, and paid for them one gift card at a time. I felt like a queen walking out of Saks that day with a beautiful Saks Fifth Avenue bag on my arm. I cherish those sunglasses as a symbol of the only time I've ever been able to "afford" something from a luxury brand.

Whenever I see rich people (ahem, nouveau riche) with bad taste, I become physically ill. How could you have all that money and still have bad taste? you have access to the finest designers and stylists in the entire world, and yet you choose to carry that hideous bag from Balenciaga all because it costs a lot of money. If I were rich, I'd be spending my money on expensive pieces that are timeless and elegant, pieces that will last me until the end of the world basically. Maybe I should become a stylist to the rich and give them a few pointers on how to dress nicely (and expensively) from the point-of-view of an "average joe".

Should I be living within my means? Of course I should. But where's the fun in regulating myself to only what I can afford? My life would be pretty boring if I didn't have a taste for the expensive. There's a certain feeling of buying some that's expensive, of having the experience of sales associates at these high-end boutiques and department stores wait on you hand and foot. It makes you feel good, it makes you feel confident. You should spend your hard-earned cash how you want to, without anyone else's input.

Give me Louis Vuitton, give me Hermès. Take me to Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. I will always be bougie and broke until the day I die. Hopefully, by then, I won't be broke and I'll have my closet full of designer couture and Birkin bags.