This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Travel back in the Corporette time capsule… Here's what was on our minds oh so many moons ago. |
One year ago…
- What “Business Casual” Means For Networking Students
- What to Wear to the Boss's Holiday Party
- What Color Tights Go Best with a Navy Skirt?
- Open a Roth IRA in Forty-Five Minutes Flat
- How to Stay Cool in an Overheated Office
Two years ago…
- Does Makeup Help You Seem More Competent?
- Financial Moves to Make at the End of the Year
- What is the Cheapest Suit You Can Buy?
- How Your Career Affects Your Happiness
- What to Do When You Make More Than Your Colleague (And He Knows It)
Three years ago…
- Perfume at the Office: Yay or Nay?
- How to Carry an ID Badge and Wear a Blackberry … With Style
- Can You Wear Riding Boots To The Office?
Four years ago… *
- How Much Vacation Time Have You Taken?
- How to Buy Off-Season Suits
- Which Winter Hats are Professional?
Five years ago… *
- Should You Bring a Hostess Gift to the Boss's Party?
- What Not to Wear To… a Black-Tie Affair
- Can You Wear Patterned Tights to Work?
- Tool of the trade: ShopStyle
*N.B. Before March 2010, Kat was still anonymous — please excuse the royal “we” in the older posts! :)
Lurker
Early TJ: I’ve been dating my boyfriend for a year and would like to get him a Macbook Air for Christmas. Is this overly extravagant?
We are both just a few years out of undergrad, but he’s getting his PhD and living on a graduate student stipend, while I have a fairly comfortable job in consulting. He has been wanting a Macbook Air for a few months but can’t really justify the $1k it would cost him. It would be expensive for me, but I could afford it.
I know he wants the computer, but I worry that it would make him uncomfortable if I bought it for him. He is comfortable with his lifestyle but aware of our income discrepancy. We generally split things down the middle when we go out to eat, go on vacation, etc (and keep things within budget for him).
Is this a good idea?
roses
I think it’s definitely extravagant for having dated only a year. It also doesn’t sound like you’ve set up a precedent for you spending a bit more on him, if you’ve been splitting things. Wait until the two of you have gotten more comfortable with an arrangement where you pay a bit more, if that is indeed what works best for you.
jc
Do you know how much he could afford? Maybe you could give him an apple gift card to help pay for part of the MacBook Air? I know it’s not as special because it’s a gift card, but since he is still a student he might appreciate the help more but at the same time you won’t be spending too much and making him uncomfortable.
I love to give gifts, and if you have the money and want to do this, I think you should as long as you are comfortable with it and don’t think he’ll be upset about it!
No it is not
Don’t do this. It’s way too much for just a boyfriend.
AttiredAttorney
Yes, it is too extravagant. Could you pool with a sibling of his (or even parents, if he/you are close) to buy it with them?
Relationship Threadjack
Does anyone else have a spouse/partner/s.o. whose communication style is very different from their own? I am a big detail person, and my s.o. is a “only tell me exactly what i need to know and not a bit more” person, and it causes a lot of issues for us. I’m struggling to find a middle ground here, and I guess I’m looking for words of wisdom.
communication
I don’t know if I have any words of wisdom, but communication style differences were a major issue that led to me breaking up with my last BF. I am not a big talker, am a deliberate speaker, I think before speaking, and I am serious about what I say (unless it is an obvious joke). Ex-BF was a big talker and generally had the habit of thinking out loud, which meant he often said things that were just idle thoughts not meant to be taken seriously. It led to a lot of frustration because I never knew when to take his statements at face value and when not to, and he almost never believed me when I said something. I honestly think we would never have been able to reconcile these differences, even if we had really wanted to. Part of the problem is also when the parties do not understand that there is a communication style difference, and that one style is not inferior to the other.
anonfish
Does anyone know if blazers are typically excluded from Banana Republic promo codes? I was set to buy a suit using the 35% + 10% discount on the site but the code only applied to the pants. I called and they said blazers were excluded, but that they could send me a code for 15% off for the trouble. I’m contemplating making the order. The $198 blazer would come to $168.30. I’m fairly cheap when it comes to buying clothes, but I’m trying to step things up a bit- graduate from “Macy’s suits” to a little better. I can’t quite pull the trigger on J.Crew prices yet. Pants would be about $65. It’s not an immediate need, so am I better off waiting for a code without this exclusion? Perhaps after Christmas?
AIMS
They usually are but not always. I think the site wide promos exclude them but they often have take $70 off purchase of $200 or $35 off $100 promos and then there’s no blazer exclusion. I usually just wait for those (and if it’s something they always have, I’ll buy the skirt/pants with a site wide promo and get blazer later). Might be too much trouble for you but there are certain brands I just can’t bring myself to pay full price for and BR is definitely one of them.
anonfish
Couldn’t agree more. I never pay full price at BR. This is why I was trying to decide if 15% off the blazer was enough or if I should wait. Interesting point- maybe I should snag the pants now and get the blazer later. You think the lightweight woold suit will stick around?
Thanks!
s-non
Hopefully you’re still reading this. Definitely wait, the lightweight wool suit will definitely stick around / be there next year. I bought my blazer during one of their Wednesday 40% off one item full-price sales which I feel like they run practically every Wednesday… Buy the pants now and wait on the blazer.
Just checking...
I’m headed to a business school event for prospective students tonight, and it’s a long commute in icky weather for me (2 trains + significant walking… so I’m thinking my flats would fall short).
Are tall, flat boots okay? I’ll be pairing them with opaque black tights, a ponte dress that hits at the top of my knee, and a blazer.
AIMS
Sounds perfect.
anonfish
Agree, exactly what I’d do!