This is how you save up for that Chanel

Chanel is synonymous with love (and okay, a bit of lust too). Sometimes I secretly stroke May's Chanel to catch a petit peu of Parisian design. So buttery soft and then those stitches. Well, you get my musings. Oh, did you know that Chanel's atelier is in Paris and that they work by hand on your future life partner on that holy ground? I'm usually not that keen on a logo, but with Chanel, I would hook a giant C under each arm and walk around with it for the rest of my life.

But how do you make that Chanel yours? That is ultimately the higher goal. My advice, the budding Chanel feeling lies in the little things. You meticulously build those little things into larger Chanel-like items until one day you set aside time to acquire THE bag. This is hearsay, but it comes with a little piccolootje champoepel, people opening doors for you, congratulations, and French air kisses (the last one I just made up), etc., etc. I might reserve a whole week for that. It's magic, I'm sure of it.

Want a Chanel? Here's how to go about it…

Start with something small to experience the delight. A lipstick (the Rouge Allure, I'm telling you), an eyeshadow palette in a velvet pouch, or how about a classic fragrance or the latest Blue Serum? When you first open that luxury packaging, that black with a golden edge and the fine letters in pure white… I suggest you film me once, but I think my pupils will dilate and I'll let out squeals that normally don't fall within my vocal range. Well, do you feel anything yet? That's what I mean. You achieve this most easily: ask for gift cards for your birthday or just that fragrance. Done.

Okay, now you're a bit used to the giftiness of anything Chanel. That's why this is the moment to see the world of Her Majesty Coco, through, of course: a Chanel lens. Those sunglasses are the stepping stone to an ordinary Thursday à la Coco and believe me, she didn't do ordinary Thursdays. Imagine pausing the glasses on your way to your nose and casually running your other hand through your hair. Very The Devil Wears indeed, but then Chanel. How do you do this? At the end of your day, toss all loose coins into a sealed piggy bank. When it's full, count your winnings. And no cheating with those euro coins, okay? That's what makes it work. After a few months, you'll be a few hundred ahead.

Just a housekeeping announcement. Did you know there's a good chance you're paying way too much for your energy bill? Really. Research by the Vereniging Eigen Huis shows that it can sometimes amount to hundreds of euros. This mistake is usually discovered by an expert, so make sure you have an expert in your friend group, cheerful friends. And then you're one step closer to sliding your feet into a pair of Chanel espadrilles. Walking on clouds? So overrated, walking on Chanel, that's what you want. Set aside fifty euros every month and in ten months, they'll be yours.

I have another saving tip for you. A woman who buys Chanel is extreme, but horrifically extreme, careful with her beloved bag or boots. Then comes the day that that crush is traded in for a new one. Yep, life is hard. But that means a vintage find hits the market. If you surf to Designer-Vintage, the holy grail will be yours. In a few days, you'll be walking around super nonchalantly with a logo in your ear. Yes, that’s possible. And the best part? The price range is between seventy and seventy-five hundred. Now those are options.

And then it's time for the big good. Unless you've secretly scored a vintage gem worth over a thousand from the above online. Of course. Then you've already made the highest achievable Chanel yours in passing. But do you want that bag, those boots, or a timeless coat? Start saving. Set aside your holiday money once, deposit the tax refund or your utilities into that account, push everything you have through, and make sure your washing machine doesn't break down in the meantime. And above all: withdraw NOTHING. Block your account, put a penalty on it; the whole shebang.

Oh yes, minor detail: you need to make a monthly budget. Mark my words, only if you do this will you actually have something left at the end of the month. Or is it just me? Anyways, stay strong and think of that magic.