Whimper

Dear Cordy,
My tastes outweigh my income. I don't want everything, I mean, I'm not greedy, but there are a lot of great pairs of shoes out there, you know what I mean?
What's a girl to do?

Cordelia says:
My God, I know your pain!

I do want everything. On your left, for example--I have shoes enough like these to work with any outfit I may want to wear them with. There's really no point in spending the too-much-to-even-say-it money on them. But I want them! I feel like I spend most of my life wishing I could afford all the things I want. I try to just enjoy the fact that these shoes exist.

My only advice for you is to do as I do, unhappy as it makes me--a) never spend more than a hundred dollars on a pair of shoes. Shoes that cost more than that are not worth it, no matter how beautiful they are. b) If you already have comparable shoes, leave them on the shelf. You do not have the closet space of Imelda Markos. c) How many espadrilles does a girl need? If the shoe is only wearable for one month out of the year, think hard. d) How painful do they look? This is the one I have the most trouble with. The most beautiful shoes in the world are inevitably the most torturous--is it worth it to own them but never be able to wear them?

I should also include some kind of budget advice, but I really have none to give.