What a Designer Bag Showed Me About Wealth and Perspective

In college, I shared an apartment with a girl who lived like she’d stepped straight out of Crazy Rich Asians. Her life shimmered quietly—designer heels neatly lined up at the door, last-minute weekend getaways, and this impossibly tiny handbag she took everywhere. It was sleek, impossibly stylish, and looked like it could barely hold a stick of gum.

One weekend, I asked if I could borrow it for a concert. She smiled casually and said,

“Of course. Take it.”

That night, I wore the bag like it was magic. I felt different—cooler, more put-together, like I belonged in a world of velvet ropes and VIP sections. For a few hours, I imagined a version of myself that carried tiny designer things without thinking twice. I even thought, Maybe I could save up and get one like this.

Out of curiosity, I looked it up online a few days later.

The price tag made my stomach drop.

The bag cost more than a full semester of my college tuition. I sat there, stunned, staring at the screen, realizing I’d just spent an evening dancing with something more valuable than everything I owned combined.

The next morning, I returned it to her as gently as if it were made of crystal. I admitted I had no idea how expensive it was. She just waved her hand and said,

“It’s just a bag.”

Those four words hit me harder than the price tag.

To her, it was just a bag. To me, it was unimaginable. Same item—two completely different realities.

That moment never left me. It taught me a quiet but important truth: value is about perspective, not price. Something ordinary to one person might be absolutely extraordinary to someone else. And true wealth? It’s not about luxury goods or name brands. It’s about recognizing what you have, staying grounded, and realizing that what you take for granted could be someone else’s once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Funny how a purse can carry that kind of lesson.