Learning How To Invest In Yourself (& Details on How Our Payment Plans Work!)
Here’s a fact for you - it has been psychologically proven that it makes us happy to spend money on other people.
Research from the 1970s suggests that when we buy a gift we actually spend more time choosing the gift, and we’re far more likely to spend more. A lot more.
I think this is a gorgeous fact about humanity. It makes us happy to do nice things for people we love.
I know it’s a fact I certainly resonate with. I get a lot of joy from buying things for my boyfriend. Recently, I bought him a video game. I can’t remember the name of and will never ever play it in a million years. I didn’t really think twice about the money I spent on it. I decided to buy it for him, and then bought it, within the space of about five minutes.
So, it does make me laugh when I think of the fact that I wanted to buy myself a new dress for a wedding - and to do so, I created an Excel spreadsheet to work out my budget, asked about 10 group chats whether I should get it, and then took over 4 weeks to bite the bullet and buy it.
It cost £34. My boyfriend’s game cost me £36.
I feel like the next line writes itself here. Why, oh why, is it SO much harder to spend money on yourself?!
Because it’s an important skill to learn. And I’m not just saying it’s important because it’s nice to own pretty things, it’s important because feeling able to invest in yourself means you’re ready and prepared to spend money when it comes to investing in important things that can really truly make a difference to your life.
But what kind of things am I talking about?
Well, take a look at the list below.
When you look at the list below, I want you to stop and seriously consider each one. I want you to read each point and ask yourself how comfortable you would be purchasing that experience/service/gift for yourself. And then ask yourself how you’d feel purchasing it for someone else. And, if you find that there is a huge discrepancy between those two answers I would love for you to mull over how you can help yourself change this, and how, maybe, you can arrive at a place where you feel comfortable spending money on yourself because, and here’s the crux of it, you know you are worthy of it.
Here goes…
Counselling/Therapy
Learning a new skill/spending money on existing hobbies
Travelling
Gym memberships or anything similar
Self-care! Hairdressers, manicures etc
Setting aside money for bucket list goals
Decorating a space in your home
Subscriptions to wellbeing apps like Headspace
So, how did it feel reading that list? Did you ask yourself the questions? Should we talk about it more?
It can be so easy to get into a mindset where money is only for bills and for other people, but you work hard for your money and sometimes the money you own has to go towards doing things that make you happy; that are worthwhile not because there is a financial return but because you gain from it in how it makes you feel - in the memories it gives you, in the knowledge you learn, in the wellbeing you protect, the self-confidence it helps you grow. Things like getting your hair done are not essential. You could sit in the kitchen and cut your own hair with some scissors from home, but they matter because it helps you feel good about yourself and that is important.
It is a truth that there are some things you cannot put a price on. Looking after your mental health and finding a path to contentment is priceless. Building your self-esteem through new skills, self-care and new experiences is priceless. Creating an environment and life that makes your heart full is priceless. Seeing the world and meeting new people is, you guessed it, priceless.
Financial security and stability is important and vital, and this is not an argument for being reckless with your money, this is a little voice out there saying if you’re happy to spend £34 on your boyfriend, why don’t you deserve to spend £34 on yourself?
What about Boudoir?
Well you know we had to mention Boudoir at one point! It is a Divine Divas blog!
Honestly, we would be happy if after reading your blog you went away and treated yourself to any one of these suggestions but we do also want to explain why we totally feel justified in adding Boudoir to this list.
The obvious first explanation is that it is one-of-a-kind experience; it is a memory that you will be looking back on for years to come. So many of our Divas have said that their day with us was one of the best of their entire life (which is always incredible to read). So, there’s that.
But, more than that, you don’t get to go back in time and see things as they once were. What you do have is photography. I know it’s a cliche and every photography studio ever has at least one line on their website about ‘capturing something forever’ or something else suitably cheesy, but it’s there because it’s true. Being able to honour and hold in time who you were at that specific moment is beautiful, and something that only grows more meaningful as the years continue.
Lastly - so many Divas come to us to find a confidence in their body, and that’s exactly what we give them. Boudoir isn’t just about having a beautiful photos, it’s a part of it but actually for so many women this is an adventure on which they find themselves; they discover a power, a confidence, a spark, a love for who they are - and it doesn’t just last a day. It is a feeling, a transformation, a kickstarter for a new era for so many. And having the confidence to go out and live your life, as the person you want to be, surely that goes in the priceless category?
Onto the bit that everyone clicked onto the blog for in the first place - details about how you can pay at Divine Divas!
I know this may be frustratingly vague but I cannot give you an exact amount that a Divine Divas experience costs because everyone spends something different; we create bespoke pieces, people choose different things etc. However, what I can tell you is that our individual prints are £200, our wall art pieces start from £800, and our wall collections, albums and treasure boxes start from £1500. If you want more details on artwork, please do go here.
When it comes to paying, you have options.
Option 1 - Pay Straight Away
You choose and pay for your artwork during your Design Consultation. If you pay for all of your artwork straight away, it means we will start creating your artwork straight away! From the moment of paying, you can expect to wait 3-5 weeks before you are reunited with your artwork!
Option 2 - Payment Plan A
The second option is to do a payment plan with us. The payment plan is 0% interest and you will not receive your artwork until you have finished paying. We do not recommend that you spread your payments over more than four payments, but we can be flexible - it’s just that it means a long time to wait if you start waiting longer than four months! It is preferred that you pay for at least 25% of your total cost on the day of your design consultation, then you can choose how to spread the rest. You can pay off the full amount quicker if anything changes during the course of your payment plan.
Option 3 - Payment Plan B
The other option is to do a payment plan with a third party company that we use. They also do not charge interest, but they do a credit scan. If you pay with them, you need to pay for a minimum of 25% of your order and then the rest can be spread over 6,9 or 12 months. The big difference here is that you will get your artwork as soon as possible, as if you paid the full amount, if you use this option. The rest of the payments will start going out once you have received your artwork, and from that point on, if there are any queries, you will be dealing with the third company and not us. Of course, we will always do what we can to support but it is crucial to note that the payment is to them. As like option 2, you can pay off the full amount quicker if anything changes during the course of your payment plan.
TOP TIP
Most Divas do spend between £1,000-2,000 with us. Wherever you go, whether it be with us or somewhere else, good quality Boudoir is an investment. (If you went to the US, you’d be paying double that if you’re lucky!). We will do everything we can to be as flexible as we can and to cater to different budgets, but it is good to be aware of the fact that you will fall in love with every photo - it’s just what happens! If you think about it beforehand it gives you a bit of time to tuck away a bit of money to treat yourself, or some Divas choose to get a 0% credit card to spread the payments in their own personal way.
So, I hope this blog has went some way to answering any questions you have and maybe pushing you to go invest in yourself today. Whatever it might be - a trip to the hairdressers, signing up to French lessons or deciding to go for it and have your Boudoir experience - we don’t care, as long as you’re remembering that giving a gift from you, to you, sometimes is exactly what you need.
Even if you need to start small, it doesn’t need to be financial, you can gift yourself making the dinner that YOU love (rather than what the other family members requested) or gift yourself time to relax…
At the end of the day, none of this is about spending money you don’t have, it’s about knowing your worth - and feeling able to mirror that with actions ♥️
P.S If you have any questions about payment plans, please do get in touch! A lot of these things are easier to explain over the phone anyway!