Five Fabulous Things to Blow Your Bonus On

So it may not have been the best year for women in finance, or even the best year for finance professionals in general. Still, for those of you who work at top performing places like Goldman Sachs or hedge funds that shorted subprime loans this year, Santa might still be squeezing down the chimney for you at bonus time. But the holidays are over, and now, if you have some money to burn, might as well spend it on yourself. Drowning your sorrows in retail therapy? We can help with that too.

Here at the Glass Hammer, we present five fabulous symbols of conspicuous consumption to help liberate your bank accounts of that bonus …

1. Crocodile Birkin Bag by Hermès. This bag is the ultimate luxury indulgence. While some coveted models have a waitlist as long as six years, other models can be found on shorter notice. While this diamond-encrusted 40 cm black crocodile patent Birkin will set you back a cool $65,000, it will certainly announce to the world that you have arrived. Less outrageous models available from $6,000. Even if you can’t afford your very own yet, you can head over to the new Hermès location right on Wall Street and ogle till your heart’s content, or at least pick up a more reasonably priced scarf.
2. First-class round the world plane tickets. The dream of traveling around the world in first class conjures up exotic thoughts of the spice markets of India, the romance of Paris, safaris in Africa. Oh, and those teeny little salt and pepper shakers that they give you in first class (and the socks and sleep mask that are yours to keep!) In fact, round the world tickets are coming down in price and travel is getting smoother, thanks to airline alliances like OneWorld, Star Alliance and Skyteam, which charges $5,511 in coach and $10,558 in business for a round the world ticket. Also check out websites like https://www.airtreks.com/ and https://www.airbrokers.com/ for more deals on custom round the world itineraries.
3. Tiffany’s Celebration Diamond Ring. Who says you need to be engaged to have a diamond ring? Tiffany’s celebration collection has many gorgeous “just because” diamond rings that can be worn on the right hand to celebrate anything special in your life. The Swig Three Row Ring has three rows of diamond set in platinum and starts at $7200. Stop into the new Wall Street location and try it on for fun. So, celebrate yourself! Think of it like a really fancy and sparkly toast.
4. BMW 2008 R 1200 R Motorcycle. Why should boys get the best toys? For cruising around the city in style and making all of your male co-workers drool with envy, nothing beats a big shiny beast of a motorcycle by BMW. The R 1200 model is favored by female riders because of its remarkably precise handling and low center of gravity. You can sign up for motorcycle safety classes in your area, and get ready to ride. This is the solution to a boring desk job. Just don’t forget to wear a helmet!
5. Cartier Tankissime Watch. Getting yourself a designer watch has always been a male rite of passage in the finance world, but who needs a Rolex when you can have the stunning yet classic Tankissime watch from Cartier? You can get the basic white gold model for just under $15,000, or knock it out of the ball park with the medium model in18K case and bracelet set with round-cut diamonds, priced at $108,100.

So enjoy your post-holiday bonus shopping, or at least, live in a dream world where you can own these things for a little while longer. Do you think we left a coveted luxury item off of this list? What would you blow a sizeable chunk of your bonus on? We want to know!