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LUXE LIFE

Inside Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw’s $4K a month lifestyle filled with pricey shoes -that would leave her in debt

CARRIE Bradshaw is perhaps one of the most stylish characters ever to appear on television.

She is known for her infatuation with Manolo Blahnik stilettos, her designer handbags, and her over-the-top fashion sense.

Carrie Bradshaw's closet holds her most prized possessions
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Carrie Bradshaw's closet holds her most prized possessionsCredit: Splash
The love of her life, Big, famously gave Carrie her dream walk-in closet in the first film
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The love of her life, Big, famously gave Carrie her dream walk-in closet in the first film

On the show and subsequent films, Carrie and her girl gang are often seen galivanting around Manhattan’s most expensive spots — dining at fancy restaurants and sipping cosmos at swanky nightclubs.

Over the years, however, fans have pointed out that a freelance writer like Carrie could never actually afford the extravagant lifestyle she leads.

To explore the burning question, calculated just how much the New Yorker’s lifestyle would actually cost.

And it turns out, our beloved fashionista would likely have over $4k in debt each month.

Based on Glassdoor estimates for freelance writers, coupled with the fact that Carrie is an established newspaper columnist, her yearly salary would be somewhere around $81,800.

After taxes, she would bring home $57,515 a year, or $4,793 a month.

To understand how much of this income she spends each month, Angelic Diamonds broke down her expenses.  

Although her studio apartment may appear small for non-New-Yorkers, it is actually very spacious for city standards.

Living alone in Manhattan is expensive, especially if you live in the pricey neighborhood of the Upper East Side like Carrie does.

The show's fans have frequently questioned how a writer like Carrie could afford her extravagant wardrobe
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The show's fans have frequently questioned how a writer like Carrie could afford her extravagant wardrobeCredit: Splash
She rocks a Dior top and Zac Posen skirt in the second film
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She rocks a Dior top and Zac Posen skirt in the second filmCredit: Handout

Angelic Diamonds estimated that her monthly rent would be $3,250 — leaving Carrie with $1,543 for other expenses.

Famous for her dislike of cooking and her tendency to store clothing in her oven, Carrie eats out for most meals.

On average, Angelic Diamonds claimed she would spend $7.65 every day on breakfast, $18 on lunch, and $65 on dinner. They added in a little extra for the usual weekend brunch with her gals.

Her monthly meal-spending would come to $2,720 per month, which means she’s already $1,777 over her budget.

If you factor in the monthly $220 for electric, gas, and internet bills, plus the $20 a day for taxis (she never takes the subway), the debt keeps growing.

And now, the fun part: fashion.

Carrie’s clothing is a huge part of who she is, and we get to see her vast collection of designer items every episode.

She loves Louboutins and Blahniks, and never shies away from an Oscar De La Renta gown or Chanel bag.

Angelic Diamonds estimated that if she bought two designer shoes each month, she would be spending $2,117.

They also added up the price of some specific items we see in the series: one of her Christian Dior dresses is $3,500; her Vivienne Westwood skirt is $750; Dolce & Gabbana coat: $2,395; Fendi Baguette bag: $2,290; Dior Saddle bag: $3,950; a Verdura Target brooch: $24,500.

The conclusion? Carrie spends around $9,099 a month.

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This means she would rack up $4,306 of debt each month.

Time for Carrie to cut back on the Barneys visits.

Her Dior saddlebag made for a bold statement piece in this episode
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Her Dior saddlebag made for a bold statement piece in this episodeCredit: HBO
The SATC reboot, called And Just Like That, promises more high-fashion looks like this one
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The SATC reboot, called And Just Like That, promises more high-fashion looks like this oneCredit: Splash
Her funky wardrobe is enviable to say the least
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Her funky wardrobe is enviable to say the leastCredit: Splash
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