Dupe That

Is it wrong to crave the allure of luxury, or can you satisfy your style desires without splurging your savings? On today's Jesus Fix It podcast, we dig deep into the heart of "dupe culture" and how it’s reshaping fashion and lifestyle choices. Remember when toting a Guess or Coach bag was the ultimate status flex? We share a nostalgic laugh over those days while exploring how today's savvy shoppers are replacing high-priced luxuries with budget-friendly alternatives. From "firkins" (the faux Birkin bag) to bargain beauty buys, we're spilling the tea on how to maintain a chic look without emptying your wallet. Join us as we share personal style confessions and strike a balance between loving luxury and being financially savvy.

Embracing a thoughtful approach to spending, we explore the intersection of faith, finances, and the natural desire for nice things. We question society's obsession with material wealth and consider how to respect both fashion and fiscal responsibility. Tithing, avoiding debt, and understanding the real value of possessions are part of our discussion, as we reflect on how our relationship with money and material goods evolves over time. With social media fueling consumer cravings, "dupe culture" emerges as a hero, offering affordable paths to high-end aesthetics. So grab your coffee and get ready for a candid chat filled with laughter, life lessons, and a fresh perspective on living bougie on a budget.

Transcript

0:00:01 - Jess

Hey, welcome back, or welcome to, the Jesus Fix it podcast, the show where we talk about life, the ups, the downs, a little pop culture and everything in between. I'm Jess. 

0:00:12 - Steph

And I'm Steph. Every other week, we dive into the things we're asking Jesus to fix and, let's be real, there's a lot. You can always count on us to keep it real. 

0:00:22 - Jess

Share some laughs with us and maybe a few tears, as we tackle the big and small stuff with faith and honesty. So grab your coffee and let's get into it. Let's talk about the money, honey. Ooh, I like that. Ooh, coming in hot. That's enough of that, okay. Dupe culture yes, all right, you know all about dupe culture. So when I was growing up because I'm so young Okay, it was all the rave. 

0:00:56 - Steph

I'm showing my age by saying all the rage, is it rave? 

0:01:00 - Jess

or rage. Oh, I thought it was rage, all the rage. Okay Well.

0:01:03 - Steph

Well, either way. 

0:01:04 - Jess

Either way, it was the thing, yes, the thing, okay, it was the thing to have name brand everything. 

0:01:11 - Steph

The little triangle on the back pocket of your jeans? Guess, yes. 

0:01:16 - Jess

I love guess. I even buy guess watches now. The things that were in back then are in again now. Can I just say that I've noticed that yes, okay, but anyway, having name brand things was the thing. Now the thing is to find a replica or a duplicate of the name brand thing which is where the word dupe comes from, right, and find a cheaper version of it. 

0:01:42 - Steph

But not generic Kind of Kind of, but not. 

0:01:47 - Jess

Yeah, there are all kinds of videos on social media showing you where and how to do this. 

0:01:54 - Steph

It's almost like a game Good for the hunt. Yes. 

0:02:00 - Jess

I mean, my, my, my, how times have changed. A way to be bougie on a budget, yeah. So how do you feel about that? Do you prefer getting the name brand things, like, do you mind saying your age? Oh, no, I don't care, I'm 43. Okay, and I'm 47. Do you mind getting the name brand things? Or do you want the dupes or the replica things? 

0:02:21 - Steph

I think for me it depends. Okay, I things I think, for me it depends. 

0:02:29 - Jess

Okay, I truly do so. Like right now, all the rage is getting a firkin. 

0:02:32 - Steph

Okay, so we're going with rage. 

0:02:32 - Jess

Yeah, oh, it is, I didn't even think about that. Yeah, okay, I digress, I digress, okay, go ahead. Yes, all the rage is. I love how you corrected me in a nice way Go ahead. 

0:02:43 - Steph

You're welcome. Okay, a firkin, which is a fake birkin. 

0:02:48 - Jess

Okay. For some who don't know what a birkin bag is, please school us on a birkin bag, which I will never ever own a real birkin bag, Okay.

0:02:58 - Steph

So a birkin bag is a handmade leather purse that is more of like a satchel style, but they do have mini ones of them. 

0:03:08 - Jess

They do. 

0:03:13 - Steph

It is like the thing to show you have status, because what's happened with Birkin is it's really hard to get one. It's rare you have to spend so much money at an Hermes, if I said that right Hermes. 

0:03:24 - Jess

Store Hermes. 

0:03:25 - Steph

Yeah, you have to spend tons and tons of money, and then you get invited to buy a Birkin. 

0:03:30 - Jess

First of all, they're upwards to like $30,000. Some can start at that, Start at $30,000. But can you imagine you're invited to spend $30,000 at my store? 

0:03:42 - Steph

Because you already spent like $30,000. I don't know because I've never owned anything by those brands, that's somebody's salary. Hello, that is a car, yeah. So what's happened now is there's a third party brand that's making these faux Birkin bags. That's where we get Firkin. That's where we get firkin from, yes, and so the people who are bougie on a budget are going out and buying them, and now they look like they have that status symbol. So that's where the dupe comes in. 

0:04:17 - Jess

So in that case I would totally rock a firkin. Yes, because if it looks just like a real Birkin to the average person, to the average person. But this is the thing Somebody who knows me and knows I work in ministry because, let's be real, we love working in ministry. But, we know what you make in ministry. So somebody who knows me knows that my Birkin bag is really a Birkin. 

0:04:42 - Steph

Let's just be real. 

0:04:44 - Jess

Now, if it's like a coach bag, I love coach. I have rocked coach since I was young, young Like. I got my first coach bag when I was like 17. I had to like beg my mom for one, I got one for Christmas and it was a splurge for my family, my mom. She probably had to work so much overtime just to be able to afford a coach bag. 

0:05:05 - Steph

Yeah, you know back then. Still not. We're not talking like something that's super cheap. 

0:05:11 - Jess

Yeah, they're still not cheap. But if I buy myself a coach bag, even the one that's on the less expensive side, even if you're going to go to the outlet, it's going to be no less than $150 something or $200, even if it's on sale. I prefer the name brand. Yeah, I'm not going to purchase, I'm not going to go to Walmart or Target and buy a looking one. But for something that's $30,000. I'm okay going with the Birkin. 

0:05:39 - Steph

I'm okay with the Birkin. Yeah, now there are other items that are dupes and you can get some really great again. Not generic, not generic. 

0:05:48 - Jess

I really think that there is a difference, yeah. 

0:05:50 - Steph

And so makeup is another great example. 

0:05:52 - Jess

Ooh, yeah, Now I do wear the dupe makeup. 

Mm-hmm, there are like Elf is a drugstore brand of makeup, and when I say drugstore brand, that means you can go to Ulta or Walgreens or CVS and get some makeup there, whereas if you wanted to get something like Anastasia, beverly Hills or Urban Decay, you'd have to go to Sephora or someplace like that and say if you wanted a makeup palette. Those things are like $45, $50, $60. But you can go get the same color palettes like elf. They'll be $5, $6, same thing. So they're duping those brands and for me I'm a perfume collector. But there are some fragrance dupes and they are smelling exactly like the high-end brands and they are lasting longer, bigger bottles, amazing. Now I will buy a dupe fragrance in a heartbeat, but there are some people who will not. 

0:06:57 - Steph

Yeah, I think. 

0:06:58 - Jess

I would. What would make you? I'm looking at you now and you're like but what well, what I think about? 

0:07:04 - Steph

I have crazy super sensitive skin. I mean, you'll look at me and it's just like I get a rash because you looked at me sideways. So I would be afraid sometimes that if I sprayed it on me, that there was something in it that was not of a more natural source and that that's going to make me break out. Like retinol is used in a ton of stuff and I'm allergic to retinol, Right, and I learned that the hard way because I puffed up, yeah, you know. So it's one of those things where I like the idea for a fragrance, but I would be a little bit more hesitant just because of how crazy super sensitive my skin is. 

0:07:39 - Jess

Right, I think, if you got used to the perfume house that's doing the dupes. For example, one brand of fragrance is called Kayali. They make some beautiful fragrances but they don't last long. You pay $100 for a bottle of perfume and it smells beautiful, but it lasts two hours. Well, there's a brand called Latafa who has the same fragrance notes as one particular bottle of Kayali. Same notes, smells the exact same, but the bottles are bigger and it lasts for 10 hours. Oh, wow, Okay. Which one do you think I'm going to buy? And Kaoli costs $100 a bottle. Bottle is 1.7 ounces. I can get a bottle of the Latafa for 3.4 ounces and it's $35. 

And it lasts for 10 hours. Same ingredients. Which one do you think I'm going to get? Yeah, or at least try and spray on my arm, just to make sure. I mean it's you know. 

0:08:42 - Steph

That totally makes sense. I'm trying to think of things that are dupes, that are not in, like the beauty industry or fashion industry. That one's a little bit more difficult for me to come up with. 

0:08:53 - Jess

Okay, so how do you feel about generic? Generic is different. 

0:08:57 - Steph

Generic is different. 

0:08:58 - Jess

Generic is different Like you go into the grocery store. One thing I will not buy generic is like toilet paper, that's like a no brainer. 

0:09:05 - Steph

I mean, well, it depends, okay, so really, no, no, okay, hear me out. Okay, my favorite toilet paper comes from Sam's Club and it's Sam's Club brand and it's the really big package that you can get brand and it's the really big package that you can get. Is it comparable to like Angel? Is it Angel Soft, angel Soft, something like that it is. I'm going to bring you a roll because I have a bunch of them. Yes, I am, because I'm going to convert you. 

0:09:29 - Jess

I don't mess around with the TP. I've never Don't give me single ply sandpaper. No, I can't do it. I can't do it. See, generic is different. So. 

0:09:40 - Steph

I understand that Like yeah, in that sense, like I'm okay getting, like you know, target brand, walmart brand ketchup, like that I don't really care about. Yeah, I can do that. Like that I don't care about, except for mayonnaise. 

0:09:53 - Jess

Okay, my mom Duke's mayonnaise. 

0:09:56 - Steph

I was going to say Duke's. 

0:10:01 - Jess

Yeah, I have to have Duke's mayonnaise. My mom, that's how she raised me. Yeah. But other than that I can do generic or off-brand anything else. But yeah, Now, when my kids were growing up I could not get them off-brand cereal. But you know, I was a single mom and it was cheaper. So what I would have to do was buy the Walmart brand cereal and I would pour it into containers before they saw it. But then Walmart started making their fruity, their fruit loops a little smaller than like normal fruit loops, and my kids were like, uh-uh, something right, this don't look like a normal fruit loop. And then they stopped eating it. 

0:10:36 - Steph

See, and growing up, for us it was not like you know, when you're, when you're grocery shopping. So visualize this you've got your top shelf, you and I can barely reach it, but that's like the really really good stuff. Yeah, then I level is like that's the, the main, you know middle of the line, whatever. Then you've got the store brand and then you've got the bag brand. 

We were always on the bag brand like we weren't even on the store, like it was down on that level. And so it's like, when it comes to a lot of stuff, it's like, okay, generic, and then it's like generic B and that's kind of what we grew up with, and so I'm okay when it comes to some of that. So when it comes to foods, I'm not going to be super particularly picky, but don't give me some generic cheese puffs. Oh I am. I am so picky because, like I love me some Aldi, but their generic Clancy stuff doesn't cut it for me in a lot of instances. 

0:11:30 - Jess

I can deal with that, I think. But you know some things now I do. You know now that I think about it a lot of times. I will just get the name brand, just because I can, because growing up we had to get off brand stuff. Growing up we didn't have a lot of money, so it's almost like a take that Now I can afford it. 

0:11:54 - Steph

I totally understand what you mean. Yeah, yeah, I have this. I have this conversation with my mom a lot. I'm just going to throw it out there. We do and it's like okay, mom, yeah, but I make a salary, I budget, I'm specific, I tithe. You know, I'm going to save up money. Going back to that whole dupe culture, dupe items or whatever it is Like. I'll save up my money in order to get this item that I want to splurge on a little bit more, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. 

0:12:24 - Jess

Okay, so in the church, this is something I've thought about. Is it wrong to want nice things? Is it wrong to want the best of everything? Is it wrong to splurge a lot? 

0:12:43 - Steph

can you afford it? Are you not in debt in order to purchase those items? Well, definitely if you're, if you're not, well, that's a whole another conversation if you're in debt now listen, you need to be shopping generic b and get out of debt. 

0:12:57 - Jess

You need to get yourself out of debt, get your financial planner. But I know there's a certain responsibility to save your money, to tie the first and foremost. But I remember going to a church one time and an elder told me one time, as a believer, that it was wrong to want the best of things, that as a believer, you should live a meek life. 

0:13:29 - Steph

So to speak Like meager, whatever sort of yeah meager, Really humble. 

0:13:33 - Jess

Humble? I don't know. I was really conflicted about that because I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with wanting nice things, especially if you work hard, you tithe, you live responsibly. I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting nice things and wanting the best for you and your family. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, as long as you're responsible. Do you know what I mean? 

0:14:01 - Steph

Yeah, I do. I do know what you mean. I really feel like God's going to give us what we can handle financially. He is going to trust us with the funds, with our money. There's some really fabulous business owners that I know that are Christian business owners and they've got a lot of money, but God's trusted them with that because they spend it well and they spend it wisely. And if you bless others and that's totally it Think about. 

In the Bible it talks about money and people. Often I feel like they twist this verse or they miss kind of the key of it. I had to pull it up because I wanted to make sure I get it right, and it's 1 Timothy 6.10. It says for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, it's the love of it. It's not that money is, it's the love of it. And so again it comes back to how are you spending what God has trusted you with? Are you doing it wisely so you don't have your debt? House payment's going to be a big debt and, depending on who you are and how, again, financial planner, let's put that one aside. But if you are working hard, you're tithing off the top, not your. 

0:15:10 - Jess

Okay, I've already paid all my other bills and I've purchased all the things that I want, and now I'm going to tithe what's left. 

0:15:16 - Steph

No, off the top, you're doing it. B by all means, I feel like you should be able to do that, and it's not because it's a status symbol, it's not that little. When I was growing up, that triangle on the back of your jeans, the guest jeans, we didn't have them. It was a status symbol. 

It, was it really was and it's like I just we couldn't afford them and so we didn't have them, you know, and that's okay. But if you can afford these things now and that's something that you want, I feel like there's nothing wrong with going out and spending that money, because you've already done the biblically based financial thing. 

0:15:56 - Jess

Yes, yeah, and I love that you bring up the point that it's not a status symbol and that comes with age. I think I think so, because a lot of things nowadays with especially you know I'm not picking on younger generation, but this is something you really do have to learn that you don't purchase things just because your friend has it or because it's the end thing. And we did a lot of that growing up. I know a lot of things I had that my parents worked so hard to get me. I got because my friend had it. My best friend has had one, so I needed one. 

And looking back, I wish I had a lot of things that my parents worked hard for. I had them because I wanted them or I felt a connection for them. Do you know what I mean? I would have appreciated them more. That's the key. I would have appreciated them. And now that I'm an adult, after I've tithed and after I've worked hard for my money, I appreciate everything that I'm able to purchase for myself or for my kids, or if I'm able to gift somebody something because I know I'm getting them one, because if I get something for myself, it's because I want it and I see the value in it, something for myself, it's because I want it and I see the value in it. Or I'm able to give something to somebody else because I want them to have it, or it's my way of saying I love you or I appreciate you Great love language. 

You know what I'm saying, and I just I want that for other people too, do you? 

0:17:22 - Steph

know what I mean. Yeah, I feel like again we touched on it a little bit social media and it really does a disservice to so many people Because, as I'm thinking again about dupes, everything that I see is in fashion and it's mostly females with their affiliate links. And here's where the real item is and here's the dupe that you can go and buy my affiliate link and purchase this item for less and still look bougie, but on a budget. And again, there's nothing wrong with this and wanting to have that, but like, be wise about it. 

0:17:56 - Jess

One thing I can say, though one thing I love about dupe culture, I should say, is it affords somebody the opportunity to get something that they may not otherwise be able to afford. Right, did I say? 

0:18:10 - Steph

that correctly. 

0:18:11 - Jess

Obtain, obtain. 

0:18:12 - Steph

Yeah, I love that. Okay, let's go back to the firkin. Yeah, okay, you're never going to afford even okay the Kelly bag, which is their miniature version of a birkin, and it's like $12,000, and this thing is like three inches by four inches. Yeah, okay, I'm never going to spend that kind of money on it. It just doesn't make sense to me. 

0:18:32 - Jess

I just would never. Even if I could, I would never, that's just not me. 

0:18:36 - Steph

But, there might be somebody who says you know what? No, I'm not going to spend $12,000 on this miniature purse, but I see a dupe of it and that makes me happy. Having that dupe of this item, that is a sort of status symbol of whatever in my lowly income, whatever you want to call it, I can still have that. I can still afford something that makes me happy. 

0:19:00 - Jess

It doesn't have to be the name brand One last point, though If you are that person who you don't want to dupe and you want a name brand and you see somebody on social media giving a review of whatever that name brand item is and you click on it because you have to have it, just know they're getting paid to tell you that it is all of that. 

0:19:22 - Steph

That's almost anybody on social media for almost anything, and they are supposed to put a disclaimer on there FYI, but they don't, but they don't always OK, but they don't always Okay, Steph, what do you want Jesus to fix? 

I would love if Jesus could fix a community situation where, especially this time of year in the it's not even spring, the late winter, the post-holiday season people just don't get together. It's gray outside, I get it. There's gray outside, I get it, there's sickness that's going around but like, still, it's okay to invite people over, it's okay to go out to have a meal with someone, and people just very much seem this time of year to turn inwards and I wish that it was more of a forethought for people to just be hospitable anywhere and no matter what the situation is. 

0:20:09 - Jess

Jesus fix it. 

0:20:13 - Announcer

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