DAVID AND VICTORIA Beckham may be multimillionaires but it seems they too have been thinking about penny-pinching of late.
The couple have fired 14 of their 50 staff after their accountant told them that the were “haemorrhaging” money.
Victoria allegedly called for the audit of their personal finances, feeling that it was inappropriate to continue lavish spending when so many people were struggling financially.
Interestingly, although staff have been fired the corresponding number of jobs have not fallen: among the staff let go was one cleaner who had worked for the couple for eight years – that staff member has been subsequently replaced with two “cost efficient” foreign staff.
It seems the Beckhams aren’t simply streamlining – they also want more bang for their buck.
We’ve been thinking of other ways that the couple could save money instead of cutting staff – and guess what? We’ve come up a few…
1. Handbags
Victoria Beckham is notoriously fond of the Hermès range of Birkin handbags, but they certainly don’t come cheap. One of these pieces of arm candy will generally set you back anything from €3,000 to €7,000.
Victoria reportedly owns around 100 Birkins, including deluxe versions made from materials like pink ostrich skin and black crocodile (worth as much as €51,000 each) and also the ‘Silver Himalayan’ style, which comes with three-carat diamond attached – as well as an eye-watering price tag of €97,660.
(Given that she’s such a good customer, we wonder if the Hermès “Victoria“ model is named after her?)
The total amount that she has spent on Birkins has been estimated to be €1.8m.
So, considering that an average cost per hour for a cleaner in central London is £6 – and considering that the Beckhams may pay over the going rate for security and discretion – we calculate that a full time cleaner, at £12 an hour, would cost about £25,000/€30,500 a year.
In other words, Victoria, that’s just four handbags fewer a year to provide another human being with well-paid, secure employment.
(Or just one fewer of the deluxe models.)
2. Exotic pets
The Beckhams have reportedly adopted some new pets this year: two “micro pigs” at a cost of €8,550 each.
Wonder how else you could spend €17,000? Strangely, that equals a part-time wage…
3. Italian shopping sprees
On a shopping spree in January, Victoria reportedly bought 20 pairs of Dolce and Gabbana shoes, 12 pairs of Versace sunglasses and a €490,000 Rolex watch.
Victoria apparently finds it difficult too resist splashing out in the Italian fashion capital, reportedly saying:
“I’ve spent too much. Shopping is like a drug. The more you have the more you want. When I’m in Milan I don’t know how to resist it. The things in those wonderful boutiques are saying, ‘Come and buy me, come and buy me.’ Anyway, it helps the economy.”
So considering that this one outing reportedly cost about €1,220,000… eh, do we need to spell it out?
Although, to be fair to the Beckhams, don’t have expensive taste in everything. Victoria is apparently very fond of Liebfraumilch when she fancies a tipple (a sweet German white wine that retails at a very reasonable €3.49).
Classy.
