When I was a student I would rather have died than have a handbag. My friends and I used to stuff our purses with lipstick, keys and other essentials before heading out for a night on the town.

Sportsbags were ok and even rucksacks were permissable but carrying something on your shoulder was a big no-no.

The problem was our mothers and grandmothers - they had massive handbags complete with used tissues and furry boiled sweets and that wasn't a look we wanted to replicate.

Having a handbag was a sign of being grown-up - it was quite reassuring to know that we didn't have enough going on our lives to need a bag to carry it in.

But all that has changed as I have got older and now my handbag collection would make the most prolific shopper blush. I have bags to match my shoes (and we are talking a lot of pairs of leather), roomy bags for work, tiny bags for nights out and even handbags for a walk in the country.

There may not be an unwrapped sweet languishing at the bottom of my bag but if you want an old nail varnish, some loose change or a cracked mirror I can probably help.

A new report says the average cost of the contents of a woman's handbag is £500 - now I'm not sure what some ladies are carrying round with them but I'd advise they took out insurance on their bags if they are worth more than most people's current accounts.

My love of handbags may be more simple than most but I have to admit there is one thing missing from my collection which I would love - a designer name.

My bank balance will simply not stretch to a Miu Miu or Fendi to swing as I walk down Darlington's High Row.

If I was happy not to eat for a month I could probably invest in a little something by Vivienne Westwood but the call of my stomach is a little louder than the call of the bag.

But things may be about to change thanks to an American website set to sweep the UK.

The site, bagbarroworsteal allows handbag addicts to get their designer fix without having to sell a vital organ.

The site has 50 designer bags from the likes of DKNY and Prada which it rents out.

The fee per month ranges from £11 and £55 - depending on the name of the designer (or the Diva rating as the website calls it).

If you went to the shops these bags could cost thousands of pounds - this way you can pretend you have the means to have a top designer accessory while secretly knowing you aren't breaking the bank.

And how good would it feel to have a different designer bag on your arm each month?

If someone wanted to see one that you had handed back you could always pretend that your finger was so on the pulse of fashion that it had been sent to the great handbag sale in the sky.

And if you fall in love with the bag that you've rented you have the option to buy it outright.

My only fear would be after you'd promised your bank account to one bag what do you do when you spot another one you fall in love with?