and I'm OK with it.While I am not afraid to shout about my frugality from the rooftops, I am equally unafraid to spend a little money where it matters.
In the past, I used to spend buckets of cash on a whole lot of nothing. Before Rob and I were married, I had very few real expenses beyond rent, transportation, and other basics. I was an educator, so my salary wasn't Trump-like, but I did OK. I never wanted for spending money. That was part of my problem.
Cruising the mall sale racks was a recreational activity that occurred most Friday afternoons. I came out of The Gap and Banana Republic with plenty of bags, but very little substance. I was extremely proud of my $4.99 shirts and $12.99 pants, but didn't yet understand that they were useless hanging in my closet (with the tags still on). I was wasting my money.
At some point over the past few years, I figured out that when it comes to stuff, less is more. I have fewer clothes, but I wear them all. I have only a couple of pairs of shoes and one winter coat, but I like them. They're nice. They're well made. I have less laundry, less clutter, less need to keep replacing cheap stuff that breaks, tears, or doesn't fit right.
I'd rather skip the clearance rack at the mall and save my money for when I really want something. Like my new boots. They're awesome. I wear them everyday, and they're built to last.
A few months ago, we opened an ING account just for clothing. Every month, we deposit money into it, whether we need clothes or not. Then, when we need something, the money is there. We find the best price, transfer the money, and buy it. No need for buying a cheaper version we don't really love, no need to spend money we don't have.
So if you come to my house, you won't see a ton of stuff, but the stuff you will see is stuff that is good quality, dependable, and will be there for a while.
No more disposable anything.
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3 comments:
Amen. This has been my motto for years. Quality vs. Quantity. (Of course, my problem was I bought way TOO many of those nice, quality items). By the way, where did you get $90 boots like that b/c that is actually a steal...they go upwards of $200+.
-Shannon, SF mom
Planet Shoes, Shannon! They were on sale before Christmas, bu when I downloaded the pic they were 108. They are great boots. I hope to have them for 3 years- then they're only like $30 a year. :)
That is a great philosophy. It is easy to get trapped in the mindset of "more is better," when it comes to spending money, but you're so right--if what you have keeps breaking or your sweater has nubbies after one washing, it's not really worth it.
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