Cheap stuff
I’ve been hauling bag after bag of clothes and other stuff I bought at discount stores to the local charity. In some cases I’ve outgrown the look, but in most cases the lack of quality made the clothes hard to wear. After a washing or two, the shirt or pants just didn’t look or fit right. (Not that they fit 100% right to begin with. The cheap price made me overlook inherent design flaws.)
It struck me that I could have bought the one expensive shirt I really wanted, the one that fit me instead of the 25 poorly fitting shirts that I ended up with. I can now see that it’s more expensive in the long run to buy items I don’t really want just because they are cheap.
But that’s what we’ve become a nation of quantity-obsessed junk buyers.
It makes more environmental sense to return to the days of full pricing, when quality determined the likelihood of purchase rather than quantity.
How do you determine whether or not to purchase something?
Muse thx,
Giulietta
RSS
Giulietta, funny you mention this, because I always save up and wait for the best item — well, one that has the best reviews and is expensive, but still reasonable.
It took me months to acquire all the pieces of my first stereo system. I was in high school, on a summer job budget, and at first could only afford to buy the speakers. So for a month or two, I stared at two large, unplugged speakers in my bedroom, until I had saved enough to buy the exact receiver I wanted. Then came a CD player, and a dual-cassette deck.
Now-a-days, I guess the average American would just charge the whole thing all at once and then pay the minimum charge on their credit card for the next ten years.
Dear RM,
I like your purchasing MO. That makes way more sense then going for the quick but cheaper sale grounded in instant gratification syndrome. I’m going to modify my behavior and go out and purchase something I actually want, that fits right but costs more than I’ve grown accustomed to spending. It’s the only way to break the cycle!
Muse thx for stopping by,
G.
Hey there~
Just wandering around and read your blog and have a couple things to say!
The more experience I have in purchases of all kinds the more I realize that you really, really do “get what you pay for”. Of course, there are always the over-priced items to watch out for.
But when it comes to true quality of materials and perfect fits, it really does make sense to get fewer items, even just one really fantastic item will bring more uniqueness in your life and satisfaction in purchasing an item.
Hey Summer Raven,
Fab name! I am going to follow your suggestion here and get one fantastic item. Just love those Seventies-type Stevie Nicks shirts with the bell sleeves.
Thx for stopping by …
G.
Several years ago, I encountered a similar epiphany. Yes, I could buy five shirts from Target for $60, they didn’t last. It would have been bett to buy 2 shirts at $30. Choosing quality over quantity has been my mantra for many years and it hasn’t disappointed me.
Hi Pink Heels,
I feel like I’m one of the last folks on earth to realize it’s cheaper in the long run to buy quality!
G.