I hate buying clothes
I hate spending money on clothes. I don’t know for certain, but I think that I spend about $200 every year. I only buy new clothes when my old ones are all worn down, tearing apart, have holes or a big stain.
One way to make you clothe last longer, it’s to separate your every day casual clothe from your work clothes, specially if you work in an environment where there is a lot of wear and tear, that way you nice clothe will last a lot longer, and your work clothes is usually less expensive to replace and you cold save a few hundred dollars per year.
Why people buy new clothes
Generally, people buy clothes because they are bored, because of social pressure, because they want to showcase their wealth, or because they want to compensate for their insecurities.
Succumbing to social pressure and lack of confidence
One of my ex-girlfriends used to work for a cosmetics company. All her coworkers were always wearing the latest fashion and she felt compelled to keep up with her peers. Every month or so, she would go out and buy something new. She succumbed to social pressure.
A friend of mine, a well-established businesswoman, would never go out of her house without having her nails painted. Is this a sign of confidence?
Mix messages: Spending vs. Frugality
At our Toastmasters club, one of our ex-members did a speech about her shopping techniques, how to be fashionable on a budget. The ironic thing is that on the same day, I did a speech on how to be frugal and among many things, how to avoid being seduced by the advertisers and their latest promotions. Our message could not have been more opposite from each other.
Advertisers tell us we are not perfect
Advertisers will make us believe that our bodies are not perfect and that we are ordinary, but if we buy their products, we will become better looking, more confident, and different from everybody else. This is the message, “The rules are not made for you, be unique, buy my product.”
Consumers believe these lies and they spend millions of dollars buying new clothes, facial creams, hair products, etc. And they pay for services such as facials, hairstylists, manicures, etc. All to be unique, we all become unique when we buy the same stuff as everyone else.
Objects will never make us confident
At the end of the day, all the new clothes in the world, all the creams, hair products, etc., will never make you more confident. Instead, you will depend more on them to feel good about yourself.
On the other hand, a person who doesn’t succumb to the social pressures and to the seduction of the advertisers is a person who is, in fact, unique and confident.
If you are reading this blog from your laptop or your smart device, you probably have enough clothes, you don’t need to buy more. Our constant consumption may be good for the economy, but most likely is harming your personal finances, in addition, it’s killing the environment.
Instead of buying more clothes, I propose to spend your money on experiences, or saving for retirement, or just working less because you have less stuff to buy.
Coaching services
I am a money coach, don’t hesitate to write me if you want to talk about money or anything else that is going on in your life.
I have learned to plaster, sand, paint, sew, bake, cook, and make things I want just because I can.
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One response to “How to avoid buying new clothes”
[…] my case, this is not a big deal. I am very frugal, I hardly ever buy new clothes ( I am happy wearing a shirt for 10 years or more), I don’t eat out much, and when I do, I go […]