Shopping for Quality not Price
There was this store (to be nameless) where I use to buy my jeans. I would go in buy a $30 pair of jeans and wear them for one year. Almost to the day one year later, those jeans would become torn, ragged and shredded in the knees. Now I’m not saying I would throw them out, wearing torn jeans, especially ones that happened, instead of bought are great. But I would still have to buy another pair of non-holed jeans. So off I would go to the same store and buy another pair of $30 jeans.
I did this three years in a row and then I realized, I spent a combined total of $90 on jeans with a combined shelf life of 3 years. I decided to suck it up and spend $90 on one pair of jeans. That was 5 years ago. I’m wearing those $90 jeans as I type this and they are perfect. Worn a bit to make them relaxed but no holes no tears…. perfect. At this rate, they will last 5 more years.
Lets do the math:
One $90 jeans for five years is $18 a year. (not counting the fact that I am wearing them longer than 5 years.
Three $30 jeans for three years is $30 a year.
I came out ahead with the more expensive pair of jeans AND they fit better, they look better and they are more stylish. So am I telling you to go spend over $100 on a pair of high quality jeans? Well if they are stylish WITHOUT being trendy they will last more than a season before going out of style and, most importantly, you look great in them; definitely!
You need to start looking at a cost per wear factor not a cost per item. Obviously I’m not telling you to spend $150 on a pair of sequined purple velvet jeans that you are going to wear to for one night and never wear them again because they are so last year. But for a classic pair of denim suck it up spend the money on quality and enjoy them knowing in the end you are coming out ahead.
Are you kidding? You actually look like you have money when people see that designer label across your bottom. And less waste so feel good that you are helping lessen the load on landfills with the holier than thou cheap jeans
There is another option: find that $90 pair of jean in a thrift shop and pay $5 for it
thepennypincher
October 28, 2008 at 7:21 am
True, but then consider the gas and the time spent finding the exact pair of jeans that fit you the way you like them and add that to the cost of $5.00 Then consider that the jeans have already been used so the shelf life is shorter than a new pair and figure that cost as well.
You’ll still come out ahead with the $5 thrift store jeans but not as much.
cotell
November 6, 2008 at 4:30 am
We walk to our thrift store so cost of gas is zero. We also walk to our local mall, so that cost is zero as well.
As for the time issue, the only way it would be valid is if you were to be somehow paid shopping elsewhere or if you were to be working other than shopping. If you go shopping in your spare time, then you do not lose any wages for your time, and the cost to you is zero. Also, my wife likes the challenge of finding the perfect piece of clothing, so the issue of how much her time is worth is a non-starter. Do people calculate how much money they lose when watching television or pursuing their hobbies?
Also, with regards to time, people are likely to spend as much time shopping at the mall for the right pair of jeans as they are looking for used.
As for the jeans being used, the clothes we buy are close to brand new and have likely been worn at most a few times. The amount of wear you can get out of a good pair of used jeans is practically the same as a pair that is bought new if you know what you are looking for.
To summarize, then, the difference between buying at a good used clothing store or a fancy boutique: paying $5 to $10 for an almost new pair of pants to $50 or $100 for a pair of jeans with the privilege of being able to cut off the store tag. No matter how you cut it, you will save between $40 and $95 for one pair of jeans. If you were to buy that same pair of jeans on a credit card and not pay off the balance at the end of the month, then that pair of jeans will double or triple in price by the time you are likely to pay it off with interest.
thepennypincher
November 6, 2008 at 4:55 am