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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Conscious Purchasing


The more mindful I am about the purchases I am making, the harder time I have making a purchase!  I do not have the energy, and you do not have the time to read about what I have to say about the quality of products and the cost for these inferior products so let's not go there today, except to say the trust of this consumer about the quality of what I am buying is wearing thin. 

As much as I like to save money, I have no problem paying a bit more for something that is going to last, wear well, and be made of superior quality.  In other words, I want the quality to match the purchase price.  Very few purchases hold up to my standards. Do I see myself as a hard to please consumer?  No!  We are a complacent society that has simply shrugged and accepted the slipping standards.  You can help change that by buying good quality vs. cheaply made products.  Our money speaks for us.

My feet get sore easily and I have tried several types of shoes.  I wear runner's tennis shoes which break down after about six months.  They are expensive and for the money I am spending in "my world" would like them to last longer.  It seems no matter what type or kind of shoe I wear except good quality flip flops(thick cushion feels best) my feet hurt.  This time I decided to go with a time honored shoe that I felt was not only good quality but has a reputation for longevity.  I feel like I have a good value for the money.  Very few shoes these days are considered an "investment" that can be said of many purchases.  The search for those type of products is sometimes long but I feel it is worth the time it takes to find good quality products that will be an investment.

My husband often paraphrases the quote below to our dd's who at this stage of life are learning the concept of earning and spending.  It is something I think about often when making purchases for our home and family.  My husband earns the income for our family and I often remember I am trading his life, the time he spends at work for the items I bring home.  I often ask myself it is is worthwhile to send him to work for X amount of time for the item I am holding.

"The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run"  Henry David Thoreau


3 comments:

Donna said...

I agree! We tend to buy cheap and wonder why we have to replace things more often.

I too,have been trying to make more mindful purchases. The more I use it ( or wear it) I want to make sure it will last and am willing pay a bit more for it.

Little Home In The Country said...

I totally agree! When I buy something I also often think about that... I put it in terms of "hubby has to work X hours to earn enough to buy this - is this item worth x hours of his time? Will this item serve us well in exchange for that time?" We are a team. He is earning and my job is to stretch it as far as possible!

Unknown said...

I am so glad to hear you can both relate as well. It is becoming increasingly important to me even more so than before as I notice a rapid decline in quality and drastic increase in prices. Wishing you both a wonderful day :)