INVEST is the fourth step in The Four Shopping Rules.
I’ve been laying the groundwork and setting you guys up with #thefourshoppingrules, which has brought up a lot of memories and emotions. I have found myself quite exhausted every day! Not sure if the two are directly related, or if it simply has more to do with LIFE, but I do know that it can be a side effect to examining old wounds. I want to chat on Stories, but I’m just a little drained.
That being said, I’ve covered the bases. Now I want to teach you how #thefourshoppingrules can help you while you’re actually shopping!
INVEST
It sounds silly to include this one when we’re talking about overcoming shopping addiction, but I think it’s important. Because we do have to shop. We just want to make better choices in doing so. I was intentional about choosing this word, because you finally do buy, I want it to be something good! And the word INVEST suggests, higher quality and more thoughtful purchasing in general.
When you take your time by researching your options and really thinking about where your money is going, you will naturally want to invest in better quality. When you know (at least somewhat) where your clothes are coming from, I think you’re more likely to wear them with love. Take better care of them. Repair them rather than discard them. Pass them along responsibly. You start to learn about sustainability and how beneficial natural fibers are. You’ll see first hand why the good stuff is so dang expensive. (And I’m not talking about Gucci or Chanel).
When you approach buying clothes from a different point of view, it might also occur to you that you’ll want to protect your money. Vote with your dollars. And especially not be taken advantage of by marketing campaigns. You’re in charge here.
And now that we’ve been through the other steps, we can look at where the gaps in our wardrobe are, and what things we hope to invest in. And believe it or not, when we are ready to invest, the cycle of #thefourshoppingrules starts all over again!
Clothes can rarely ever be a legitimate investment — they lose value immediately. But I’m talking in terms of longevity and comparability to cheap items.