I spent far more money than I needed to simply because a store was going out
of business and had too many great deals to pass up. But at what cost did
I do this? If I had invested my money in real estate, I could have bought
ten times the amount of clothes just three years later. Or, how many
starving, hungry people could I have fed, if I had donated that money,
instead? Did I need the clothes? Not really. I already had
numerous suits, ties, and shirts that I hardly wore more than once a year.
So, if you're finding yourself nodding and saying, "hmm... yes, I DO
have a lot of shoes I rarely wear.... yes, I do have more than I need... "
then here are a few basic guidelines to help break the pattern and start
creating the proactive life on purpose with our elegant -- yet SIMPLE lifestyle
we seek:
1. Buy it ONLY if we
NEED it and
ONLY if we LOVE it. This is the most
important guideline. Need it, Love it? Is a great guideline to keep you from
making frivolous purchases.
2. Since first writing
this article, I've added NEED it, LOVE it, AFFORD it to the list. If you
have to buy it on credit, you can't afford it. One of the best ways to
get ahead is never buy on credit. If Americans followed this rule, how
much more true wealth would there be in our country?
3. If I buy something new, and have something like it already, then the
older something must be donated, given away, or thrown away. This is a
basic of clutter clearing that when overlooked creates an abundance of stuff we
no longer need cluttering up our lives. Everything in our life that we own
eventually owns us, in a way. So, make sure you have space for what you buy
before you buy it.
4. If we need it, buy it if it is on sale, if possible, but do not let
that be a deterrence to buying. However, buy consumables, furniture, and
other things which stay in style longer at the end of seasons, and buy clothing
which fades from style at the beginning of the season. We need to buy much less of
the "fashion trend" type of clothing and much more of styles which
will be staying around for a longer time, so we can maximize our clothing
investment.
5. If we haven't worn it in a year, then consider getting rid of it.
6. Find a good tailor. Most of the problems with clothing and fit
could
be eliminated simply by having good tailor. Also, take outfits to the
tailor for fitting any time we've gained or lost more than 5 lbs. Ever
seen someone with a double breasted suit with the button in the wrong
place? Or a suit that pinches in the middle? A dress that fits
funny? Why not get it tailored professionally so we can look our
best? That is what elegance is all about, isn't it? Men know they need a
tailor to look good. Why don't women tailor their suits? I've been surprised by
the number of times I saw a woman in a suit with the sleeves past their fingers!
7. If we have not used an item (furniture, gadget, etc.) for over a
year, consider donating, selling, or otherwise getting rid of the item. There are some exceptions to this guideline, if collecting a certain item is our
passion, but otherwise, this is a healthy guideline to keep our
"stuff" simplified.
8. Before buying anything, always ask "Do I need this? Do I
LOVE this?" If the answer is "no", then don't buy it.
As we start to buy proactively, with a plan for bringing new things into our life and donating or selling those things
we no longer need, we will find
your life will be far more free to spend the time doing what we love, rather
than being a slave to fashion.
