The Unenviable Closet

Lately I've been "upgrading" my wardrobe, particular for professional reasons. As a result, my closet is starting to get rather full. Lately I've had to remind myself that I don't really need that much of an upgrade aside from suits, which is the only true need. I'm still able to get great things on a beer budget, but trouble is, having the means to acquire nicer things begets a greater want of nicer things. [Ed.--I suppose I should define what I mean by "nice things." It includes more than tangible goods--it encompasses lifestyle changes, including but not limited to travel, eating out more (trying out new restaurants and food is something I'd like to do more often), going to the theater/opera/other cultural events which tend to cost a lot, etc.] A discussion in the Etsy forums, as well as a recent article in the New York Times, sobers me up to my recent habits. It's great to have some latitude, but with freedom comes responsibility.

A certain Etsy thread segued from pricing issues to consumer spending habits. The pressing issue was whether someone would pay a high price for something simple, and if so, why anyone would do such a thing. Some commenters are perfectly content with shopping from Wal-Mart and thrift stores, while others said they used to do that, but they are now willing to pay more for nicer things. Certainly, no one in the latter group became wealthy overnight and increased their spending limits concomitantly. Rather, things changed over time. It used to be that a $10 widget would suffice, but when income increased over time, the consumers were willing to buy something worth $30, then more, and more, and more in proportion to rising salaries.

I thought that I would be immune to this phenomenon, but to be honest, I'm not. This is something I'll be struggling with for a while. On one hand, I shouldn't feel guilty because I'm not spending beyond my means (and spending is good for the economy right now, I might add); on the other hand, I know what poverty is like all too well, and how one stroke of bad luck can wipe out the bounty. I also do feel guilty that I'm enjoying all these things while a large majority of the country is sitting in bad economic conditions. I guess it's a good thing that there are so many things stacked in the "other hand" column; it really makes me think twice before I spend anything. To my credit, I have been very satisfied with my "investment" purchases, for they were indeed carefully chosen and consequently, I've gotten great many uses out of them already. But "proceed with caution" is still my motto.

And now I finally meander to what the title of this post means. Sometimes I do oooh and ahhh when I see someone wearing, carrying, or otherwise being in possession of really cool things, but I rarely say that I want to have those things. Something similar, perhaps, and definitely cheaper, but rarely that exact thing. That's because I'm constantly cognizant of the price tags of "designer" and "luxury" goods, and what trouble some people get into for their expensive appetites.

The New York Times recently printed an article about Britain's consumer debt problem. Because credit was relatively easy to obtain (some may say too easy), consumer spending has been very strong. Consequently, debt in recent decades has not been viewed as such a bad thing. However, when the economy went south and many people are facing foreclosure, debt suddenly became a huge problem. At least one person interviewed for the article incurred about 60,000 Pounds on designer clothing, bags, and shoes. Once people started spending, they lost sight of the fact that they had to pay the money back.

To me, this article serves as a stark reminder to not get caught up in progressively wanting more and better. If people have fabulous clothes because they bought them with hard-earned cash, all the power to them. But don't make the mistake of envying a fabulous wardrobe too much...sometimes it is built out of financial ruin.