Every frugal person has a secret vice that they can’t resist buying even at full price. For some that item(s)is very inexpensive such as comic books or mints. For others, it could be the reason for their overall frugalness, to be able to afford their vice.
I just read about one such exception to frugality in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, where the writer tells about how much they spend on their furry friend when they skimp on themselves.
After reading this I had to ask myself what it was that causes me to have bouts of financial insanity. My secret exception is shoes. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not into designer shoes for anyone in my family. My teenage son does not get a pair of $100 sneakers like other teens we know, and my daughter spends the summer in flip flops. I also wear my boots for two to three years before replacing them, even taking them to the shoe shop for as many refurbs as possible. However, shoes are the things I will not purchase second hand, nor will I walk away from a good sale.
My reason for this refusal to buy used shoes is two fold. When I was a teenager I once borrowed my younger brother’s sneakers. He was a growing boy and these sneakers had only been worn for a month before they were too small for him, so he let me wear them for a group shopping trip to an outlet mall. CAN YOU SAY PAIN!!!!
What I realized after several hours of torture is that because I walk on the outsides of my feet, and he walked on the insides of his feet, that his comfortable looking shoes were the worst things for me. For that reason, I never buy used shoes with even the tiniest bit of wear. Pair that with my aversion to other people’s feet and I would never my feet or my kids’ feet into a used pair of shoes. I won’t even put used shoes in a garage sale or donation bag. (Perhaps I need therapy.)
So I have told about my secret exception to frugality. What’s yours?
~Andrea Hermitt writes for parenting (specifically teens), the home blog, and also the frugal blog, and homeschooling at families.com.
Read:
Frugalista Fashions: Making your old boots look new
Health at School: New Shoes
Goodbye, Favorite Shoes! Hello… Happy Feet?