The music was bumping, and that smell of “new” was in the air. The environment was intoxicating but I was still having second thoughts the whole way through. Against my better judgement I succumbed to some idea of being “cool” instead of listening to my internal voice as I drew closer to the cashier. Even the Benjamin Franklins screamed at me to stop, by I was long gone, I had believed the hype and nothing was going to change my mind. And just like that… In one transaction I paid more for two articles of clothing than what I had spent on rent.
After my sophomore year in college I decided to move from campus housing to a 7 bedroom house with friends. After two years sharing a door room it seemed like the logical move not only socially but financially. I would not have to worry about a Resident Assistant roaming the halls enforcing quiet hours and I was on a 12 month lease instead of the 10-month dorm lease. I had done the math and for my half of the room I was sharing was roughly $600/month. Compared to the $300/month rent for a room double the size the choice was obvious.
Then I received my student loan refund check.
From semesters prior my check was in the hundreds of dollars which would be just enough to cover for books, but subtract the rooming and board charges and the check was a whole lot bigger. Thousands of dollars bigger. A 19-year-old with a close to $2,000 check in his hand was a recipe for a disaster. The worst part, like my colleagues I thought of this as “free money”. After paying for tuition, books and rent, there was a still a large chunk of change burning a hole in my pocket.
Similar tag on my pair of jeans, Photo courtesy of the internet.
I hopped on the 4 train and not long after I found myself in downtown Manhattan talking myself into purchasing $250 Nudies jeans. The tag inside the jeans read: “Dry denim – use for 6 months before first wash”. This must be good, right? I get to save on laundry cost, and since I’m buying two pairs that’s double the savings! And the cost of this “opportunity”? The low cost of $500.
Can you tell I was naive? I would of bought the Brooklyn Bridge given the right “opportunity.”
Internally, I knew that these Jeans were a great quality product but a broke 19-year-old had no business purchasing them. This was like buying a house with no income, job or assets. I was naive to think that any garment could make me “cool”. Sure, it may grab external attention, but this is fleeting. The moment someone else walks by with another shinier widget, you are all but forgotten. To chase external affirmation is a never ending race, there’s always a bigger, better, newer widget to buy. It’s like trying to reach the end of the internet, there’s always more. The real affirmation I looked for could not be purchased, it was something that could only come from within.
Years later, after only a handful of wears, I ended up donating both pairs of jeans to the Salvation Army. I hope someone got a better use of the jeans than I did.
What is one purchase that you learned from?
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