The Good Kind of $80 Shoes

Today's shoe purchase is brought to you by my high school economics teacher. He was a total pain in the ass, because he actually made us work and didn't put up with our bullshit. He's the kind of guy who would say, "Why would I pay $6 for two eggs at a restaurant when I can purchase the same amount of food for $1.57 at the grocery store?"

I remember being surprised the day he told us that his shoes cost $300. He said with confidence, "I work every day on my feet, these are good for back health and they help me feel good."

Thinking of it now, I can hear that it's totally the opposite of what I sound like when I rationalize a purchase. His is all analytical, mine is all emotional. "But I waaant it. But it's my birthday. But it's so pretty." My rationale is based on the coo-coo's nest in my head. Emotion on the front end and emotion after I buy whatever it is I'm buying. The ending emotion is usually regret.

But today, I spent $76.82 on Danskos. I've been thinking about this purchase for a while, unlike my normal impulse-fueled buys. I can look myself in the eye and say I'm buying these because I'm working as a waitress, and working in my favorite seafoam green Converse makes my back spasm with pain after a shift. It will improve my life more than $76.82.

This is maybe how my best friend thinks. She's the non-money dummy in my life. I remember when she  and I were making the same amount of money scooping ice cream as 14-year-olds, but she always seemed to be able to afford nicer things. It's the kind of decision process that I never used when I walked into a convenience store and out with $11 worth of candy and a Slurpee. My process was and is: Me want! Me have!

So, rationalizing purchases with rational arguments instead of emotions. There's a tip we learned today. When you want to spend money, call your most non-money dumb friend and ask him if he think it's worth the cost. Tell him how much money you have in the bank.

See, improvement...even if that purchase left $3.96 in my account. I'm depositing paycheck today! Cutting it too close, another symptom of money idiocy.