Thursday, December 8, 2016

Buy Less but Buy Better Quality

Buy Less but Buy Better Quality

The purpose of having money – you would think – would be to buy more things and enjoy the finer things in life.  The more money you have, the more choices you have.  Right? Buy anything you want!

But you don’t have to be rich to enjoy nice things in life.  You just have to buy better quality.

Take steak for instance.  You can buy a New York Strip at Bonefish Grill in Pensacola and you are eating the best steak money can buy for around $30.  Eat the same piece of meat at New World Landing and you’ll pay $100.

What’s the difference?  Prestige.  That’s all.

Better yet, go to the grocery store and buy the same steak for $18 and cook it at home, and you're eating as good as a millionaire.

Take sleeping.  What does a millionaire want when they go to bed at night?  The same thing you want: a good night of sleep and waking up feeling rested.  And what will give you that?

Answer:  A great mattress.

Get rid of that lumpy thing you’re sleeping on and get the absolute best mattress you can afford.  Buy it and go to sleep, content that Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg have it no better.

You can pay almost any price for anything, but after a certain price point you are no longer paying for quality.  You are paying for prestige.

Your Wardrobe.  What does it cost to wear the nice clothes?  Much less than you think.

If you can forget about brand names and fashion trends, and learn to look for quality instead, you will save hundreds (thousands) and look better.  Look for natural fibers (cotton, wool, silk, etc) and strong stitching.

Go for classic looks and stay away from trends.  That way you won’t have to discard perfectly good clothing simply because it has gone out of style this year.

The other big secret:  less is more.

Ralph Lauren, a guy who is rich and has access to clothing like none of us, wears the same things (almost) every day – classic cut jeans and a quality tee shirt.

Simple, yet elegant.

A few, really nice items are much better and more enjoyable (and more impressive to others) than a huge wardrobe of trendy stuff.

Want specifics?  Get yourself two or three pairs of slacks (or skirts).  One or two suits.  A few pair of quality jeans.  Two or three pair of shoes.   Buy only what you love.

The rule is to have less, but love everything you have.

Buy classic styles.  Stay away from fashion trends.  Insist on quality.  A few things are better than many things.  Simple is better than flashy.  Do this and you will have what the rich have – a very pleasant feeling every time you pull on your shirt or buckle your belt.