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Re: There’s no shame in not being able to afford it
By Meg | January 23, 2008
A couple days ago, Mrs. Micah wrote No shame: I can’t afford new clothes, itself a response to There’s no shame in not being able to afford it at Paid Twice.
I want to add my two cents because yesterday I wrote about signalling wealth and I want to be clear that while it’s fine to signal wealth, there’s no reason to be ashamed of not having the money to spend on stuff. There is a difference between choosing wisely how you signal wealth by buying stuff you can afford and spending money you don’t have to pretend that you’re some place you’re not financially. (I’ll admit that I’m definitely guilty of doing the latter.) And even if we fashion some little white lies for others, we have to be honest with ourselves.
I think the fact that both bloggers are honest with themselves about what they can afford and what they should put off spending money on is very commendable. It’s even more commendable that they’ve been willing to write about it for all to see. It’s a rare thing nowadays and something that they should be proud of. If anything, I feel a bit ashamed that I haven’t been able to get by without debt since our household income isn’t too shabby.
Fortunately, I think Suze Orman is close to guilting me into some major changes.
That said, I can’t imagine having as few outfits as Mrs. Micah. You’re awesome, but I can’t imagine doing it!
Tags: Fashion, Saving Money, Spending Money, Style
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January 24th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
It sucks not having the money to go out and do all the things that got me into the financial position I’m in currently (shopping, expensive dinners, etc).
But, my friends and fellow bloggers understand that eventually you have to put yourself on a financial diet! I’ve been making breakfast in the morning and bringing my lunch to work to save $$ on bagels and expensive lunches in LA. Not only is it benefitting my waistline (by knowing what I’m ACTUALLY eating) but its saving me so much money per month which I can put towards bills.
January 25th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I second that, Cara! I’ve had to cut back what seems like a lot, but it hasn’t been enough yet.
I’m also fortunate to have great friends online and offline that understand. Many are or have been in similar situations.
I’ve been particularly proud of how much I’m eating at home. The really big difference, though, is that I’ve more or less given up the microwaveable meals and canned soup. Instead, I’m eating a lot of brown rice, steel cut oatmeal, couscous, etc. I add stuff in, of course, but using such cheap bases for meals definitely helps.
January 27th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
[…] at All About Appearances agrees that when you don’t have the money to spend, you shouldn’t be spending it in order to appear …. It doesn’t fit in with your long-term […]