I don’t own a pair of boxers that cost less than $20.
Why?
Because high-quality underwear is way more comfortable.
Is more than $20 expensive?
I don’t know. I guess it’s likely more than most people pay.
But it adds real value to my life. You wear underwear all day every day.
So while it might be expensive, I certainly don’t think it’s frivolous. At some point, I realized my cheap underwear weren’t getting the job done, and I slowly swapped them out for better ones.
Sometimes it’s worth it to pay more. Sometimes it’s not.
Sometimes there are general rules about these things, and sometimes it comes down to personal preference and what matters to you.
But either way, I’m big on spending thoughtfully and intentionally. This is one small area of my life where I think it makes sense to pay a bit more and I’m quite happy with the value I get back.
When I’m working with clients the goal isn’t always to spend less or buy cheaper. It’s to help people spend their money on things that improve their quality of life and that bring them joy. It’s about better aligning their spending with what they value and what matters to them.
A good starting point for everyone is to try to be a bit more thoughtful about the dollars you spend. Lots of our spending is habitual and instinctual. We do it without thinking very hard, or at all, about whether this or that is really the best use of our money.
And what that means, on the good news front, is that there’s often a lot of room for improvement. There are likely small ways you can change your spending habits to get more value.
Like maybe spending a few extra bucks on your underwear.