Buy it for life.

Buy once, buy well.

Investment piece.

It comes by many names, but boils down to the same idea.

Why Buy It for Life?

As a household of ten, we are, by both necessity and nature, frugal. Often, this means not buying the cheapest option, but investing in the highest quality option.

When my kids were much younger and we had five under 7 with one on the way, I sent all of my school aged kids to private school for a spell. This introduced me to the world of school supply shopping….times four. So I selected a cheap Spiderman Backpack for my kindergartener. Half day kindergarten – that’s it! He literally only carried a small folder in the bag each (half!) day.

Within four weeks, the zipper had broken and the bag was useless. Off to the landfill it went. Had I invested in a quality backpack, he’d probably still be carrying it today, at the age of 17!

This experience spurred the idea of the very first Adventure Bag, which he does still have, tucked away in his closet, today.

Is Cheaper Better?

Remember the old adage: “Only a rich man can afford cheap boots.”? This “boot theory” sums up quite well this idea of Buy it for Life.

Over the years, the buying of something cheap, which will need replacing many times over, is far more expensive than investing in something well made. If we invest in quality pieces at the front end, we end up saving hundreds in the long run. And this doesn’t even speak to the resources saved and the reducing of items heading off to the landfills.

Secondhand for Life!

Of course, my favorite way to do this is by thrifting! I gathered my daughters and nieces last October and we headed off to the thrift store for Halloween costume components. My daughter, fashioning a ladybug costume, grabbed a lovely linen dress and held it up with triumph. I snagged that beautiful, posh brand, 100% linen dress and it’s a wonderful piece.

Buy it for Life doesn’t have to be expensive! I just has to be thoughtful. Carefully selecting items, avoiding excess, finding gems in the rough.