I want you to imagine a world in which you seriously thought about every purchase you made in your life. A world where impulse buys didn’t exist, and no one ever regretted spending money on something they no longer use. Some of us live this life already. Aware of our needs, understanding what makes sense to purchase and what doesn’t. 

The rest of us aren’t quite there yet.

In 2017, I tweeted that we tend to buy things and disregard them quickly, which is why I ask myself how often I will use something before I drop the cash. And one of my amazing followers responded, saying that is how she shops.

She says, if she buys a $50 item, she has to wear it at least 50 times.

When I heard it, I realized how brilliant it was. I wondered to myself: How did I not hear of this sooner? For me, when I hear of a new idea that can help myself or my friends (AKA, you guys) to save money, I start to brainstorm nonstop.

Why you should practice the one dollar per use rule with your money

If you buy a product or an item of clothing, the value should always even out to $1.00 per usage.

After all, why would we spend $150 on a pair of jeans if we weren’t planning on wearing them at least 150 times? 

The problem is, sometimes it can feel like finding a way to wear that one item of clothing in its dollar-per-use value can seem impossible. For jeans, it may seem simple. For a top or a pair of sunglasses, it’s not always as simple.

But, of course, someone has thought of everything! Becca from Blonde, Broke & Bougie has put together an Outfit Tracker to help you start tracking what you wear every day. You can use this information to see what you need to buy more of, revisit items you’re not wearing, and fine-tune your style!

Being confident with bigger purchases is a gamechanger

This all got me thinking. Does this ideology span further than clothes and small products? I mean, if you purchase something larger (such as a home or vehicle), what would you be spending on each use?

*immediately pulls out over-sized calculator*

Let’s say you spent $400,000 on a new home, and you took out a 25-year mortgage. Over that 25 years, your daily cost of owning that home would end up being about $44 before interest.

The same thing goes for a vehicle. If you took out a 5-year car loan for a car totalling $15,000, your average daily cost would be $8 before interest.

If I can guarantee myself and my bank account that I will get the full potential from the purchase, I will buy it. If I can’t, I won’t. Pretty simple, right?

Well, what about more significant purchases? Imagine a world in which you could only make daily payments rather than monthly. Would you still be able to afford your dream home?

If you will be spending over 25 years in a home or over five years buying a vehicle, can you justify the purchase by its usage? What about its return on investment? Money is pretty amazing because you can choose to simplify things as much as you deem necessary.

Not sure where to start with your money? Mixed Up Money is thrilled to share her couples budgeting template to help you and your partner equally split your income and expenses based on income, plan for your financial goals, and track your monthly spending.

Take your time before buying something that is not essential. It’s not going to go anywhere, but your money could.

Do you consider everything you purchase getting its *full* use? Let me know in the comments!