Go ahead admit it... we all love a
bargain. Buried deep within our DNA
is a need to get something for nothing,
more for less, and do it before anyone
else. Hence for centuries humans have
risen early to search for the proverbial
maltese falcon of deals. This morning
the first thing I did upon awakening
was log onto my favorite stationer to
buy next year's Christmas cards. Given
holiday never goes out of style - why
shouldn't my greetings of the season
be done at 70% off? Worth the wait!
Most everyone likes nice things and
thankfully some of us can actually
afford them. Yet why waste money?
Last week well before Christmas -
Barneys, Bergdorf's, and Saks Fifth
quietly shifted their designer togs to
sale. Unheard of in the past, suddenly
one could don their gay apparel for a
holiday party without having to break
the bank. Honestly, I have no problem
with that. If somebody is willing to
give it away, why shouldn't I grab
whatever I can for as little as possible?
The problem is we've lost all sense of
value. What is that suit really worth?
They say that our sense of pricing is
based on our first entry into the work
force. In other words, one suddenly
realizes what things cost when they
leave the nest and start spending their
own cash. Somehow I find said theory
flawed. At the time I thought my first
Calvin Klein suit (purchased at Saks
in 1979) cost a fortune - yet in reality
I quickly overcame any sticker shock
and happily evolved up ever since.
But honestly, most of us finally reach the
point where we have to question whether
any garment is worth thousands of bucks.
When we lived in the city, this Montanan
had no problem being a frequent shopper
at the two B's - Bergdorf's and Barneys.
People actually called me by name - a
sign that too much of one's retirement
fund was being blown on cashmere. Yet
within that time and place it all seemed
to make sense. However now that I live
in the real world, I've taken a step back.
How much is too much or too little?
Here in God's country we seem to need
very little. Suddenly fifty linear feet of
designer flippery seems wasteful. While
some might want to step into our shoes -
I doubt either of us will ever wear most
of them again. Life is simpler here and
that's fine with me. Don't get me wrong,
neither of us intend to wear overalls or
Mucks to church or dinner. That said, it
does not seem feasible that I'll ever need
multiple tuxedos or dinner jackets again.
That's just not done in the wild west and
that's just fine with this urban cowboy!
Which brings me full circle to the concept
of consumption. While the idea of getting
more for less is absolutely satisfying -
if one doesn't need it - the getting doesn't
matter. Given most of us have more than
we need and many other's don't - maybe
it's time to give back. Be it cash, wisdom,
resources, or hours - I've got all of this
pent up experience that must be worth
something to someone. Hence I'm ready
to consider invitations from charitable
organizations that need help. I've got a
feeling that we'll ALL win in the bargain.
