I Only Buy Things When the Cost Per Wear Is Under $5—These Items Make the Cut

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Woman walks down the street in NY in an all white outfit and Alaia Le Teckel Bag.

(Image credit: @thecarolinelin)

I’m not typically an impulse buyer. Rather, my purchases tend to go down in a Marie Kondo like way with me asking myself: Does this item bring me joy? If yes, do I see it bringing me joy for weeks, months, or years to come? When you buy like this, the cost per wear, as in the breakdown of how much an item costs depending on the amount you wear it, is a factor, too. For example, if I’m buying a pair of jeans for $150 and I think I’ll wear them once a week for a year. That’s 48 wears, which comes out to a little over $3 per wear! A score in my book as I typically keep my costs per wear under $5. And I’m not even someone who likes math!

Thinking about my purchases like this just makes sense in terms of whether or not an item is actually worth buying. It helps me weed out the items that I might add to my cart on a whim and narrow down the ones that have real closet staying power. While my budget is $200 and under for most things, I also find this philosophy useful when it comes to springing for those big-ticket luxury items that I foresee having forever.

For some examples of purchases that fit my $5 and under cost per wear cut, I’ve included a product roundup for your viewing (and/or buying) pleasure, below.

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Courtney Falsey
Freelance Contributor
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