Investing in Underwear

My husband needs new boxers and socks desperately. We’re way beyond the point of a casual need for replacement where a seam is starting to spread, or the material is thinning, or even a little hole in the pinky toe area. Let me make this as clear as I can, there is really little point of him even wearing the boxers at all, any purpose of the boxers and their separation of skin from pant is not currently happening with the exception of the elastic band and a few shreds of fabric hanging on for dear life.

Now, along with the majority of U.S. citizens, when I am in the need for new underpants and socks I go to a large box store and acquire something in the under $10 range. My husband, however, discovered premiere boxers and socks a long time ago and has grown accustomed to paying $30 for each of these items.

After some newlywed arguments I am in fact convinced that the value lies with his Patagonia boxers. The current remaining shreds of underwear are the last survivors of approximately 5 to 6 years of extensive wear. The same is true for his wool, wicking, outdoorsmen caliber socks. Let’s get this out of the way; he is right, I am wrong.

The debate. Buy affordable socks and underwear that won’t last long, or buy expensive counterparts that will at the time significantly stretch our budget but in the end save us a considerable amount of money as well as be the environmentally responsible thing to do.

The fact that this even warrants a serious discussion in our home makes me sad, but really, I think this very debate on varying levels is happening constantly across the country, and is really at the root of a lot of our bigger problems. We can’t afford the lifestyles we want, so we do things short term and put off the inevitable long term consequences. This is true for how we treat our credit, it’s true for how we treat our environment, and it’s true for our purchasing habits.

The cycle has to end.

I guess if we aren’t able to invest in mutual funds, at least we can start with underpants.