Today, my daughter went ice skating for the first time this winter and, as such, we had to dig out the bag with all the gear … including her now-two-sizes-too-small skates. Given how much they cost and how many times she actually wore them, we would’ve been way better off just renting skates when we needed them. Which was not often.
Moral of the story? Stay inside.
OK, also … do some math. Specifically, cost-per-use. Rent vs. buy. We’re talking kids’ ice skates here so these are small dollars, but man, I haaaaaate when I make the wrong choice. My mistake wasn’t so much buying too-nice skates or forgetting how fast her feet are growing, but rather not putting more of a damper on my husband’s optimistic assessment of how many times we would get out there. In fairness, we had a rink in our neighborhood—two rinks actually. We had good friends who lived right near another rink. Hockey is a thing around here. What he did not fully account for was his wife’s intense dislike of sporty outdoor winter pursuits. Of winter outdoor sporty pursuits. Of outdoor winter—you get the idea.
Score one for the sports equipment manufacturers.
Price divided by the number of times I’ll use it—I am constantly making cost-per-use calculations! I also like to think I don’t make too many of the wrong decisions. Mostly because I’m really pessimistic about usage. Trying to convince me about all the money you’ll save on going out to the movies by installing a $10,000 home entertainment system? Sure, buddy. You must get the XL box of Sour Patch Kids. But hey, at least you’re thinking about the financial trade-offs. And so should all the rest of you!
How many times will I wear / use / need this? should be the primary question in your mind as you evaluate a purchase. That question is why I have to occasionally google, what can I substitute for cream of tartar? ’Cause I really can’t justify spending $2.99 to use 1/2 a teaspoon once a year. Do I really need two decade’s worth of cream of tartar? It’s also why when I find a pair of black boots I like, I buy, like, three pairs. My feet aren’t growing anymore and I will wear those boots Every. Damn. Day.
It’s terrific—at least for the venture capitalists—that the vaunted “sharing economy” is helping people monetize their homes, their vehicles, and even their sports equipment—alas, no ice skates—but what those websites and businesses tell me is that there are a lot of people out there who may have miscalculated how much value they were going to get out of their purchases … and are now looking to get some of that value back once they realize they’re not spending quite as many weekends as they thought they would rusticating in their cabin / vacation home upstate.
I could’ve told you that.
It’s true—I do take all the fun out of shopping. Unless we’re going to Dig & Save. Then … then, we party.