The Essential

As I was de-cluttering the house to get ready for the New Year, I realized I still had plenty of unused clothes. By unused I mean clothes I used to wear in the past but for some reason, I no longer feel like wearing again. Over the years, I have accumulated so much unnecessary garments in my longing to be back to my ideal weight. Sometimes I feel those clothes fit me but sadly, many of those don’t fit me well. Thus, the clothes I’ve collected over time grew and grew.

When I got to the shoe storage area of the house, I found out I have plenty of unused shoes as well. In 2013 alone I have purchased over ten pairs of shoes! Ten pairs of shoes! Wait, it was prolly more than that. And out of those ten pairs, I only get to use about three pairs the most. Most of the pairs are never easy to wear much more seem “wearable” after several wears.

Over-all, I felt guilty. The fact that I’ve spent a few thousand bucks over items which didn’t prove worth-spending meant I was an unwise spender.

Analyzing over my spending habits made me realize that most of the time, I would spend over stuff I don’t need because they’re usually on sale. Most of my clothes are thrift items. Meaning, I got ‘em cheap. And just because they’re cheap meant I could afford them. But those cheap items aren’t exactly the ones I need. But you see, thrift-shopping could be addictive. I could haggle sometimes and buy ten clothes at a time without feeling guilty for the splurge. Guiltless that is, until I find out how much of my clothes I don’t (and can’t!) use anyway.

The same habit goes for shoes. Oftentimes, I justify buying a new pair by citing how cheap my clothes are. Since I don’t spend much for clothes, I thought it okay to spend more for the shoes. Thus, I buy shoes whenever I see those red tags.

Those impulsive buys can never be justified -- especially for one who wants to make financial stability her goal. My make-up cabinet is also filled with so much unused stuffs. I have purchased one foundation after another. Yes I could justify that by claiming none of those seemed to work well for me but honestly, any of those works just as fine. The palettes I’ve collected are also excessive. Who needs seven palettes of neutral eyeshadows when I am not a make-up artist? I have five peach blushes, four pink ones, and three orangey ones. Gosh! So what do I do with over thirty-five tubes of lipsticks? Not to mention those in lip palettes too?

I guess it’s about time I should rationalize before I let go of my moolah. They say a penny saved is a penny earned. Since there’s no way I could squeeze in a part-time job right now means there’s no way I could get an additional income. Therefore, the only way I could increase my savings is by lessening my spendings!

I guess, this would do for a more realistic and attainable New year’s resolution. Every month I could make an “inventory” of all the stuffs I don’t need and find a way to give it away (or maybe sell it?). And everytime I feel like buying something, I should give it a rigid thought if it’s really something I need or something that’ll just satisfy my fleeting want. And perhaps, I should try to keep track of ALL my expenses too. It is imperative to know (and understand) where my money goes.

In these trying times, the calamities that hit us taught us many valuable lessons. Foremost of which is the worthlessness of material possessions. When we put so much value upon material things, we lose track of things of more value. And ironically too, none of those material things linger or even withstand the test of time. Clothes, shoes, makeup, none of those could endure when we are reduced to our bare state. In the end, the intangible, the unseen, are what matters most. The essential can never be quantified. Yes, clothes and other material possessions add color to our lives but what adds dimension is something that goes beyond what our eyes can see.

“What is essential, is invisible to the eyes.”

– “The Little Prince,” Antoine de Saint Exupéry