A few years ago, I was in Olympia to visit a friend. I had to um, go to the bathroom, so I pulled off of I-5 and the first place I found was the Olympia co-op. I did my business, and feeling guilty about how I had punished their bowl, I decided to buy something.
What I found was a really nice pair of organic socks. They were $6 ish.
They were the freaking best socks I have ever bought. Those socks are the first ones I grab from the drawer, and are always in the wash since I wear them so often. They are a few years old now, and look and feel brand new. I've always been on the lookout for more since then.
On Saturday, Jack and I were shopping at a fancy grocery store, and I found the exact same socks in their health and beauty section. It was sock destiny. It was meant to be. It was sockendipity.
Thinking nothing of it, I threw a three pack of long ones, and a three pack of short ones in my basket, and went on my merry way.
You can imagine how tightly my butthole clenched when they all rang up at $40.
For six pairs of socks.
I also puked in my mouth just a little bit.
But you know what...I didn't tell the cashier to take them off my tab. I didn't protest the price. I put them in my cloth bag, and went home. I also texted a friend about it, and let's just say she was a bit surprised at my expensive sock purchase.
Why oh why would someone pay $40 for socks? SOCKS????
Well, because they are worth it. I could easily go to Target and get a 10 pack of socks for about $9. And those damn things will last less than one year and then be in the garbage. My super socks on the other hand, last forever. By the time I had used up about $40 worth of Target socks, my fancy pants socks will be middle-aged, and will still be keeping my feet nice and toasty.
The pricey socks are made with organic cotton (pesticides applied to cotton crops are one of the biggest polluters in the US), and made in the USA. They may not be cheap, but their value will pay for itself in the end. At face value, spending $40 on socks is idiotic, but my new socks are keeping tons of socks out of the landfills, supporting a US company, and preventing additional applications of chemicals from affecting of our waterways.
I later found them on Azure Standard for about $7 cheaper, but hey, in seven years when these ones have wore out, I know where to get replacements!
So, how about you? What sort of item will you splurge on, but it makes your friends scratch their heads? Why are you willing to spend that kind of cash?
PS, my friend wanted me to title this post "that time I bought socks made from yarn spun from dust collected from the farts of free range butterflies".
I deemed it too wordy. Besides, everyone knows that the best yarn is made from pastured butterflies. I mean, c'mon.
