It's a weird question. If a 20-year-old woman finds a dress that
looks great on her, she may decide to buy it in several colors. But how
many should she buy if she's 70 years old?
I bump into this situation all the time, now that I'm 65. Say I find the ultimate notepad. Should I buy several? Ten? Twenty? Or is that pushing it? How about that perfect sweater I just got? I look nice in it. Should I get another, or maybe two more? I'll probably never find a sweater that fits this well again.
In other words, when making purchases as an older person, you have to ask yourself when you think you're going to die. It becomes a regular part of your purchasing strategy.
I had to consider this today when I finally found the ultimate pair of white cotton gloves. (What can I say? I love white cotton gloves. How else can I tell when the bannister's clean?) Anyway, these gloves actually fit my huge hands. That never happens. I wondered if I should I buy a few extra pair. But what about my age? How many pair will I have the opportunity to use? I scrunched my eyes and computed.
You don't do this when you're young. It never comes up. You just buy tons of everything "for the future". But when you're older, there's something out there on the horizon, trying to squeeze your future. Where did the hell did that come from? Drat!
Anyway, I thought it over and bought 36 pair. I plan to last for a while.
(And okay, so they're made in China and only cost $16.99 per dozen. Still. I'm just saying.)
I bump into this situation all the time, now that I'm 65. Say I find the ultimate notepad. Should I buy several? Ten? Twenty? Or is that pushing it? How about that perfect sweater I just got? I look nice in it. Should I get another, or maybe two more? I'll probably never find a sweater that fits this well again.
In other words, when making purchases as an older person, you have to ask yourself when you think you're going to die. It becomes a regular part of your purchasing strategy.
I had to consider this today when I finally found the ultimate pair of white cotton gloves. (What can I say? I love white cotton gloves. How else can I tell when the bannister's clean?) Anyway, these gloves actually fit my huge hands. That never happens. I wondered if I should I buy a few extra pair. But what about my age? How many pair will I have the opportunity to use? I scrunched my eyes and computed.
You don't do this when you're young. It never comes up. You just buy tons of everything "for the future". But when you're older, there's something out there on the horizon, trying to squeeze your future. Where did the hell did that come from? Drat!
Anyway, I thought it over and bought 36 pair. I plan to last for a while.
(And okay, so they're made in China and only cost $16.99 per dozen. Still. I'm just saying.)
