How We’re Justifying Our Investment Pieces RN

It’s fair to say that we shop (a lot). And while our accountant makes it clear it's an occupational hazard and not a tax deduction, it's important we – at some stage – know our numbers.

When making a new purchase, especially when fronted with big ticket items, cost per wear always comes into play. How can you be sure that what you’re buying it going to go the distance? You need to know that you’ll still have it on high rotation years down the track (… which, by our math, makes it practically free). 

Some people, though, have an actual formula as opposed to my particular brand of fast and loose not-quite-long division. 

“I’ve come up with a financial justification for splurging ... Look at the cost of the item, and then you divide it by the (number of) times you use the item, factor in some maintenance and see whether that amount is greater than 65 percent of the original price,” writes Nicole Lapin, New York Times best-selling author and the name behind Rich Bitch: A Simple 12-Step Plan For Getting Your Financial Life Together … Finally.  

It doesn’t always need to be a splurge – whether it’s $30 or $300, you need to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth. We canvassed the editors (read: shoppers) at THE ICONIC HQ to get the low-down on how they get the most out of their buys.