In the world of Save. Spend. Splurge.: Fast Fashion is literally killing you

1. Fast ..Poison?

Experts are warning of high levels of toxic chemicals present in cheap clothing, that could seriously affect consumers who wear them. Lead for instance, is ONE of the toxic chemicals found in cheap clothing, and is considered contaminated, and not suitable for wear at home. Now the levels of lead found in fast fashion clothing may not be to the level of someone working commercially who is exposed to lead on their clothing in heavier dosages, but nevertheless – when a clothing is contaminated and you bring it home, does it then contaminate your washing machine? Your other clothes?

Does it even wash out? Then it also seeps into the waterways obviously, and puts the toxic chemicals there from our washing… Apparently just washing your hands doesn’t remove lead residue.

Long story short – stop buying crap from Shein, Zaful, AliBaba and other crap places. If you cannot afford good quality clothing for cheap, there are two great options: Buy higher quality but less (think 1 pair of great jeans, not 15 pairs of crap), or buy secondhand.

2. Oceanique

These fuzzy lobster appliqué slippers are ridiculous and I want them. They are so over the top, fun, and interesting for home wear (I wouldn’t ever wear slippers outside except UGGs…), and I wonder if I can justify buying a pair. They’re too cute. They really have a cute ocean theme going on with their slippers because these are also adorable.

3. $550K in debt

This single father of 5, is determined to have them all go to school, so he took on $550K of debt to send them. I am conflicted about this. On the one hand, I am thinking: Wow, he’s dedicated to really make sure they get an education no matter the cost, seeing how university grads do get more money when they’re out in the real world.

On the other hand, I think this bloated tuition is killing everyone. There are those who can afford it comfortably (small percentage), but the majority cannot, and their children are taking on loads of debt that they cannot repay easily, not to mention if you’re in the U.S., you also have medical concerns that could crop up at any time, it’s not like universal healthcare is going to cover you for anything major.

It makes me wonder if sending your kids to school really is worth it, or if they should take on a trade instead. If the degree they are getting won’t make them more than an apprenticeship at an electrician, or Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, then…. is it worth it? Is education just a status thing?

4. Plaque

I recently went to the dentist, and was told to buy a water flosser to help with the plaque. Seeing as I want these visits to be less time consuming and painful in the future, I started looking into Waterpiks, and purchased this Aquarius corded one that comes in a cute colour as well (what? it matters!). The choices are overwhelming. There are just too many options.

I ended up with the Aquarius because the water reservoir was large enough to not have to refill it halfway through flossing (annoying), and you can use different heads for different family members. All the other ones looked too large, or not large enough, and there was a smaller travel-sized one called the Sidekick, but it would have been too small for home use, but great if you are on the road often.

I also took a corded one rather than a cordless one because the battery and motor would be in the unit itself, rather than in the device you are holding, which adds weight and awkward bulkiness. I also think the motor in the unit makes more sense than in the device as you are more prone to breakage in a cordless option (in my unsophisticated opinion). But if you prefer cordless, this Waterpick Cordless is the best as it has a rechargeable battery, as the other ones take AA batteries.

Honestly, the options seem endless. I don’t even know what I want in terms of power, or this and that. I just chose a general model that fit a few criteria – plugged in and corded, not overly bulky to hold, large water reservoir to not constantly refill, thin tips to get around the gums to water floss. The rest are just variations on the theme.

5. Two Families: Money Diaries

I liked this brief, not quite so detailed look into Two Families and One Month of Spending. Talking about what you spend, is very helpful for many people, but also, for yourself to look back and realize that you spent X on this, and Y on that. It also helps you benchmark against other people, to understand – hey, how did you get that $90 bill for a family plan? Which carrier are you with? Maybe I can switch! I am sad I can no longer do this, but there are others who still do. I like just knowing if I can reach similar numbers, or how far “off” I am from them, just out of curiousity.

6. Sweating

Now that cooler weather is upon us, I am searching hard for mesh racks or some solution to dry my sweaters without having them have weird marks, or to ruin the delicate knits. I came across these stackable mesh racks, and you can buy as many as you want to use as a sweater drying rack. I like the other drying racks out there but they only hold one sweater, two at the most. I need something that will lift my sweater off the ground, give airflow, and be a thin mesh to not ruin the sweater, yet strong enough to hold it. This seems like it fits the bill as I won’t hang any of my sweaters in fear of the dreaded hanger marks.

Then I went down a rabbit hole and found DIY plans for my future home to create these mesh drying racks as drawers so they don’t take up any extra space. As I have a billion sweaters, I will clearly need the inspiration from this one DIY pullout laundry room plan. Having a dresser be the sweater drying rack holder is GENIUS, and seems easy enough to replicate – I mean it’s just drawers coming out with some mesh over it instead of a drawer right? And enough space around it for airflow.

7. Nerves

He’s saved for this very moment, and now he is afraid to spend the retirement savings. I feel like this is a problem for a lot of Super Savers. I feel like I do save a lot, but I also have a good balance in being able to spend it. I am good at making sure I hit goals, but not so obsessed that I cannot let myself enjoy life, or I try to talk myself from spending money because “it doesn’t seem rational”. It’s rational and logical, to enjoy and desire beautiful experiences and things.

We don’t NEED luxury, we desire it. And if we can afford it, what’s the hold up? What other people will think? What other Super Savers will sneer at you about? I am not sure what is holding people back from doing what they want if they can afford it, other than themselves and the mental prison they’ve locked themselves into.

8. Winterizing

My favourite winter boots are discontinued, but I can guarantee that these UGG boots are THE BEST purchase I have made in recent years. For one thing, they’re super soft and cosy inside, they lace up tight and easily (not like the other UGG ones), and they aren’t as ugly because they’re considered a “fashion sneaker” (whatever that means), plus they are HALF THE PRICE of the other Ugg ones that I think look kind of ugly withe front black toe. Anyway, they’re discontinued and only available here in limited colours and sizes.