Total Cost of Ownership

In the past few years, I have evolved in a new approach to buying clothes. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Maybe this is coming from my years of software development and evaluating every design decision on how it will affect maintenance cost of the software. Now, when making fashion design choices, instead of just looking at the price tag, I look at the "care" tag.

If it has a "Dry Clean Only", I think "I have to add $8 a month onto my total cost of ownership. Now, this wool suit that is on sale for $60 doesn't look like such a great deal if it will cost me $156 in the first year. If a sweater says "Hand Wash Only", I think about the opportunity cost of owning these clothes. That is 1 hour a month that I can't spend with my kids just to own this piece of clothing. Since 1 hour with my kids is priceless, I guess it makes this sweater more than I have in the bank. Okay, I am taking this to the extreme here.

My favorite solution to these TCO woes is the wash and wear suit. These have popped up all over the place lately. You can get a perfectly good suit with lining and all that you can just throw in the washer and dryer. It is the best! I've found them at JC Penney's, Kohls, and some catalogues. I will have to see how fast they depreciate. That could affect my whole TCO calculation!

This whole TCO perspective does making shopping a little more complicated. Maybe that's a good thing because one thing I'm sure I don't need is any incentives to go shopping.