Recently, a hole wore in the sole of one of my favorite pair of shoes. The shoes weren’t terribly expensive, and I almost threw them out. But then it occurred to me: the shoes were comfortable and they filled a need in my wardrobe (which is why they wore out). Even if a new pair wouldn’t ruin my budget, did I really need new shoes? I took them to a shoe repair shop in my neighborhood, and they were able to repair and reinforce the soles and clean the shoes for $28.
Yeah, I could have gotten similar shoes for about the same price. But this way, I have shoes I know I like, in my closet rather than in a landfill.
It’s easy to throw things out, but there is a lot of value in repair. Most of the $28 cost went to a local business person; it wasn’t divided among a host of low-paid salespeople and offshore assembly workers. That adds more to GDP than the purchase of imported shoes.
I have a few high-end designer jackets from my investment banking days, and I’ve had the linings replaced. That runs about $75 at the local dry-cleaners. But you know what? The fit and quality of the jackets is worth more than that. A repaired Armani blazer is worth more to me than a new one from Kohl’s.
The next time you are close to throwing something out, take a minute to consider if a repair will cost the same or less than a new item and give you the same or more function. If it does, get it fixed!
(This is cross-posted on Chicago on the Cheap.)
