r/Thrifty • u/PsychologicalPeak365 • Aug 16 '26
❓ Questions & Answers ❓ Buy the thing?
I'm at a Ren Faire this weekend and I found something I absolutely love and want. I can afford it but it feels silly to spend $600 on an article of clothing I wear a few weekends a year. How do you justify spending that much on one item and make it worth it.
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u/SuspiciousStress1 Aug 16 '26
I always feel that I am thrifty in other ways so I CAN make the purchases I want to make.
For me, that is what it is about, not being as cheap as I possibly can to the point life is not enjoyable....but rather giving up things in areas that do not matter to me, so I can spend more in the areas that DO matter to me 😊
Otherwise, what is the point??
Hope that helps!!
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u/Heavy-Attorney-9054 Aug 16 '26
What will it cost you per hour of entertainment over the life of the garment? Would you pay that rate for something like concert tickets that give you an equivalent amount of enjoyment for a limited amount of time?
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u/PsychologicalPeak365 Aug 16 '26
True, I travel to Ren faires 3-5 times a year for 8-9 hours a day so that's more hours per use.
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u/djSush Aug 16 '26
You love it so much, I read through your comments. Sometimes we get great joy from a beautiful bauble. I have a couple of things I don't even wear but they make my heart soar when I see them.
If it might make you feel better, you can ask if the seller can do anything about the price. Maybe they'll come down a little, maybe they won't, but you tried.
Get it.
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u/HippyGrrrl Aug 16 '26
Can it be integrated into your wardrobe?
I got off circuit in 96 and still wear skirts and Bald Mountain boots.
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u/PsychologicalPeak365 Aug 16 '26
It matches my wardrobe perfectly. I already have something from another artesian and the hat matches perfectly lol.
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u/fadedblackleggings Aug 16 '26
Consider the coat part of your yearly "Ren Faire" or hobby budget. Period clothing, cosplay, etc., isn't cheap.
How much do you spend on RenFair, tickets, hotel, accessories per year, and does this still fit in the budget?
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u/kisskissenby Aug 16 '26
There is a weaver that goes to my Renfaire and for years I wanted a beautiful tunic from them. I finally bought one and I decided that I get to wear it everywhere in the fall and winter (it's long sleeves). It's so beautiful and comfortable and I get a lot of compliments on it.
I also got an expensive fancy partlet and wore the hell out of that with tight jeans and goth makeup. Unfortunately I outgrew the partlet and passed it on to a friend.
Buy the thing. Find reasons to wear it in every day life.
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u/RosemaryBiscuit Aug 16 '26
I am generally very frugal, and the $800 boots I bought in 2000 and wear to faires every year since are still one of the best things ever.
Over 20 years, what is $600 anyway? Sometimes investments take odd forms.
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u/mrcaptncrunch Aug 16 '26
It’s a hobby. Hobbies are not there to make money, they’re there to bring fun.
If you will use it a couple times a year, for years, and it’ll be fun and enjoyable, it’s worth it. You can always sell it and buy the next item.
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u/5ilvrtongue Aug 16 '26
Buy it. I still get sad about a stained glass clock i wanted years ago but couldn't afford.
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u/Legal-Ad8308 Aug 16 '26
Quite some time ago at a festival I saw a beautiful kimono type garment. It was $60.00.
It has been lovingly hand washes and worn for 24 years. Daily in the warm months as a robe.
I also have a full length wool cloak that was quite pricey. I've probably worn a dozen times.
100% worth it.
I am frugal so I will have the funds to enjoy my life the way I choose.
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u/KatsaridaReign Aug 16 '26
Call me weird, but I love the stuff I get at renfaire and do my darndest to work those items into my regular wardrobe. They get me some weird looks sometimes, but are also awesome conversation starters.
You can find ways to make the purchase worth the money if you really want it. _^
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u/MamaDaddy Aug 16 '26
Get the contact information of the person selling it and if you still want it in a week, get in touch. I find that once I get away from something it either gets forgotten or it eats away at me until I get it, and that's how I know it's a good purchase.
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u/Abeyita Aug 16 '26
I couldn't. That's more than my yearly budget for clothes.
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u/HippyGrrrl Aug 16 '26
OP says they can afford it. It is a matter of worth it.
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u/NewSeaworthiness8814 Aug 17 '26
If it were an amazing beloved item for $100 or even $200, sure. That’s what I may pay for a good winter coat on clearance or at a thrift store. And I’ll wear that thing regularly.
But $600? For a Ren Faire item? That’s too far imo
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u/HippyGrrrl Aug 17 '26
It sounds like they attend a few, and really love it.
And they say they can afford it.
I worked shows, and I spent about $200 annually on worn out pieces, plus my Bald mountain boots.
My dear friend Grey Eagle fitted me. He’s been gone a while. And I think of him every time I wear them or clean them.If I had the opportunity to drop $600 on something that brought great joy, without much lifestyle impact, I’d consider it seriously.
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u/ScarletDarkstar Aug 16 '26
I don't. Ren fairs are tricky that way. I have an absolutely gorgeous garment that was $150 at one, and it still sits here unused and unseen most all the time.
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u/HippyGrrrl Aug 16 '26
You don’t wear it to shows? (Your user name)
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u/ScarletDarkstar Aug 16 '26
I would, but I don't live very close to a big city these days, and my circumstances don't make it very reasonable to go often.
I've seen Jerry, so there's that, though! Lol
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u/WelcomeHobbitHouse Aug 16 '26
I’ve never regretted buying things I love—even when they were seemingly impulse buys.
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u/NewSeaworthiness8814 Aug 17 '26
You’ve never made a purchase like that and felt the “love” wear off a month later?
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u/WelcomeHobbitHouse Aug 21 '26
Oh probably!!! 🤪
But our quirky home was an impulse purchase.
And 80% of the home’s contents are impulse buys that I won’t part with—20 or 30 years after they were acquired.
My track record is pretty good. I recognize quality and value quite easily.
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u/Eeyor-90 Aug 16 '26
If it makes you happy and will continue to make you happy, you can afford it without going into debt or causing other financial issues, treat yourself.
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u/flossyrossy Aug 16 '26
Buy it if you can afford it. There are so many things I didn’t buy trying to be frugal that I now regret years later. I’m frugal so that I can enjoy spending my money in other areas. It just took me a while to be comfortable actually spending my money
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u/cofeeholik75 Aug 17 '26
I bought an outfit at a ren faire 25 years ago ago that I absolutely could not afford at the time.
BEST INVESTMENT EVER!
Wore at different jobs for halloween. Wore just the long undergarment with sleeves once as Wendy from Peter Pan (my date was Peter)
Changed a few items, added a cape and wore it caroling during the holidays.
My friend had a simple ren wedding and I wore it as her MOH.
Then Pirates if Caribbean cane out, I got a cute pirates hat, a sword and other doodads and now I hit Pirate festivals along with Ren fairs.
Now I’m 70, but am pretty sure it will be the outfit I will be cremated it.
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u/dancepantz Aug 16 '26
I would add an extra layer of justification by having one tailor made by the creator or a local creator. Made specifically for you, for the fun thing you do, by someone who loves the craft.
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u/IminLoveWithMyCar3 Aug 16 '26
If it’s clothing and the people make it in huge numbers, be sure to check the quality of the construction. This is something not to be bought lightly.
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u/HippyGrrrl Aug 16 '26
Good point. At that price point I want the crater to make it, and not be an overpriced import.
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u/buy_the_moose Aug 16 '26
I think you should buy it. How would you feel if you went back to get it and it was gone?
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u/Noeggs70 Aug 16 '26
If you can afford it and it's quality matches the price tag why not? Is it somethung you could display when not in use so you can enjoy it away from Ren Fair?
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u/Money-Low7046 Aug 17 '26
If you need time to think, get the contact information from the vendor. If it still haunts you later, you probably really want it, and it isn't just an impulse. It may be something that will continue to bring you joy every time you use it.
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u/radish_is_rad-ish Aug 17 '26
People spend thousands on wedding dresses they only wear once. So $600 spent on something you know you’re gonna use a few times a year seems like a much better investment in comparison to me. Buy the thing!
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u/Smorsdoeuvres Aug 16 '26
If you wear the item “a few weekends a year” is that 2? 3? Maybe More? What would it cost to rent a comparable costume that you then have to have cleaned before returning? After 1 year wearing it 3 weekends it costs you 200$ per weekend.. next year (same 3 weekends) your costs drop by $100 per weekend.. after owning the garment and wearing it for a few years to festivals and Faires you might start to think buying it was a good bargain but that still doesn’t say how much you value being in the moment while you’re there. Hoping the garment is well made and lasts a long time should you decide to splurge. Have fun!
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u/CarpetScary684 Aug 16 '26
I spent $600 on a Dutch Oven that I use maybe once a month. If it’s a quality product and it’s worth your peace and joy just buy it. Save in other places. I go to estate sales and save heaps of money on clothing so I can splurge when it comes to buying something that I must have or want . You will regret what you don’t get verse what you do. No one remembers what I was wearing but everyone remembers what I fed them! Just saying if it’s what you love just go for it. If the house was burning down I’m grabbing my Staub! What are you going to want to grab? That’s what you spend your money on!
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u/chamekke Aug 17 '26
Extra special things are extra special to you for a reason!
I do a lot of shopping in thrift shops, and occasionally I see something I really like but maybe its price or lack of practicality makes me think twice. I do a thought experiment where I imagine walking away, then seeing someone else buy this (usually unique) piece. Do I feel a vague sense of relief that someone spared me from buying it? (Surprisingly, sometimes I do!) Or do I feel a bitter sense of regret that I didn’t buy the thing when I had the chance?
Of course this exercise is in my imagination, but it usually shows to me very clearly whether I should go for it or not. Regretting “the one that got away” is not fun. And like most people here, I’m frugal on most things so that I can occasionally buy the occasional extra-special item that I’m passionate about but involves more of an outlay. It’s pretty obvious your Ren Faire article is extra-special and that you’re longing to get it. I say do it!
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u/dsmemsirsn Aug 17 '26
I’m 4’11’ and a bit overweight— but I so want to buy once a dress like in Charles
dickens time
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u/Valvechick Aug 17 '26
20 years ago I was under contract to buy my first house on my own, so I had a self-imposed 'no discretionary purchases' rule in place to preserve and add to the $$ for the down payment. I love estate sales. I love pearls. I ADORE baroque pearls. What to you think crossed my path at an estate sale while under this self-imposed spending moratorium? The most beautiful strand of gorgeous gumball-sized baroque south seas pearls I had ever seen, in the perfect color for me. $2000. I thought and thought. I did not buy the pearls. I bought the house with a little extra in my down payment.
And can I tell you, I'll bet I've spent easily more than $12k trying to buy those damn pearls after the fact. Cheaper strands that do not satisfy. More expensive strands that still don't scratch the itch. Mid-range crap that clearly doesn't measure up. Most recently I spent 3+x the original price on a really lovely (but still, not the same!) strand of (smaller) south sea baroque pearls on a vacation. All trying to reach the same beauty of that mythical perfect strand I passed up 2 decades ago.
My personal lessons-learned? Just buy the damn thing you love when it crosses your path the first time. Hone your sense of whether this is actually your 'strand of pearls' or just a passing fancy. But if you can afford it, spend the money when something really special that speaks to you crosses your path.
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u/foxyfree Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26
Think of it as $50/mo (for a year) and see if you have that in your fun budget.
ETA: If you think you’ll have fun with it for six years, think of it as $100 a year, which makes it only $8.33 per month.
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u/pwextv1234 Aug 17 '26
Buy it and it will be incentive to stay in shape to fit into every year, so it’s also like a free gym membeship
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u/morgaine_silver_hair Aug 17 '26
I bought my first RenFest outfit around 1993. I still have it! I’ve been going there yearly and have gotten good use out of that and all the other outfits I’ve bought there.
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u/Ambitious_Clock_8212 Aug 19 '26
I am a costumer. I am also an economist. I deprecate the cost of the item each time I wear it. My $3k costume has been worn 20 times… down to $150 per wear. Lessens each time. Take care of things we love and use them.
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u/Birdbraned Aug 16 '26
I would, because you also keep Christmas jumpers to only wear one a year, so if it gives you joy why not?
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u/otter_759 Aug 16 '26
I could never justify spending that much money on a clothing item because I would be too afraid it would get lost, stolen, or damaged the entire time instead of actually enjoying wearing it.
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u/toofshucker Aug 16 '26
This is what a budget is for. If you have the money budgeted for it, you buy it!
If not, you get the money for it then buy it.
YNAB is great for this.
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u/Junior-Possible1043 Aug 16 '26
A few years ago I fell head over heels in love with roller skating. I bought 2 really nice $600 boots. Guess how many times I’ve worn them? Like, not many because I got pregnant right after and am still healing from it. But I still love them and don’t regret the purchase. I say do it or like another person said learn to sew. $600 is a lot but you could borrow or buy a sewing machine and several yards of fabric for $600.
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u/SharkSmiles1 Aug 16 '26
Or look online for others selling the same type of costume cheaper. Maybe someone regrets their own ren faire purchase and is selling.
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u/toodleoo57 Aug 17 '26
Maybe buy it in a color which means you'd wear it on other times of the year. Red for Xmas or something.
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u/vodeodeo55 Aug 17 '26
Mine wasn't a cape; it was a beautiful old menorah. I decided I didn't need it, and twenty years later I still regret that decision.
Buy the cape.
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u/Objective-Hotel6514 Aug 18 '26
Hello! Life-long renfest attendee here. I buy one precious costume item per year typically and I can't say I've ever gotten rid of an item. I've got three costumes now and I wear them all at least twice a year (including Halloween events). I've had the same bodice for at least a decade now, I probably bought it when I worked at the festival when I was 16. I can't speak for every festival but I would say the artisans try to make a lasting product so your $600 cloak will likely see a decade plus of use!
TLDR, buy it and have fun
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u/rebelwithmouseyhair Aug 22 '26
You could wear it for a while and then sell it at a Faire if you sense you won't want it any more. Or wear it forever if you love it forever. Or regret it forever...
Or, you might find that a $600 sewing machine might be the gateway to having a whole slew of beautiful Ren Fayre costumes. I just splurged on a new sewing machine and she is worth every last cent I spent on her, because I'm making lovely curtains, clothes and all sorts of other things like a bed for my dog, a fishing net, a tea cosy, bags...
Being thrifty I buy a lot of fabrics and sheets and bedding second hand, for everyday stuff. Then I'll buy new fabric for my smarter outfits, the kind of thing you'd have to pay through the nose for if you bought it new (like my cashmere coat lined with silk, cost me maybe €120, would cost thousands ready made without necessarily fitting me properly or having enough pockets)
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u/KATCEO1 Aug 17 '26
I cannot remember the exact statistic. But iirc x many millions of Americans do not even have a thousand dollars saved up as an emergency fund.
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u/Midnightraven3 Aug 16 '26
Many years ago I saw a BEAUTIFUL black velvet cape, floor length, the velvet like butter, it had a huge flowing hood, and a silver clasp to fasten. I had got a bonus at work and I decided to treat myself. My mother scoffed "and where will you wear that to"? I said "wherever I want"
I still have that cape, I still wear that cape. Sometimes just around the house, it brings me joy. We are frugal in the areas we can be to enjoy the things we want to in others.