This topic occurred to me as I was cleaning out our shoe closet the other day. I ended up with a laundry basket of worn out shoes, and another with lightly worn shoes that had been outgrown or were unsuitable for other reasons. One bag went to the dump, the other to the Goodwill.
I assessed my remaining stockpile of shoes: I have two pair of boots, one pair of runners, one pair of dress shoes, and two pairs of plastic clogs, all in good condition. I feel I can get by for some time with these. The rest of my family is adequately shod, it seems to me (though my daughter would disagree, I'm sure). So shoes are no problem.
However, I just found another hole in one of my basic articles of clothing. I've been putting off buying new clothes, because we are low on ready money just now--one kid just graduated from college, another is about to start--and also because I have been loosing weight, and I want to wait a bit before replacing my old clothes. But it seems I must part with some dough, or walk around looking ragged.
One of my methods for keeping clothes in good repair is putting away my work clothes right when I get home. I also try not to wash them too often--I wear undershirts, for example, so I don't have to wash the shirt on top every time I wear it. (I work part time at a desk, so I don't get very sweaty or dirty). I try to keep from spilling food on myself and so on. Still, washing and constant wear cause my clothes to slowly fade and become tattered.
What do you do to keep your clothes nice? Where do you draw the line when it comes to wearing old clothes? I have clothes that have cycled downward from office clothes, to weekend wear, to backyard only and from there to the rag pile. What would you need in essential wear to get through any prolonged crisis? And, are you ready in that regard?
Food is not the only concern, if there is some sort of prolonged disturbance in the way goods are distributed around the country.
I assessed my remaining stockpile of shoes: I have two pair of boots, one pair of runners, one pair of dress shoes, and two pairs of plastic clogs, all in good condition. I feel I can get by for some time with these. The rest of my family is adequately shod, it seems to me (though my daughter would disagree, I'm sure). So shoes are no problem.
However, I just found another hole in one of my basic articles of clothing. I've been putting off buying new clothes, because we are low on ready money just now--one kid just graduated from college, another is about to start--and also because I have been loosing weight, and I want to wait a bit before replacing my old clothes. But it seems I must part with some dough, or walk around looking ragged.
One of my methods for keeping clothes in good repair is putting away my work clothes right when I get home. I also try not to wash them too often--I wear undershirts, for example, so I don't have to wash the shirt on top every time I wear it. (I work part time at a desk, so I don't get very sweaty or dirty). I try to keep from spilling food on myself and so on. Still, washing and constant wear cause my clothes to slowly fade and become tattered.
What do you do to keep your clothes nice? Where do you draw the line when it comes to wearing old clothes? I have clothes that have cycled downward from office clothes, to weekend wear, to backyard only and from there to the rag pile. What would you need in essential wear to get through any prolonged crisis? And, are you ready in that regard?
Food is not the only concern, if there is some sort of prolonged disturbance in the way goods are distributed around the country.