I was on a hot girl walk recently (sun shining, ‘The Lean Startup’ audiobook at 1.75x speed whizzing through my earbuds), when I saw a woman in the most incredible emerald green romper. I had to ask her where it was from.

Her face lit up: “Temu!”

She was so genuinely happy - proud even - to share the find. And I smiled back, but truthfully, I felt a little sad. Not because she looked anything less than amazing, but because we all kind of know fast fashion has a big environmental footprint. And a big supply chain impact.

But this isn’t a guilt trip newsletter. I’ve got online shopping boxes in my hallway, too.

So here’s the real question I’ve been sitting with:
Why do we buy fast fashion and quick fixes, even when we know better?

It’s not always about the price - it’s about the risk.

There’s a popular theory in procurement:
You should buy the longest-lasting, highest-quality version of what you need, so your cost per use stays low.

Solid math. But here’s the problem:
That only works when you really know your requirements.

If you don’t? You end up buying something expensive… that you never use.
Then, you feel guilty about it, preventing you from wanting to invest in another key piece in the future.

So instead, I test. I borrow. I try the budget version first. I build my own personal spec sheet by using the thing before I invest.

Here are a few ways I apply this in real life:

📚 Library books – I’m a big reader, but I’ve stopped forcing myself to finish books I don’t love. I rarely re-read, so the library is the perfect try-before-you-buy system. The Libby app is incredible for digital books as well.

🧦 Socks from Walmart – I wanted to see if I could pull off the Gen Z high sock thing. Did I need to drop $40 on a 3-pack from a trendy brand to find out? Nope. $7 at Walmart is doing the trick for now. TBD on if I’m pulling it off.

👗 Rent the Runway & friend closets – I’m refining my personal style (read: trying to graduate from Camp Counselor core. The high socks are probably not helping). Instead of guessing, I’m borrowing clothes and renting styles to see what actually feels like me.

🧠 Try This Today:

Think of one thing in your life you’ve been meaning to invest in - a new hobby, wardrobe piece, productivity tool, even a skincare product.

Instead of jumping all in, try this:

Then pay attention to what you like, don’t like, and what you’d change.

The next version you buy will be so much better.

See you next week,
Monica