Do you pay attention to how you look?

You see, one of the greatest challenges of living a lifestyle of financial freedom is determining the exact value of personal appearance. How does one balance a desire for less expensive clothing and personal care items with the expectations of the culture that enables their income and personal lives?

Many people who overspend are focused heavily on impressing others with their appearance, often buying clothing and technology items in order to boost their appearance of affluence. Of course, a polished personal appearance is often vital to a person’s public persona, to their workplace situation, and also to their self-image and confidence. Plus, a well-dressed appearance pays other financial benefits as well by creating a more positive general impression of you in the community. Others will have a higher opinion of you and you will subtly find yourself in better financial situations.

For me personally, this was a tricky balance, but it was one that I managed to figure out over time with the help of my wife—bless her. Otherwise, I had for a long time felt looking good is really for women. The key was to make sure that I leveraged every inexpensive trick that I had, while also maximising the utility of the expensive items.

While am not a beauty therapist, the economics of looking good can be so rewarding. So do take special care in cleaning yourself. I don’t mean buying expensive shampoos or such things; I simply mean take a few extra minutes to cleanse yourself thoroughly especially before you leave your house. Cleaning yourself properly is the most valuable aspect of your personal appearance and it is also the least expensive, as there is really no need for expensive shampoos or soaps in most cases.

Also consider using a fragrance that smells good to you every day—it does leave a lasting and positive impression than when you produce your natural odour. I only use a deodorant myself due to my allergy to strong smells. But my deodorant lasts all day usually. Once in a while, I do apply some mild perfume.

Buy only clothes that go well with the majority of other clothes in your wardrobe. This means buy high quality, but stick to the basics. Get clothes that make you look good. They could be few but top quality.  Trust you me, quality matters more than quantity.

Each of these tips enables you to maintain a strong personal appearance while also minimising the impact on your wallet. While everyone else is buying clothes by the ton and gossiping in the office, you can smile widely as you look good and still have cash balances in your wallet.

Blessed week-end to you all who are making decisions to either start or continue looking good!