I remember a time when the only way I could justify buying a new pair of shoes was if I could wear them for both work and a funeral, because that was basically my entire social calendar for the foreseeable future. The funeral shoe math. That hits a nerve. I used to factor in the cost per wear for EVERYTHING, and if it didn't pull triple duty, it wasn't even a consideration – especially if one of those duties was 'job interview' or 'emergency hospital visit' because those were the only other places I was going that required looking remotely presentable. It’s wild how those calculations become ingrained, even when the immediate financial pressure isn't there anymore. I still catch myself doing it sometimes, a ghost of scarcity.