Silly Sunday: “We Want the Funk”

I love this MasterCard commercial. It’s a great back to school reminder. And it’s cute. Look at those little boys dancing! I can totally see my own son doing something just like that.

Anyway, the commercial also reminded me of the importance of frugality when it comes to back to school shopping. And the nature of frugality. We spent a little more than $20 on my son’s backpack. But we spent it last year, and his backpack survived. And it looks as though it will survive this year, and maybe even next year. It’s a sturdy backpack, without characters. It’s blue and white, and he got to pick it out of a few options, so it’s something he’s okay with.

The backpack reminds me that frugality isn’t always about what’s the cheapest. Sometimes it’s about quality that lasts longer. We’ve got a backpack that we spend $35 on. However, we won’t have to buy him a $15 (the cheapest we could get at the time) backpack every year for four years. He’ll be fine with just the one. So, instead of paying $15 every year for four years, which adds up to $60, we paid $35 once, saving us $25 in the long run.

Sometimes frugality is about long-term value.