7 Times The Juice Was Worth The Squeeze 🍋

I was directly inspired to write this after gobbling up a list I loved from Taylor recently, which itself was paying homage to a similar roundup by another writer, who had called out 22 things that are, unfortunately, worth it.

The list was, like Taylor herself, delightful, and it got me thinking: What’s worth the squeeze for the Style Girlfriend community?

I am – I was about to say lazy, but I am working on being nicer to myself, so let’s say busy instead – so the list you get is only 7 things long. But really, isn’t that better in some ways? You’re busy, too, so it’s less to read, and fewer sure-to-be life-changing hacks to tackle.

Take the time to learn what you like. To wear. To drink. To listen to while you work.

It’s powerful to feel confident in your taste, whether that’s a color you know looks great on you, a cocktail you can order when sidling up to any bar, or a concerto that puts you in a flow state.

We posed this question in the Style Girlfriend community Discord recently: how much do you expect to pay for a t-shirt? And I’ve gotta say, I was surprised by how many people still said they’re swiping their credit card for tees $25 or less. 

To me, this is such a staple item that you wear every single day, meaning it’s worth upgrading to one that’s really, really nice. Our team usually is directing guys to Buck Mason or Abercrombie.

Man, there’s nothing like a heavy sigh to really let off some steam.

Maybe you’re waiting for your partner to get ready to leave the house. Maybe you’re gearing yourself up to write an email you’ve been putting off for a week. Like say, this email.

A disgruntled huff, exasperated puff, or even a weary groan feels good in a place like this (‘this place’ being a state of annoyance). You’re not mad. You’re just disappointed. In someone else, or maybe just yourself. Not enough to make a whole thing of it, but enough to feel better vocalizing your discontent.

I was always a morning-ish person, but have recently pushed my alarm up by an extra hour, and I unfortunately have to report back from the even darker side of 6am that: it’s great here.

People talk about doing a “closing shift” at home, but I’m all about the opening shift. Empty the dishwasher. Read a chapter of a personal development book. Do some journaling. All before Starbucks is even open. 

The only downside is that I am useless after 7pm. My child goes to bed and I am in pajamas by 7:01. Please don’t invite me to dinner or god forbid, drinks. It’s simply not going to happen. 

This is one that I’ve had to drag myself into, but buying used really is that girl.

There’s so many people now selling perfectly good clothes, shoes, and accessories at prices that are simply too tempting to ignore on eBay, Poshmark, The RealReal, and more. 

Call me a snob, but my starting point is filtering NWT (new with tags). You can get countless deals on things you already know you like and even own. Maybe you bid on a J.Press shaggy dog sweater in a color you might not otherwise splurge on at full price, or fresh Clarks Wallabees to retire your beat-up pair. You’re saving money, so you might as well upgrade…right?

My favorite part is when there’s not an ad buy for streaming, so you get a little video of like, a frog chilling on a lily pad, and it just says “Enjoy the zen.”

If you can afford it, do it. Maybe it’s buying coffee on your way to work every morning instead of making it at home. Getting the name-brand ibuprofen instead of the CVS version. Or paying for Wordle, I mean, the New York Times, on your phone, so you can skip the ads. 

As long as you’re not dipping into your kids’ college funds to do it, it’s probably fine. Hell, maybe you do dip into the college fund. Will there even be higher education in ten years? Who knows.

But here’s the key, you then have to stop thinking about it. No more justifying the purchase to yourself, or rationalizing it. Or feeling guilty. That’s a waste of energy, and it takes away the enjoyment of the thing itself.

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Until next time,