Just A Random Thought

A strange thought crossed my mind while I was washing my clothes in the hostel today, little pleasures of hostel life :P

I was washing a t-shirt which I had bought for Rs. 249 about 3 yrs ago. It’s one of my favourites, so I wear it quite regularly. On an average I wash that t-shirt once in 15 days.

I ran a silly calculation in my head (not really, I did use pen and paper for it. If someone is interested in what the calculation is, look for it right at the end of the post).

We spend more on maintaining things than we spend on buying new ones.

And this observation is not just about buying clothes, it is almost about everything in life, not just material, but even relationships (If you are a parent you would’ve spent nothing on your children while giving them birth as compared to what you spend in bringing them up).

People who give dowry have understood this logic well enough, and the ones who have wanted to have a male child instead of a girl (mainly because of the dowry reason), have apparently failed to understand it even one bit of it (this does not mean that I am supporting the practice of dowry here)

(Note: All figures are approximates. I have tried to be very particular with my calculations but if there are mistakes, math freaks please do not come running to kill me)

I give the t-shirt for dry cleaning when it gets very dirty, which is about 5 times till now- Rs 15 every time- which makes it (15x5) Rs 75.

No. Of times I have washed the t-shirt in these 3 years- twice a month- 24 times in one year- (24x3) 72 times in 3 years

Mummy helped me a bit with the further calculation.

1/2 kg of surf excel (some particular type which I generally use) - Rs. 79

Around 1.5 kg used per month.

Which makes it (79x3) Rs. 237

No. Of clothes washed daily- 15

No. Of clothes washed in a month- (15x 30) 450

Cost of washing one t-shirt- (450/237) Rs 1.9

Cost of washing the t-shirt 72 times- (1.9x72) Rs 136

So, till now I have spent (75+136=) Rs 211 on my t-shirt

+ironing charges (which would be about Rs. 2 for a t-shirt if I were at home)

Considering that I wear my clothes without getting them ironed a lot of times, I could put it as (say I have got it ironed 36 times till now, which is half of the number of times I have washed the t-shirt) Rs (36x2)72.

So, now the total money I have spent in maintaining my t-shirt is 211+72= Rs. 283)