It's expensive to be a JW

startingover

Well, April 15 is fast approaching and I can procrastinate no longer. So in preparing the figures for the tax man, I started looking at where our money is going.

Something hit me as I was half way through. Since I am no longer am a JW, and I have a job that doesn't require any special attire (I wear shorts or jeans all the time) the last time I had a tie on was for a funeral in August of 2004. All my suit coats still hang in the closet, but now they have a nice layer of dust on the top of the shoulders. The amount of money I spend on clothes is really minimal. I no longer go to any of the JW events, and my social life is somewhat limited because my wife is still in and getting her involved with my "wordly" friends is not something that happens too often, I can literally go all summer without wearing any type of long pants (unless someone dies).

Now my wife is another story. I think she is a sharp dresser, so of course she has the obligatory overabundance of black shoes. But I started thinking...if she was no longer a JW and didn't have to participate in the fashion show at the meetings at least 3 times a week, she would have no reason to buy 2/3 of the clothes she does. Seems like I sign for a box from JCrew at least once a week, I have a standing joke with the UPS man to quite delivering them cause it's breaking me.

Just one more thing to add to my anti-JW list, IT"S COSTING ME A FORTUNE!

uninformed

Startingover

I noticed the same thing. Was in my closet today thinking about getting rid of most everything. It is really a joy not to have to put on a suit and tie three and four times a week.

T shirt and jeans for me.

u

freedomlover

It's so true, Startingover

I realized the same thing when we left. The meetings were a fashion show of who has what brand name clothes. It was impossible to ever try to keep up with.

Take your old suits to a consignment store and get some $ for them and then treat yourself to something fun.....

HappyDad

I'm with you guys. Since I left.....my attire is jeans and sweatshirts or flannel in the winter and shorts that are either denim or khaki with t shirts or safari type shirts in the summer. Can't remember the last time I put my Florsheims on. Most of my kicken' shoes are Sketchers or Rebok.

I kept a few sport coats and one suit but they will never fit me until I lose 30 pounds. Recently I have been thinking of buying a nice pair of pants and a sports coat that fit because I can see that I might have to attened a few funerals in the coming year or so. That sucks!

HappyDad

inbyathread

You think it's expensive to be a JW. As a JW I put off healthcare and dental care thinking the new system is just around the corner. I got jobs to just get me by. Now that I'm so to speak, out. I've buried two fleshly brothers in their early years to cancer. My current job lasts six to seven months a year. Insurance is out of the question. I'm 46 years old and I feel lousy. I'm afraid to see a dentist or doctor. If the illness doesn't kill me the medical or dental bills would.

Justitia Themis

overabundance of black shoes???????

I can assure you, there is no such thing!!!

candidlynuts

your in a unique position.. you can afford for her to be a clothes horse..

reminds me of one ELDERS wifes funeral... the speaker bragged on how the wife went 8 years without a new dress , so that their children could be clothed and that their money could be used in their service to jehovah.

shame on him not taking care of his wife better!!

you just sign for those boxes and let her look sharp at the hall..make the other ladies jealous as hell! lol

*candy , of the " a woman can never have too many shoes or too many clothes" class*

bikerchic

But I started thinking...if she was no longer a JW and didn't have to participate in the fashion show at the meetings at least 3 times a week, she would have no reason to buy 2/3 of the clothes she does.

startingover, so true, so true. Now days I wear nothing but casual clothes. I haven't worn a dress in 4 years to my daughters wedding. Oh wait I wore one in my wedding too just shortly after my daughters.

Take your old suits to a consignment store and get some $ for them and then treat yourself to something fun.....

Great idea to take your no longer worn clothes to a consignment store and get some money for them, only don't do as I did and wait too long. I recently purged my closet of all my old (expensive) meeting clothes and hauled them down to a consignment shop. The owner of the shop turned down all but 5 items out of 25! Her reason was not because they weren't nice enough but because they were no longer in style and she wouldn't be able to sell them. Gerrrrrrr!

So I got home and bagged them all for the Goodwill and have been purging all my closets and drawers I'll probably have to make two trips to drop them off. I have a drawer full of panty hose!!! Who would want worn panty hose besides a bank robber?

Oh and shoes a girl can never have too many shoes and boy am I tossing out a lot of out of date shoes. Why did I wait so long? Sigh.

Lo-ru-hamah

I completely agree, startingover. I have noticed many times now how little on I spend on shopping. I was forever going to the mall and buying clothes for the District Convention, Special Assembly Day, Circuit Assembly, the Memorial, C.O.'s visits, service clothes, and like you said the weekly fashion show. And being a woman, you have to have shoes, purses, jewelery, stockings etc.

It is nice saving that money now.

Loruhamah

inquirer

I am sick of non-JW's making people in offices wear office suits. Women don't
realize how uncomfortable men are! Women can wear what they want: Sandals,
skirts, blouses (it's really called a shirt), stockings! They can even wear
pants (or slacks as they call them.)

I think the Dan Brown sets a good example of how people should dress up if
they have to! Much better look! :)

It's expensive to be a JW

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