"BUY IT FOR LIFE"

Sometimes the best way to save money is to stop buying things that are planning to die.

I used to think “Buy It For Life” was a concept for men on Reddit who own cast iron skillets and say things like “they just don’t make ’em like they used to.”

Then I became a screenwriter.

And suddenly I was replacing the same cheap things over and over, always at the worst possible moment . That’s when it clicked that Buy It For Life isn’t about being fancy or minimalist or morally superior. It’s about reducing future emergencies.

When your income is unpredictable, the last thing you need is your stuff joining the chaos.

So this isn’t a list of “things to buy.” It’s more like: the handful of objects I finally stopped cheaping out on because the constant replacement cycle was costing me more (financially, physically, emotionally) than just buying the right version once.

Also, if you want a TLDR, you can buy everything I mentioned here plus a little extra HERE.

The Chair (Or: How I Learned I Actually Have a Spine)

I wrote for years sitting in a chair that my dad used to sit on in 1996. I told myself it was “fine.” It was not fine. It was quietly ruining my lower back.

Eventually I bought a Herman Miller type of chair like THIS ONE, and it was honestly embarrassing how immediate the improvement was. No adjustment period. No “getting used to it.” Just… relief! I also like this one that looks less dorky. They are built to survive actual office abuse.

This was the first purchase that made me realize how much discomfort I had normalized just to avoid spending money.

The Laptop

I grew up in a time where computers looked like this:

But these days, your laptop isn’t a “vibe”. It is a machine that needs to work.

I don’t upgrade constantly, but I do refuse to work on a computer that freezes, overheats, or turns every writing session into a game of chicken. I buy a MacBook directly from the apple store now and have never once regretted it. They don’t carry the emotional baggage of a potential dying battery that could give out at any second.

If you write for a living, this is your factory floor. It should never be held together with hope.

Shoes (Because You Are Weirdly Always Walking)

For some reason, creative careers actually involve an insane amount of walking. Meetings, errands, pacing during phone calls, wandering because you’re stuck on a scene.

I used to cycle through cheap shoes constantly. They’d look fine for a few months, then collapse, then hurt, then get replaced. Rinse, repeat. It was weird because I’m an avid runner and am very picky about my running shoes. But I have a strict rule that my running shoes are ONLY used for running. But during the writers strike I was like okay, better get some walk-friendly HOKAS and realized I had been scamming myself for years. They’re sturdy, comfortable, neutral, and require zero thought.

Foot pain is expensive and if you can believe it, painful!

Also if you buy a pair of Hokas and don’t like them after wearing them, you can send em back within 30 days for a full refund (probably less shipping costs). I’d recommend Skyflow or Bondi, in that order. And no, I’m not a paid sponsor but I wish I could be!

Noise Canceling Headphones

This is one I resisted the longest because it felt indulgent. And you know, it’s actually not that indulgent.

If you live with other people, write in cafés, or exist anywhere near leaf blowers, noise-canceling headphones are a work expense. Air and Bose both make pairs that last for years and instantly make your environment feel calmer and more manageable.

Focus is really fragile (esp if you have undiagnosed ADHD). And once you realize that, you stop treating tools that protect it like luxuries.

A Bag That Isn’t Playing Games With You

There is nothing like the moment a $3.99 Trader Joes tote bag strap snaps and you watch your laptop head toward the pavement in slow motion. It’s meant to just carry dried mangoes and their pretzel baguettes (which are legit FIRE btw) so it’s sorta my fault for thinking I can use it to carry valuable machinery.

I finally switched to a backpack that evenly distributes weight and doesn’t feel like it’s one awkward movement away from disaster. Everlane’s ReNew backpacks are great and reasonably priced. Tumi is expensive but built like it’s planning to outlive you.

If it carries your computer, it should not be flimsy. This feels obvious. I still ignored it for years.

The Mattress

I hate that this matters, but it does.

Bad sleep messes with everything. Your mood, focus, creativity, resilience. I kept telling myself my mattress was “fine” until I slept on a good one and realized I had been lying to myself. BedStory and Nectar both make solid, long lasting mattresses that don’t need replacing every few years.

Creative work already takes enough out of you. Your bed should not be another antagonist.

What I’m Actually Saying

“Buy It For Life” isn’t a marketing gimmick to get you to spend more money. It’s about spending money once instead of repeatedly and unpredictably.

If you have any sort of creative job, you don’t get a lot of stability handed to you. So I’ve started building it where I can, in the things I use every day, the tools that support my body, and the objects that quietly keep my life from falling apart during the lean months.

Don’t get me wrong. I cheap out on plenty of things. Clothes I don’t wear often. Decor. Coffee (I’m really not a snob about it, I just need my coffee to “work”). But anything that affects my ability to work, sleep, or think clearly? I’ve learned to stop negotiating with myself about it.

Anyway… If you need me, I’ll be sitting in my extremely unglamorous dorky chair, wearing the same shoes I’ve had for years, pretending this I made a stable career choice.

XO

-Eden