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I rarely buy things. It’s not that I never spend any money – Kelly can sure vouch for that! But when I do, I don’t like to believe that I hand someone some cash (or my credit card), they hand me something in return, and that’s where it ends.

Because realistically, that’s not where it ends. Maybe if people realized that, the US wouldn’t lead the world in credit card debt, and Wal-Mart’s customer service wouldn’t suck. In reality, “it” ends when that thing I purchase fails me. So when I turn over my hard-earned clams in exchange something, I think of it as an investment. An investment in my peace of mind, an investment in a friend or relative’s happiness (in the case of a gift) or an investment in my sanity, safety or satisfaction.

Usually, that means I invest as smartly as I possibly can. If I’m picking out a garbage can, or a snow shovel, or a charming vacation spot for a weekend away with Kelly, the least-expensive option isn’t always the best investment. Heck, even picking out a gas station or a brand of shoe polish can be an investment if you make it one. If you pick good gasoline, your car will thank you. And if you pick good shoe polish, your boots will serve you that much longer. It’s all connected.

And when a $2.50 can of shoe polish is connected to a $60 pair of boots, you can bet I’m going to take it over the 99-cent stuff.

And then there are the investments that pay off in more than money. Like a good washer and dryer. If being able to rely on your washer and dryer wasn’t important to a marriage, why would Phil Vassar have sung about ‘em in “Another Day in Paradise”? OK, seriously. How about a good camera? If you can’t rely on your camera, how will you ever embarass your children with a slideshow for their future significant others?!

I think, all in all, I’ve made some pretty decent investments, and not paid an arm and a leg for them either. I’ve got a good bed, so my back doesn’t wake up angry. I invested in that whole washer and dryer thing, and if GE’s track record has anything to do with it, mine should last as long as my parents’ set did. My car puts up with my abuse, and my boots still hold a shine.

There have been plenty of other investments to be made along the way, too. But I’ve decided it’s time to fill a couple of big holes. So first and foremost, I opted for a new camera. If my experience is any guide, it should serve me long into the future…

And after that? Well, dumping the better part of a grand every month into an under-insulated apartment is not high on my list of “things to keep doing for another year”. So, starting this month, Kelly and I are starting to look at houses.

It’s a big, scary, exciting world out there. But I know that I can rely on my own advice: make good investments, and they’ll pay for themselves time and time again.