I didn’t notice the definition of “cute” in the masculine handbook.  Maybe it was because the man handbook doesn’t even include the word “cute.”  Come to think of it, I don’t EVER recall walking around and saying “that’s cute.”  Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever thought that either.  Yes, I know, in this day and age I’m not supposed to generalize men or women, but speaking as a guy, “cute” isn’t a word on my frequent list, not really.

I notice quite often when I’m in a store (usually a “wife” store) that if I overhear a conversation or comment from women-shopping-teams, that they hold one arm out raising an item and one of them says “that’s cute.”  I’m not stereotyping, I’m just reporting the facts as I’ve seen them, repeatedly.

I was at a family gathering and two women were reviewing some store’s layout and its location of products.  I heard as they recalled items say the word “cute” at least 5 times…in less than a minute!

I then thought about this concept—the concept of “cute.”  I realized there’s this pleasure zone of sprucing things up in their life.  An all-encompassing zone of spending money to obtain “cute.”

I’ve pondered this zone for a few months now.  I’ve shifted my mind (temporarily) into the zone of how cutifying an environment can have value—personal, internal value, and reward.  It’s a hard zone for me to enter, and definitely not a zone that I would stay in for long, but a zone with some slight value properties, I do agree.  If this zone allows true happiness, more relaxation, and enjoyment of surroundings, without negatively impacting financial security, then some “cute” may be good, I guess.

Just another observation from my LifeInFIRE.

*** Nothing in this article is to be construed as financial advice.  I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend to be.  You should always consult your own professional when seeking advice. This post is not a piece of literary mastery, just a random thought I had.