I've been buying fast fashion for years because it lets me try new trends without guilt, but I'm starting to question if the low prices hide costs I'm not seeing at the register. A $5 t-shirt feels like a steal, yet after three washes it's trash, and I wonder if I'm actually saving money in the long run. The environmental toll is real, but with my budget, sustainable brands are often double the price, making it hard to choose ethics over affordability. Should we really expect individuals to solve a systemic problem, or is fast fashion just the only option for many of us?