I spend the bulk of my work time in my office, alone, typing at my computer. Sometimes I talk to people on the phone. But most of my client interactions don’t happen face-to-face, and my office happens to be right here in my house.

So while the cliche about freelancers working from home in their pajamas is a cliche, in this case it’s a cliche because it’s mostly true. At least, it is for me. I work in my pajamas a lot. And when I do get dressed I wear what’s comfortable for a work-at-home mom who also runs her kids around town but doesn’t have anyone to impress—I wear jeans and t-shirts, sweaters, comfortable shoes, and other unremarkable items.

I wouldn’t say I’m a slob, exactly, nor would I say what I wear is somehow inappropriate. I mean, the fact that I get dressed at all on days when I never leave the house is pretty commendable, right?

And I know that when it comes to professional events, I have to dress like a professional. And I do.

The reality is that I have to put on the fancy shoes and the nice clothes so rarely that I kind of enjoy it. And I’m a firm believer in presenting yourself well, in dressing for the job you want rather than the job you have, etc. I pack my pointy pumps whenever I head off to a conference, and—blisters aside—I generally rather like my few days masquerading as a well-dressed grownup.

On the other hand, I am notoriously frugal, and spending money on clothes I wear once or twice a year is always a bit painful for me. I do it as best I can with as little whining as I can keep it down to, though. I think.

And that brings us to today’s dilemma, which I’m willing to guess many of you have had at some point, in some form: Next week I’m headed off to a conference and I want to dress the part of the consummate professional I fancy myself. And not only do I have my usual want-to-look-good thing going on, but in the last month I’ve lost a couple of clients, which means this is not just a general see-and-be-seen, schmooze-to-stay-in-the-game kind of trip for me, but an honest-to-goodness Put On My Game Face And Find Some New Work sojourn.

That is not the dilemma part, actually. The dilemma part is that I am currently doing a fitness challenge and I’ve lost quite a few inches thanks to my efforts. Which is awesome. And—you know where this is going, right?—many of my business clothes no longer fit.

But I’m not done with the challenge (I’ve only lost half the weight I hope to lose, total), so I’m reluctant to go out and buy all new clothes.

But the conference is next week.

But the reason this is important is because my client load has taken a dip, which makes this the absolute wrong time to spend money on business clothes (which, sadly, are not a tax-deductible expense—I checked).

But but but but.

So I had to have a stern talking-to with myself, you know? Here are the conclusions I reached:

1) Having appropriate clothing to wear isn’t optional, so if that means I have to go shop even though I’d really rather not spend the money right now, well, that’s just too damn bad. Nothing says unprofessional like ill-fitting clothes.

2) This is an investment in my business, and again, it’s not optional. Mentally I’m helped to remember that this isn’t me going, “Oh, I want pretty things!” but me going, “I want to look my best when meeting potential clients.” There’s a difference.

3) Budget and common sense can inform my actions even under these circumstances. I won’t buy a whole new wardrobe, obviously, both because my body is still changing and because I don’t have the money right now. I will do my best bargain hunting to save money where I can, and I can make smart choices. For example, I’m a pear shape, and while that’s bad news for me when I’m buying pants, it’s great news if I want to buy a dress with an empire waist—five or ten pounds from now that dress will still fit just fine.

And please, do not get me started on having my hair done. Not only does it cost more than any of the clothes I’m purchasing, it only lasts until the gray grows back. Hmph. Still, it’s non-negotiable for me at this point (I plan to have a party and embrace the gray, someday, but it’s not happening this side of 40), so there’s no sense in aggravating over it.

When I go out there to meet potential clients, looking good is a gift of confidence I give myself. And as the saying goes, that’s priceless.