I was reading on here and the person mentioned how they were trying to save up money for a down payment on owner-occupant real estate.
I’ve had this theme in my head for a while now and I’m probably going to write an article on it soon, but I thought I’d jot down some quick thoughts on here.
Prior to my awakening in life, I looked at the world through the eyes of the rat in the rat race. Saving money in the rat race is how you build money. Money is seen for what it is, green paper or silver-colored coins which are exchanged for something of value or stored in a bank account earning 3%.
How the heck does a bagel for $1.25 fit into this?
First, I mean no disrespect for the person who wrote about the $1.25 bagel in anyway. The person is well on their way toward building a better future for themselves and their family. Actually I’ll take this second to say, “Thanks.” Thank you for sparking my interest to write about the $1.25 bagel and it’s relationship to TIME.
Okay, so let’s say in the morning I wake up and for each meal of the day, I have to prepare it. I have to shop for the items to make. I have to store the items in a fridge. I have to cook them etc.
So I’m there in the morning and I sit down like most people do and take 10 minutes out of my day to prep it and eat it. I’ve taken say 10 minutes to drive to the store, buy it, and store it in my fridge/cabinets. Okay so that’s 20 minutes SPENT on the bagel(s).
$1.25 or 20 minutes, what’s more valuable?
Of course this is extreme, but hopefully you get the point.
The world is what YOU make of it. I can say this, I absolutely do not lose sleep over spending $1.25 on a bagel because I know that when I do this, I’m spending my TIME more efficiently. Instead of putzing around dilly-dallying in the kitchen or the store, I’m working, networking, heck…eating lunch out with a client! This will “cost” you at least 20 times the $1.25, but it’s the TIME that matters.
Eating lunch that you made at home by yourself is a complete waste of time…to me.
Money comes and goes. Time comes and never comes back once it’s past. I say invest in the bagel if it saves you 50 minutes a week (probably more). Heck, schedule to buy a business contact breakfast over worrying about or beating yourself up over the $1.25.
The reason I’m writing this is because I still have to remind myself sometimes that spending money wisely is not necessarily as easy as it seems. Focusing on TIME and how it can be spent to get you that next deal or meet that next great person is what life is all about.
Finally, the picture is this: At home, getting out the bagel, getting the knife, getting the cream cheese, getting a plate (if you’re a civilized person :biggrin), spreading the cream cheese, getting a drink, pouring it VS stopping at the bagel shop with the paper, ordering it and while waiting, reading the business news or the real estate journal, or checking email on the blackberry or doing whatever the heck I want for a buck and change. Hello…