Money Well Spent
Welcome to #68 of Mindfully, a newsletter where we explore self-growth mindfully. I hope you’re having an awesome day!
Hey friends,
My 'expensive' trainers have lasted me three years and I can comfortably wear them all day. My 'overpriced' AirPods have delivered me with so much productivity. My 'overkill' laptop has allowed me to maximise return on investment through multiple freelance projects. Perhaps, spending money where it matters isn't always a complete waste of resources. Let me explain in this newsletter why I'm happy to spend liberally on the items that I use most frequently.
There's a tiny amount of inconceivable daily return on investment that I gain from investing liberally into the items I use every single day. For example, every time I wear my laceless Nike trainers, I save about 60s each morning not having to tie laces. Then throughout the day, the flexibility in the trainers ensures I'm not getting home from work with sore feet. Then, once I'm home I'm not faffing around undoing laces. Whilst all these things are hard to appreciate in the present, over 3 years I've realised how much time and convenience these trainers have delivered me.
The same can be said for my AirPods and MacBook Pro. The other day, I recalled a particular episode from the Not Overthinking Podcast by Ali and Taimur Abdaal where they discussed something very similar. Would it be stupid to spend 'ridiculous' money on a dustbin? The conclusion was - perhaps not at all stupid. A dustbin, for most of us, would be something we use every day. If we were able to gain some added value through having compartments within the dustbin or an automatic lid, then likely, over the course of years we'd appreciate the added return on investment.
The return may not always be financial, such as in the instance of me purchasing an overkill laptop. But, the return on investment could be increased convenience, quality of life, or even reliability. So, one of my life principles is the following:
Optimise spending for return on investment on the items I use most regularly.
What do you think about this? Hit reply to this email and let's discuss!
Disclaimer - the above isn't financial advice and I am aware we all have different financial circumstances, so please forgive me.
Quote
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
Recommendation
Place - Aesthetic Cafés and Artisan Coffees ☕️
Here's something slightly different from the usual. There's something about an aesthetic cafe and a good brew that gets me going - both in a creative and reflective manner. Spend more time in cafes, if that's your thing or give it a go if you've never tried working from one!
YouTube
That's all for this week - be safe, be happy!
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