The $100 Exercise

I often find myself reacting uniquely to the same cost differences in separate categories. Saving $20 on headphones felt like a major victory, but I wouldn’t bother to examine my $80 wireless bill. To help align my perspective, I began noting how much I could buy of anything, at $100/year:

• >400 Eggs
• ~ 1 Year of Google Music
• ~ 1 Year of Amazon Prime
• 1 Year of Costco Membership and 4 bags of frozen sweet potato fries
• 2 Tanks of Gas (Car)
• 6 Cheap Polo Shirts
• 2 Pairs of Pants
• 1 Electric range>1 Month of Unlimited Cell Plan
  • 5 Months of Data-Only Cell Plan
• ~4 Cheap Dates
• 1 Expensive Date
• 1 Pair of Boots Every 3 Years
• 1 Tablet Every 6 Years
• 3 Months at a Gym
• 1 20kg (45lbs) Kettlebell that will outlast us all
• 10 months of WordPress Premium
• 1/5 Year Bus Eco Pass
• $5 a Year for the Rest of my Life
  • At a reasonable 5% Net Annual Rate of Return
  • If allowed to compound, I would end up doubling both my principle and earnings after 14 Years

I found two main benefits from this exercise

1. Seeing such a broad comparison kicked me into action
   • Changing my wireless plan
     • I buy unlocked phones, so this was an instant cost reduction
2. I need constant reminders of the value differences for food
   • I still eat out, but spend around half as much when I do
   • I look for the least processed items, or items with better portion control
     • Large bags of frozen foods offer great value, with reliable flavour

I also found the same principle useful for tracking 30g of protein. 1 scoop of whey isolate, 5 eggs, a little less than a whole chicken breast, 200g of ground beef, etc.