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
- Seeing such a broad comparison kicked me into action
- Changing my wireless plan
- I buy unlocked phones, so this was an instant cost reduction
- Changing my wireless plan
- 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.