How to Afford Anything
kenrockwell.com
How to Afford Anything
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Re: How to Afford Anything
#2We love Wal-Mart and Costco. They have the best prices on almost everything. We're not afraid to admit it; we think people who shop boutiques to buy the same things in fancier surroundings are stupid.
So you go to a walmart, see the elderly greeters at the door, feel sorry for them, then walk miles just to get the one thing and get back to the cashier to stand in a line...
vs.
You drive near a boutique, you get real personalized service, there's someone to help you all the time if you have any questions, the surrounding is a lot nicer, the whole process of buying that thing is much faster and much more comfortable.
Saying that people who shop boutiques to buy the same things are stupid just conveys a message that you are too constricted in your own scope of cheapness... And that's maybe a bit stupid.
Re: How to Afford Anything
#3We love Wal-Mart and Costco. They have the best prices on almost everything. We're not afraid to admit it; we think people who shop boutiques to buy the same things in fancier surroundings are stupid. So you go to a walmart, see the elderly greeters at the door, feel sorry for them, then walk miles just to get the one thing and get back to the cashier to stand in a line... vs. You drive near a boutique, you get real…
Personalised service and nicer surroundings? Meh, I just want to buy stuff. If I want to hang around chatting to people, I'll go to a bar.
Questions? Nah, I've done my homework already, and the answers didn't come from salesmen.
Faster? How does all that chatting, questioning and soaking up the ambience speed up a purchase?
'Buying' is swapping money for something you want. 'Shopping' is that too, plus all the things you mention, at a premium. His article on being frugal provides the context for applying the label 'stupid' to those who choose the latter - it is an unnecessary addition that costs money. If that extra is worth it for you, great, knock yourself out, but be aware that for people who don't think it's worth the cost, you'll always appear 'stupid'. (Just as they'll appear 'cheap' to those that think the extra is essential.)
Edit: PS: Did anyone else have the words "Yoink! You fat-cats didn't finish your plankton!" pop into their heads during reading the article?
Re: How to Afford Anything
#4We love Wal-Mart and Costco. They have the best prices on almost everything. We're not afraid to admit it; we think people who shop boutiques to buy the same things in fancier surroundings are stupid. So you go to a walmart, see the elderly greeters at the door, feel sorry for them, then walk miles just to get the one thing and get back to the cashier to stand in a line... vs. You drive near a boutique, you get real…
Personalised service and nicer surroundings? Meh, I just want to buy stuff. If I want to hang around chatting to people, I'll go to a bar. Questions? Nah, I've done my homework already, and the answers didn't come from salesmen. Faster? How does all that chatting, questioning and soaking up the ambience speed up a purchase? 'Buying' is swapping money for something you want. 'Shopping' is that too, plus all the things…
The point I was trying to make was that accusing someone of being stupid for shopping in boutiques tells more about your lack of perspective for other people - which is one definition of one being stupid.
Re: How to Afford Anything
#5Earlier quoted context omitted.
Personalised service and nicer surroundings? Meh, I just want to buy stuff. If I want to hang around chatting to people, I'll go to a bar. Questions? Nah, I've done my homework already, and the answers didn't come from salesmen. Faster? How does all that chatting, questioning and soaking up the ambience speed up a purchase? 'Buying' is swapping money for something you want. 'Shopping' is that too, plus all the things…
The point I was trying to make was that accusing someone of being stupid for shopping in boutiques tells more about your lack of perspective for other people - which is one definition of one being stupid.
I agree with you on that score, but my point was context. In the context of an article about being frugal, it's valid - he's not failing to understand your perspective, he's writing it off as irrelevant to his aim.
Re: How to Afford Anything
#6TL;DR: be a cheapo and then bam! buy sth expensive.
It's all about what you care more: the nice pleasures in life, or the big stuff you are waiting for. Personally, i don't think his approach differs much from someone who is a spender, it's a matter of what gives you more pleasure in life. For someone who cares about the nice add-ons like driving a car which is expensive to mantain, but gives you the joy, it's the same clever/stupid thing as saving for a camera. You could say buying one expensive product per year and living lower standard every day is irrational. YMMV, and that's it.
Oh, and if someone feels offended that this dude calls other stupid - he's quite known in photog online community for such statements.
Besides that, some points can be useful for someone who isn't a spender by choice, but because he cannot manage their daily spendings.
Re: How to Afford Anything
#7I was more-or-less with him up until the "Don't Rent" advice.
By his own admission, purchasing a condo and riding it up to the very top of the largest real estate bubble in history netted him only a 1% return. Any other market at any other time would likely have netted him a loss on that purchase.
In a non-bubble market, I wonder how much more he would have gained by renting that very same condo and investing the difference instead?
Re: How to Afford Anything
#8Not to nitpik this, but I don't consider eating off the dollar menu at McDonalds anyway to save money. In the long haul--that's probably what will end up killing you or at least racking up some medical bills. I'd rather spend 10x the dollar menu at a local lunch spot with real food that won't send me to an early grave.
All around, good advice--but don't use fast food as a way to slim down the budget.
Re: How to Afford Anything
#9...women don't give a crap what kind of car you have...
How strange.
OP advises being able to afford anything by being "frugal" and then claims to know what women care about. He must not be married.
I agree with much of OP's advice. Just be aware that the quickest way to stop following it isn't loss of discipline but falling in love with someone who doesn't want to live that way.
Re: How to Afford Anything
#10I highly recommend the book "Your Money or Your Life".
It gives you a step by step process to take control on your expenses, and then to move towards financial independence.
I read this book 6 years ago and it is still the most influential financial book I have read since.