This is a post that I first put to the Motley Fool board on November 29, 2000, as part of a thread entitled “The Wanderer Approach to ER.”
Our family's experience has been that there is very little in this world that is very fulfilling that can't be had for very minimal investments of cash.
Exactly. Here is a list of my favorite things to do:
1) Exercise. I try to have a one-hour run, a one-hour bike ride, or a two-hour walk each day. The expense is the price of new running shoes once a year.
2) Reading. Library books are free. The more obscure titles (those analyzing Bob Dylan lyrics and such) cost a few dollars. But the dollar per hour of enjoyment ratio is very low.
3) Meals with Family. Meal time is fun when you do not start the preparation after eight hours at the office. Taking time to linger over the meal (that means not worrying about what television program is about the begin) adds to the experience. Even clean-up can be fun, if done in the right spirit.
4) Writing. Others might prefer planting, or painting, or inventing. Paper costs little. Same with seeds, and brushes.
5) Web Sites. This is one of my relatively high-cost activities because I pay for a service provider. Still, the return on investment is high when you consider the research options available on the internet.
6) Sleeping. I'm not being funny. Sleeping is really nice. I like it that I can stay up late and sleep late when I feel like it. Or go to bed early and wake up early if I want. Pillows are surprisingly inexpensive at yard sales.
7) Playing with Son. He is an expert at having fun, and is willing to share all his insights. One of the best "games" is crawling through a cardboard box. Another is making imaginary omelettes with a whisk. The cardboard box was free, and it will be a long time before the whisk breaks or needs to be replaced with a new model.
8) Visiting Friends. So long as you don't do something stupid like go to a movie (I'm kidding, sorta), there need be no cost to this. Aside from the cost factor, the movies and the restaurants, etc., tend to distract you from the point of the visit--conversation with a friend. Consistent with your proposition, wanderer, adding an expense tends to detract from one's enjoyment.
9) Vacations. In one sense, this is an exception to the rule. Vacations really are fun, and can often be expensive. However, in many of my vacations, the best part of the trip was the planning. I've learned a lot about other places by reading up on them in preparation for a trip. The expense/enjoyment ratio can be limited by increasing the time spent on planning and choosing the least expensive of several vacation options.
One way to do this is to travel by car. I find that long drives give my wife and me lots of time to talk. I often find the travel leg of a trip one of the best parts. I also like being able to pack more without having to worry about the airlines losing it.
Another way to limit the expense/enjoyment ratio is to avoid stuffy restaurants. I don't mind the expense so much as the attitude and the constant waiting around for something to happen. OK, it's fun the first night. But the rich food experience becomes annoying for me at any price after "enjoying" it two or three days in a row.
Another option here is to take a week-long vacation exploring your own town. We went to all the usual tourist spots one week, and enjoyed it. The tour bus people didn't understand when they asked everyone where they were from, and we said "just down the street a few blocks."
10) Listening to music. So long as you don't buy anything new, there's little cost here. I have enough albums of good music to last decades. So long as the music you start with is solid, each listen adds to your enjoyment of it. It's better to hear 10 great records a hundred times each than 100 good records 10 times each.
Those 10 keep me busy and "rich." If I were to engage in any of the more costly activities, it would require taking time away from the Top Ten. Why would I want to do that?
Our family's experience has been that there is very little in this world that is very fulfilling that can't be had for very minimal investments of cash.
Exactly. Here is a list of my favorite things to do:
1) Exercise. I try to have a one-hour run, a one-hour bike ride, or a two-hour walk each day. The expense is the price of new running shoes once a year.
2) Reading. Library books are free. The more obscure titles (those analyzing Bob Dylan lyrics and such) cost a few dollars. But the dollar per hour of enjoyment ratio is very low.
3) Meals with Family. Meal time is fun when you do not start the preparation after eight hours at the office. Taking time to linger over the meal (that means not worrying about what television program is about the begin) adds to the experience. Even clean-up can be fun, if done in the right spirit.
4) Writing. Others might prefer planting, or painting, or inventing. Paper costs little. Same with seeds, and brushes.
5) Web Sites. This is one of my relatively high-cost activities because I pay for a service provider. Still, the return on investment is high when you consider the research options available on the internet.
6) Sleeping. I'm not being funny. Sleeping is really nice. I like it that I can stay up late and sleep late when I feel like it. Or go to bed early and wake up early if I want. Pillows are surprisingly inexpensive at yard sales.
7) Playing with Son. He is an expert at having fun, and is willing to share all his insights. One of the best "games" is crawling through a cardboard box. Another is making imaginary omelettes with a whisk. The cardboard box was free, and it will be a long time before the whisk breaks or needs to be replaced with a new model.
8) Visiting Friends. So long as you don't do something stupid like go to a movie (I'm kidding, sorta), there need be no cost to this. Aside from the cost factor, the movies and the restaurants, etc., tend to distract you from the point of the visit--conversation with a friend. Consistent with your proposition, wanderer, adding an expense tends to detract from one's enjoyment.
9) Vacations. In one sense, this is an exception to the rule. Vacations really are fun, and can often be expensive. However, in many of my vacations, the best part of the trip was the planning. I've learned a lot about other places by reading up on them in preparation for a trip. The expense/enjoyment ratio can be limited by increasing the time spent on planning and choosing the least expensive of several vacation options.
One way to do this is to travel by car. I find that long drives give my wife and me lots of time to talk. I often find the travel leg of a trip one of the best parts. I also like being able to pack more without having to worry about the airlines losing it.
Another way to limit the expense/enjoyment ratio is to avoid stuffy restaurants. I don't mind the expense so much as the attitude and the constant waiting around for something to happen. OK, it's fun the first night. But the rich food experience becomes annoying for me at any price after "enjoying" it two or three days in a row.
Another option here is to take a week-long vacation exploring your own town. We went to all the usual tourist spots one week, and enjoyed it. The tour bus people didn't understand when they asked everyone where they were from, and we said "just down the street a few blocks."
10) Listening to music. So long as you don't buy anything new, there's little cost here. I have enough albums of good music to last decades. So long as the music you start with is solid, each listen adds to your enjoyment of it. It's better to hear 10 great records a hundred times each than 100 good records 10 times each.
Those 10 keep me busy and "rich." If I were to engage in any of the more costly activities, it would require taking time away from the Top Ten. Why would I want to do that?
