Spending
Depreciation does most of its work early, and that is what a second-hand buyer is buying
The steepest part of an item’s loss of value happens in its first stretch of ownership, which means the…
· 4 min read
Spending
Where money actually goes, and which cuts are worth making.
Spending
A generous returns policy is part of what you are paying for
The ability to change your mind after buying has a cost, which is built into prices, and it quietly changes…
· 4 min read
Spending
Being cheap and being frugal are not the same habit
One minimises the amount handed over in each transaction, the other minimises what a household gives up in…
· 4 min read
Spending
A large purchase can be paid for three ways, and each charges in a different currency
Taking the money from a reserve, saving for it first and borrowing for it all deliver the same object, but…
· 4 min read
Spending
What an object costs to own usually outweighs what it cost to acquire
Purchase price is a single payment and running cost is a stream, and past a certain length of ownership the…
· 3 min read
Spending
A service plan mostly prepays work you were going to need anyway
Bundled maintenance contracts are usually a smoothing arrangement rather than insurance, and understanding…
· 4 min read
Spending
When two purchases compete, the real question is which one waits
A household that cannot afford both of two wanted things is not choosing between them permanently; it is…
· 3 min read
Spending
A shopping season is a deadline somebody else set for you
Concentrated sale periods and calendar occasions work by attaching a date to a purchase that had no date of…
· 3 min read