I honestly believe this is hard to answer. Is it worth it to churn credit cards, cut coupons, and constantly optimize for price? Probably not. That said, the av

I honestly believe this is hard to answer. Is it worth it to churn credit cards, cut coupons, and constantly optimize for price? Probably not. That said, the average person in society is woefully under skilled in my opinion for everyday tasks. Most people cannot fix a leaking sink or cracked tile. There is a significant cost to outsourcing everything, and this cost is more than monetary. Our agency is reduced when we cannot be self sufficient. It may be cheaper to rent in the short or long term, but owning a house means that you might dabble more in real estate later because it won’t be new to you. Really this is an exploration vs exploitation problem. The answer is that you should exploit the things that provide the most benefit, and explore enough to find those opportunities. Outside of word of mouth, this can’t really be known beforehand. So the answer is pick the right things with imperfect information, which is impossible. Personally, I enjoy exploration and learning about everything. I’m studying construction management on the side because I want to feel like the house I’m in is mine, because I designed and made it. Likewise, if you use Simplifi Money or YNAB or any other budgeting app, you have more agency. My general thesis is that it’s useful to go outside of your comfort zone and try to do and learn things that aren’t clearly the optimal economic path. I’ve done that and I think it’s worked out well for me, but I am very lucky.