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I would summarize it as: you realize you can actually do whatever you want, live where you want, and construct your life however you want as long as you make so
by _xnmw 2y ago
I would summarize it as: you realize you can actually do whatever you want, live where you want, and construct your life however you want as long as you make something other people want.
Another way running a business changes the way I think is the value of time and the ROI on temporary things. Most non-business people would hesitate, for example, to buy proper furnishings for their house or upgrade their tools/workspace if they only plan to stay somewhere temporarily for a few months, but I would do it because of how much more enjoyable and productive those few months will be if I had proper facilities, which may have a far greater ROI than simply saving money for a few months.
- spacetimeuser5 2y agoWould you think that saving ~5K on property sale taxes in 2 years is not worth it if not saving and selling now would upgrade their tools/workspace?
- chii 2y ago> a far greater ROI sometimes this is self-deluding. You perhaps didnt need those luxury furnishings, when a barebones one would've done the same job. It's an excuse that some people use to justify their splurge.
- bena 2y agoI think the line between "luxury" and "proper" is the debatable point. And yes, no doubt some people use that as an excuse to over spend. But that doesn't mean people don't take it to the extreme in the other direction as well. It really does come down to the numbers. If I can spend $X to take in $5x over the month, you should do that.
- chii 2y ago> If I can spend $X to take in $5x over the month, you should do that. indeed, but the point was that the $5x is not known in advance, and in fact, might even be an emphemeral figure. Buying the right chair and desk for your height is not a luxury, but buying something expensive, when a cheaper version, which would've done the same job, is available, is to me the definition of luxury.
- bena 2y agoTo be fair, whether or not the cheaper version would do the same job is also not known in advance. There's also the fuzzy edges of what it means to "do the same job". All chairs ostensibly "do the same job" of providing you somewhere to sit. But there's variance there. Just like all turing complete programming languages do "the same job" at some level. But we'd all be more productive in your choice of high level language over any processor-specific assembler. Then it becomes a matter of asking when does it transition between appropriate and luxury. Which grain of sand makes the pile?
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- hluska 2y agoI’m in my late forties and have been battling a terrible back problem for the last 16 months. Sadly, it was caused by my own decision to stick to barebones instead of upgrading decades earlier. The 16 months have been extremely expensive, to a point that I would have had a 1200% ROI even if I had splurged. I know that one person’s bad luck doesn’t cancel out good rules for financial management. And I agreed completely with you up until 16 months ago. But in retrospect, I would have made different choices.
- hiAndrewQuinn 2y agoAlright, you've convinced me to buy the adjustable sitting-standing desk. Thanks hluska.
- hluska 2y agoThanks for writing and I’m glad you made that choice. Best of health!
- cmcaleer 2y agoVery much worth it. Just be mindful of your wiring setup, I have a mercifully only slightly wonky 4090 connector from having too much fun with my adjustable desk when I got it.
- mixmastamyk 2y agoI found adjustable too fiddly. Instead got a quality standing desk and tall chair. No fiddling… sit or stand, good for back.
- com2kid 2y agoUsed Herman Miller chairs are around $400, the same price point as fancy gamer chairs. It isn't even splurging, just spending some time looking through Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Everyone reading this: Take care of your back!
- sgt 2y agoTried Herman Miller. To me it was very uncomfortable and I could feel the mesh and lining. Went for another type of chair that is marketed as ergonomic. It is polyster and has all the support you need, especially for tall people. It's not very soft but extremely good for your back.
- pembrook 2y agoI'd say self-deluding that you're being financially "smart" by ruining your body hunched over a folding chair and $20 ikea table for 12 hours a day is a far more common problem, especially on HN. Let's hope your customers don't have that same "anything but the cheapest option is luxury" mindset.
- rikthevik 2y agoIt sounds like OP's ROI calculator and yours are different.
- gbnvc 2y agoOr you could do all those things by doing something that people pay you to stop. I think is kind of language is dangerous any American adult knows this isn’t really true because most people have choices because they have money and money gets you more money. This is free speech.
- JohnFen 2y ago> which may have a far greater ROI than simply saving money for a few months My business experience taught me the opposite of this, and I've carried it over to my personal life. What I do in both my personal and business money management is to identify the two or three key things that are critical to success and go high-end on those, then do everything else as cheaply as I possibly can.
- mi_lk 2y agoThank you for this comment
- grecy 2y ago> as long as you make something other people want. I would remove that qualifier. I have plenty of friends living in the wild in Yukon and Alaska who live very happily on <$20k a year. One friend was bummed she had to work for 8 weeks at a mining camp as a cook. That is the most she has ever worked in her life, and she's in her 50s.
- BehindBlueEyes 2y agoI would argue that living in the wild in the Yukon is hard work. Isn't 8 weeks the most your friend was employed, rather?