The Value of Things

Oscar Wilde: "A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing."

Today I added a Quote of the Day to my blog. I remembered the Oscar Wilde quote above and went looking for the source on the internet and found this site that provides the service for free. It seems like a great little service. I was able to select the themes of the quotes (I chose money and success to match the theme of the blog) and within 2 minutes I had the whole thing set up. Brilliant!

My topic today was prompted by a discussion about real estate at lunch time, and how some people seem to want absolutely enormous houses. Neither I nor my lunch companion felt that this was a good thing for us. My comment was that I would rather have a small house with exactly the right things in it. To me, extra space does not provide value on its own - it is what we are able to do with our space that matters. If there is enough space to live your life comfortably, then there is enough space.

I think that a focus on value is something that we all need reminding about from time to time. Spending more does not always guarantee a better product and spending less is not always a savings if it ends up costing you time, money, lost opportunity or other disadvantages. The true test should also include "Is it worth it?" This is also the reason that spending on an appreciating asset such as quality stocks or real estate is always a good use of money.

Today's billable hours: 3.5
Today's contracted hours: 3.0