Paying For Convenience

Posted By Paul

I recently went on a trip to New York City where I got to stay in Manhattan for a week. In addition to the amazing culture, museums, and restaurants I was amazed by the efficiency of the city.

For example, just about every restaurant in Manhattan delivers, and the ones that don't deliver do takeout, and by doing takeout I mean that they really know how to package up a to-go meal in a way that you can pretty easily carry it with you.

But I digress.

The point is that my time in Manhattan really made me think about the concept of paying for convenience. I know that saving time is something I'm generally willing to pay for, but I also think it's something we should be conscious about.

If you can afford it I see nothing wrong with paying for a maid, yard care, cook, whatever but I think it's very important to take the time and think carefully about whether or not the convenience you're paying for is worth the money you are paying. Be wary of getting too used to paying for a lot of conveniences, and I suggest at least trying to do something "the hard way" before paying for a service.

For example when I first moved into my house I considered hiring a landscaping service to take care of the yard. I decided to go a year doing it on my own and I'm really glad I did. I discovered that taking care of my yard was good exercise, a great chance to get outside, satisfying, and fun. If I had gone with the landscaping service from day one I would have never discovered that I actually enjoy taking care of my yard.

So I suggest that when you are considering paying for convenience to first take a moment to think about the cost vs. the savings in your time and frustration, and make sure it's really worth it to you.