Money Hacks

Money is an abstract concept. It really represents time and labor, and those are hard to visualize. By finding something concrete to use as a measure of value instead, it’s easier to visualize how much something is really worth to you. Re-frame the a potential purchase in terms of something you already value.

I’ve already spent several months coveting a Mini Cooper. When I was recently tempted to purchase an expensive new digital camera, I looked at it in terms of how much Mini it would cost me — 6%! — to get a better idea of the sacrifice I’d have to make to buy it. It made the idea more concrete. In a way, the Mini Cooper has become a sort of personal currency.