Three Investments you can Splurge on
20 years ago, I was just starting my first real job as a developer. I was admiring my bossβs new car one day and he gave me some advice π¦.
He said, βThere are three things you should not be concerned about spending money on because youβll spend a lot of time with them!β
They were β your bed π, your car π and your chair πͺ.
Iβve reflected many times on this over the years and for the most part, where I could, invested in these times where it made sense. In fact, Iβve also offered similar advice to others as Iβve progressed in my career.
But itβs 2023 and I thought, βThis list is a bit outdated. Whatβs more relevant for today, knowing the actual first principle feels correctβ
This isnβt about being too βπππππππππβ or splurging unnecessarily but it is about being conscious that the items that benefit you, are not to be taken lightly.
Now Iβm coming from this thinking about being in a career that is more creative and technical, so your mileage may vary. But take a few minutes to think about the items you spend much of your day interacting with and that benefit you financially or personally.
So, if I was to offer the same advice today the three things I would pick are
π ππ«πππ πππ π
This is still a no-brainer! You spend (or probably should be) 1/3 of your life sleeping.
Donβt skimp on this. Upgrade it as and when itβs needed and if youβre considering between two, get the best one.
If your partner is a tosser and turner, go BIG, and firm π€π€π€
π ππππ§ππ’π§π πππ¬π€ β¬οΈ
Throw the chair in the garbage or at least itβs fine to have something pretty ordinary.
Instead, find ways to stand and be active. If youβre like me though and still spend a lot of time at the desk, this is a great investment.
I find I alternate a lot throughout the day when using a standing desk.
If you run a company or startup, invest in these for your staff.
The great thing about these is they are so cheap now so there really isnβt an excuse.
And, you can also get creative! My co-founder Charles once hooked up a treadmill to one π
π πππ₯π’πππ₯π πππ©ππ¨π© π»
Your computer is where your craft is.
Donβt feel guilty spending on this one. Preferably a high-value, highly resellable laptop. Which basically means some form of Apple laptop.
I aim for a 2-year life out of mine and find I can get around 50% back when selling privately.
Not only does that make it a whole lot cheaper, but the system never slows down as I donβt end up with loads of useless work on there.
In fact, get good at resetting your computer up. These days with everything on the cloud it shouldnβt be more than half a day to be back up and doing 80% of your workload. Then load the rest back on as needed.
Look, you might be a Windows person, I get it, but thereβs a reason itβs always the cheap and crappy dells causing issues around the office π
Anyway, thatβs my three must-have, guilt-free purchases ποΈ.
What are yours?
