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_{Exploring the value/cost line, money amplification, and restoration}

Happy Thursday! Thanks for reading Intentional Dollar — where we look at old money ideas through a new perspective.

What’s inside?

• One tool to experiment with

• Two quotes from others

• Three questions to dig deeper

• Four lines of poetry for the point

Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. These weekly posts represent my simple thoughts, a few quotes, and some questions — for educational purposes only.

Savvy Investors Know Where to Get Their News—Do You?

Here’s the truth: there is no magic formula when it comes to building wealth.

Much of the mainstream financial media is designed to drive traffic, not good decision-making. Whether it’s disingenuous headlines or relentless scare tactics used to generate clicks, modern business news was not built to serve individual investors.

Luckily, we have The Daily Upside. Created by Wall Street insiders and bankers, this fresh, insightful newsletter delivers valuable insights that go beyond the headlines.

And the best part? It’s completely free. Join 1M+ readers and subscribe today.

_{One tool to experiment with:}

The Value/Cost Line

If you think of spending your money as a function of attempting to maximize your value, you spend more intentionally.

Let’s say you’re into running and you value tracking your running metrics. Metrics like heart rate, distance, pace, location, and cadence. Nothing too advanced because you’re a hobbiest, so you’re not concerned with absolute precision. 

The problem is that you’re a new runner and don’t own a running watch to track these features. This is where purchasing one will be a step change increase in your value function. Spending here improves and adds to your life. 

But which watch do you buy? The base model that costs $250 or the higher end model that costs $1,000?

You have to ask yourself some questions: How would your value function change after purchasing the more expensive watch? Will you get 4x more value paying 4x the cost? 

Yes, the higher end model brings better features and upgrades from the base model, but likely not enough to justify the incremental spend.

Which means your value/cost ratio went down, or the slope of your value line decreased. 

This is because you spend 3-4x the base model price but don’t get 3-4x the value. We do this with everything; mistaking the notion that additional features will increase value in line with cost. 

When faced with these purchasing decisions, you have to remind yourself what you’re after: is it the top of line model, or one that tracks the basic metrics you’re interested in? 

We aren’t trying to avoid spending money here. We are trying to intentionally spend money. And this is different. When we intentionally spend, we understand the value we are targeting, and we can use money to improve our life and happiness.

It’s through this thinking that we start to question whether $500 extra is worth a five hour extension of battery life. Or whether an extra room in a bigger house is worth working an extra few years. 

Maybe it is to you. But don’t let society, social media, or the clever marketers pry your dollars and your time away from you by suggesting what you should value. 

_{Two quotes on money amplification:}

Money merely accentuates the pre-existing characteristics; it exposes more than it changes.

_{Three questions on restoration:}

1. What activities, places, or people restore me when I’m broken down and burned out?

2. How might I implement daily doses of these to help avoid the peaks and troughs of burnout?

3. What are the daily culprits responsible for this accumulated fatigue or burnout?

Which question stuck with you? Questions like these are spotlights for the mind. Reply to this email and let me know which one shined light on a previously dark cave.

_{Four lines of poetry for the point:}

Contact Me:

Content ideas, questions? Reply to this email or reach out to me at [email protected]

Disclaimer: This is not investment advice. These weekly posts represent my simple thoughts, a few quotes, and some questions — for educational purposes only.

Man Who Called Nvidia at $1.10 Says Buy This Now...

In 2004, one man called Nvidia before just about anyone knew it existed. Now, he says a new company could become the next to soar like Nvidia. The biggest tech firms are loading up on shares. Nvidia, Apple, Google, AMD, Intel, and Samsung are all invested in this company. It also signed a MAJOR deal with Apple to get its AI tech into the iPhone and iMac. And its tech is also found in products from Samsung and Google.

Click here for the details.