Easier, More expensive solution is perhaps wrong….
Two hobbies of mine are running (long distance like the 10k and the half marathon) and cycling. Now long distance running and cycling are both endurance testing rather than speed and strength testing.
However, I need to increase my speed – so that I can finish in decent time if I enter a competitive race.
Now the way to try in say cycling (principally it remains the same in running too!) is to say
– let me get a new Canondale Road bike (Rs. 100,000)
– get a Garmin (Rs. 25,000)
– get new aerodynamic clothing
– get new pedals
these are sub Rs. 10,000 items…but yes all of this will total up to a decent Rs. 150,000.
Once I have signed those cheques I can sit back and hope that my cycling speed improves from 20 km /hr to say 25 km/hr over a 3-4 hour period. Not bad.
Similarly while running I can buy a new Adidas or a Nike shoe, blah blah….
Once I sign the cheques I can ‘hope’ that my speed improves. If my speed does not improve I can blame Garmin, Canondale, Adidas, Nike,….wow the world is available to blame! So good.
However, sadly the real (only) thing to do is to cut down my weight by a nice round number of 10kgs. That will work like magic. Easier said than done, but that is the solution.
However it is so difficult to do (knowing is 10% of the solution – somebody who told you that knowing is 50% was wrong!) that one seeks solution outside of one’s body.
Similarly in personal finance – there are simple solutions, inexpensive ones. However most people I meet want expensive solutions where they can blame the solution provider. They do not ask themselves ‘If subra says this, will I do it?’. Will I get up in the morning go for a walk and have a healthy breakfast?…sadly the answer is no.
Lead a simple life, eat simple food, have good thoughts….no Subra we need Futures, Options, Private Equity fund, Some real estate Pms, – SIP is for my secretary, driver, peon….I have a networth of Rs. 3.5 crores…I am a rich man.
Hmmmm no comments. Have your fun.
Brijesh
Subra,
It has been my experience when interacting across the spectrum that ‘exoticism’ gives the kick ( besides the bragging rights). Simplicity is now ” too difficult” 🙂 . Unless and until the alpaha,Jensen ratio, Sharpe ratio, beta testing …etc… is in the lingo, the educated folks ( not all of them ), find that something is amiss. If, SIP’s / STP’s , long term return..gets replaced by ‘ guarantee’, you have the client . Not surprising that now realty developers have also joined the bandwagon of ‘guaranteed returns ‘ ( for the devloper this is a win-win situation). Instead of ‘Buyer beware’ , it should be ‘ Be aware of your greed’ should be the cardinal rule.
Statspotting
are you questioning the theory that money brings happiness?
i think uncertainty kills everyone. thats the fact.
anon
today someone tried to sell me international commodity futures, with the currency risk hedged with gold.
I give up!
Jayant
Very nice article subra sir ! 🙂
Deep C
its difficult to be simple!
Ravindra
If my understanding is correct, simplicity is just a way of life and understanding the uncertainities. In my view simplicity is not tough but it is just a way of looking life in different way.
For Eg. If I want to buy 1kg Rice, I have several options to pick but finally it is me to decide should I go for 40Rs/Kg or 30Rs/kg and whether it is for me to consume or to advertise to some one.
In our normal way of life people are more oriented towards brands not towards their exact need
subra
Ravindra people go in for good brands if PEOPLE WILL SEE IT. For example people do not upgrade to higher price soaps – instead they may stick to the same brand, but use the money saved to BUY A FRIDGE in a lower middle class context.
Even in a higher end example the shirt may be a high brand (show effect) but the undergarments may be very low end. I remember one person tell another – WHY DO U WANT TO BUY A BRANDED SOCKS, NOBODY CAN SEE IT.
Not sure if u will believe this…have seen people pick up ‘J’ class tags while travelling…LOL