EBM making a point, Wendig on AI, and something you might want/need to listen to…
The other day I came across a forum on the subject of saving money, cutting costs, and surviving hard times. Reading through the various threads was eye opening and scary. Most questions were how to buy stuff and most answers, unsurprisingly, involved buying stuff. The answer to everything was to go out and spend more.
Pure and simple insanity.
The scary part is hardly anyone seemed to have basic math skills or common sense where budgets were concerned.
I shouldn’t have been surprised as I see the same sort of pure and simple insanity on the various sailing forums where costs and budgets are concerned. Plus, I’ve had the displeasure of working in the marine trades so know that 90% of boat owners don’t have a clue where value is concerned. Otherwise translated as dumb as a bag of hammers.
Don’t believe me? Go on any sailing forum and ask how to save money and 50% of the replies will say that the answer is to spend more. Too much stuff on your boat? Just buy a bigger boat.
Sure people in a consumerist society become indoctrinated to spending, so spending becomes the panacea to all problems.
Ages ago, a fellow sailor pointed out that the best way to for him to save money was to go on a long passage. The reasoning being with nowhere to spend money, an Atlantic crossing forced him to get back on budget. A concept that actually makes a lot of sense.
While “just don’t spend money” makes sense it’s heresy to those who’ve embraced sailing as their personal drug of choice in the consumerist pharmacy. So, don’t expect a positive reception to any advice.