The Constitution can be amended, so why not Robin’s Rules? I’ll skip the debate and ratifying vote, and simply introduce the new Rule. Unlike other amendments, this one has no illusion of being carved in stone. Take it in the same vein as the rest of my Rules. It’s just another guideline for keeping order and making better decisions, fewer mistakes. Indulge me, please. Don’t dismiss the new Rule without at least considering it. The CPU is as central to my thinking as any Rule. It’s been perking for years and has finally hatched.
Sticker price is important, but it’s only a start. What really matters is the value of your purchase. And cost per use, which calculates the relationship between price and times used is a good basis for determining value. Something with a dear price tag that is seldom or never used has a high CPU. In my book, that’s a poor value. If that same pricey item were frequently used, the CPU would drop and the value rise. Frequently used for a long, long time? Even better! The CPU homes in on the sweet spot where you get the biggest bang for your buck. Ignore it at your own peril- financial and psychological.
An expensive purchase isn’t inherently bad. If you can afford it and if you are really going to use and enjoy it, full steam ahead. A luxury car, an antique violin, or a primo espresso machine are expensive relative to other options. If you are a car enthusiast, a talented musician or a coffee aficionado, the expensive version can be justified if you really use it. Amortizing a big number over a long useful life makes the CPU shine.
But what if you hardly ever drive the luxury car and it needs to be fiddled with every time you do? What if you’re really not a fiddler and the antique violin sits alone in the corner, inviting unwelcomed inquiries into why no one ever hears you play? And what if being a home barista seemed like a good idea but you’re still at the coffee shop every morning? Expensive mistakes. A cheaper version or no version at all would have been a more reasoned decision.
Don’t be fooled into thinking expense confers investment status. It might be money down a rat hole. And don’t be fooled into thinking that expense alone will spur use. It might just as easily spur guilt. By my rough calculation, the trusty machine pictured above has dispensed over 17,000 cups of coffee at a cost of about eight cents per brewing. Even adding the cost of beans and consumable supplies, this purchase, which felt expensive twelve years ago, now feels like a deal.
A paradox. Cheap things can be costly and costly ones can be a bargain. The CPU can clear things up.