When someone rents/buys a store and purchases fixtures for it to set up a business, they would consider it an investment. No one would consider it to be outrageous. However, when developers spend a little more money to purchase a high-end laptop, it is often considered an unnecessary expense. I believe this has to change.

I believe the root cause of this thinking comes from us considering the purchase of a laptop as an expense. It takes a mental shift for us to consider the purchase of a laptop to be a proper investment. I think the reason for this comes from our childhood. When we were kids, our parents bought us computers. In my case, all I did with computers was play games. And playing computer games hardly brings in revenue to the family. As we grow older, that thinking stays with us and we become hesitant to spend big $ to purchase a laptop or even a widescreen monitor.

I think this decision can be easier to make if we give an honest thought about how much we are expecting to earn from a device we purchase.

If it does not make financial sense to purchase an expensive laptop, perhaps don’t make that huge purchase. However, if you have confidence you can regain the “cost” in a relatively short period of time, maybe it is fair to consider it an “investment”. I am not an investment planner so I will not be the best person to give you specific numbers. But, just see what works for you!

Health is wealth

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On a related note, your health is also an investment; not an expense. So, if you are considering paying more for fitness equipment, to buy healthy food or to hire a coach, please go for it! Investment can also be in terms of the time and energy you spend on maintaining a healthy body and mind.

If we do not consider health to be an investment, it may turn out to be a cost for us. Before that happens, we can all consider investing some time, money and energy to be fit and healthy.

TL;DR

Anything that you expect to bring in returns is an investment and not merely an expense. Let’s work with this mindset and see our lives and work continuing to improve!

Just needed to get this idea out of my head since I have been thinking about it for the last few days. Hope you found this beneficial.