7 of the Best Investments You Can Make In Real Life
There’s obviously much more to life than maxing out the old retirement plan and rebalancing accounts annually. Outlined below are 7 of our picks for best real-life return on investment.
A great bed: Good sleep is important. It can make you more productive during the day, and lead to a better attitude and a longer lifespan. New beds are expensive, but most people spend about 1/3 of their entire life sleeping. This investment has an immediate and profound ROI.
A dog: Companionship, a reason to go for long walks, and a home-security alert system all built into one.
Daily-wear clothing: My jackets, jeans, belts, shoes and hats all get a ridiculous amount of repeat wear. Investing in a high quality product that will make you feel good and last longer than cheap alternatives is a no-brainer.
Books: There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of books on every subject. Entire lifetimes of lessons or how-to guides are often boiled down by experts into 300 pages or less. There’s no reason people should feel “uninformed” about a topic for long. Most books can be had for $10 or less.
A standing desk: Having an opportunity to stand up while working can help prevent poor posture and weight gain over the long term. The cost is usually $300 or less, but long term effects of sitting can cost multiples of that in appointments and remedies.
Home coffee maker/good coffee: Buying good coffee and brewing at home can bring the cost down to about $1 per cup (vs. $2-$4) out and about. But the biggest advantage is skipping the coffee line and saving that 10-15 minutes spent driving and waiting daily.
A new social activity or hobby: Sports, outdoor activity groups or special interest clubs can be a great way to meet new people and grow your base of friends. It can also be a fun way to exercise or hone your talents, whilst being surrounded by people with common goals and interests. Besides- Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers” book shows that some of history’s greatest business successes were built and leveraged on people’s personal networks.