I’m an MBA with a finance background, and I can attest that there is no such thing as a free lunch! I learned the concept in my 12th grade economics class, but it didn’t resonate with me for years. It takes quite a bit of growing up, a steady paycheck, mortgage, and unexpected life changes to really teach you the meaning of that statement. Consider my reasoning below, and tell me what you think.
I used to think water was free, but in fact I couldn’t have been more wrong. No, I’m not talking about bottle water, which can be quite an expensive habit, but rather the “free” stuff that comes out of your tap. Well as it turns out, I actually pay about $150 every 3 months for this so-called “free” water. It just so happened my parents used to pay for it when I lived at home. If you have a sprinkler system, or worse, a pool, you will learn very quickly just how expensive water can be.
Less expensive gym memberships, I used to think staying in shape could be done for free. All you have to do is take a few brisk walks each week, maybe jog a little, play some tennis or racquetball. This is when the appropriate attire is required. You can’t go jogging in jeans and loafers. Instead, you need the right kind of shoes that can support the wear and tear, and some comfy clothes to make it all bearable. Others feel the need to buy an iPOD and pedometer as well.
Forget the movies, stay at home and watch some television. Yeah ok, this is definitely a much cheaper option, but it is far from free. I will make the assumption you at one time had to foot the bill for the television, and most likely the couch you are watching it on. But furthermore, you pay for electricity to turn that tv on, and probably the cable you are watching as well.
How about just stepping outside for a breath of fresh air? Yeah I will give you that it doesn’t cost a dime to do that. But, where are you stepping out at? Presumably the home in which you pay a mortgage, monthly utilities, amongst regular upkeep and maintenance. I know it seems like a stretch, but unless you are homeless, stepping outside still costs you money when you think about it.
I stand by that there is absolutely nothing for free in this world anymore, just some things that happen to be less expensive than others, but in the end you will still pay!