Circa 2005, I was in the final year of my Mechanical Engineering degree in Gulbarga. Part of the requirements of the degree was to finish an internship at a manufacturing facility. I got an opportunity to spend a month at HMT, Bangalore. I had brought along my motorcycle for easier commute.
When the month was up, I realized, along with another friend on the same project, that we were pretty much broke. We decided, in a brilliant stroke of clarity, that we should ride the bike 700km. The fuel cost would work out way cheaper than the alternative. The alternative being the motorcycle had to sent back in a train, and we both needed to buy tickets back home.
It’s a long story, but the gist of the tale is it was an unmitigated disaster. We suffered through rain, punctured tire, swarms of insects blocking visibility, multiple close calls on the highway which could have killed/maimed us, among other similar pleasant things.
We had to spend money at each step to counter these challenges. We also had to buy food and drink way more often. We reached home a whole day late as we had to spend a night at a dormitory of sorts because we were very tired.
Once we got back home, we calculated and found we had spent four times as much money we tried to save.
Sure, it was an experience unlike any and now we relive the journey very fondly. I am not suggesting to stay away from adventure. Risk-taking is an essential ingredient of success.
My point is this. Adventures should be a choice. Don’t stumble into meaningless adventures and side quests by being penny wise and pound foolish.
Don’t spend 2 weeks learning how to design a logo and a website, if you don’t already know it. Pay someone some money and get it done. You will get a better product and you will have time to spend on your primary business.
Don’t spend 2 years trying to trial-and-error your way into learning sales or marketing or similar essential skills. Read books, attend trainings and seek mentors who will help you become better.
Moral of the story: If it’s something that you will do once and never again, don’t bother learning how to do it and just outsource it instead. If it’s something that you will have to do regularly, invest in learning to do it better and more efficiently.
When was the last time you spent more money trying to save some?
Yours,
Abhilash Purohit