Comments on: Four Money Lessons from Nature

By: reiner

reiner — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:42:24 +0000

Andrew, if we would all think like this and the products will all get to the landfill, sooner or later we will all pay in money and time because of getting sick. you remind me of people that eat junk food because it is cheaper and they do not have time, but sooner or later they will pay more time and money in the hospitals.

By: DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad

DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:45:11 +0000

Great analogies!

Lesson can be learned in unusual places . . .

By: eric

eric — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:26:22 +0000

I love Discovery Planet.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:22:21 +0000

The problem with wasting nothing is that by repairing a product when it’s not cost-effective to do so, we are wasting our time and money instead of wasting the item. So it’s a tradeoff. If it’s going to take me an hour to fix something, but I can buy a new one for $25, it’s worth it to me to buy a new one. Someone who earns more or less than I do would have a different breakeven point, but the concept is the same.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:24:01 +0000

That’s interesting, in as much as there are examples from nature to reinforce the things we already know and believe. Is there anything from nature that can give us any new insights? That would be really interesting.

By: Kevin@OutOfYourRut

Kevin@OutOfYourRut — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:03:16 +0000

I think what sometimes makes it hard for us to appreciate survival in natural terms is that we’re largely insulated from turbulence by social safety nets, insurance, etc, and also because we often go years with economic expansions that seem normal after a time.

It’s good to have built in protections, and expansions certainly feel better than recessions, but they should never blind us to the necessity and personal responsibility of keeping our own finances in order and preparing for that rainy day. Even with safety nets in place, we still have them.

By: Kosmo @ The Casual Observer

Kosmo @ The Casual Observer — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:26:37 +0000

I was reading an article about the Roberts brother from St. Louis recently. They don’t believe in full retirement, because the day the lion stops hunting, he dies.

I do plan a full retirement (or perhaps I’ll refer to it as a full transition to fiction writing), but it’s an interesting concept.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:17:07 +0000

That is an awesome tip from nature!

By: Safeway Sage

Safeway Sage — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:04:45 +0000

I read an article years ago about the behavior of Grey squirrels. They dig many holes and only put a small number of nuts in each hole. They also dig many ‘false’ holes to throw off potential thieves.

The squirrel’s behavior reminds me of the importance of a well diversified portfolio and alertness for unscrupulous people who would fleece money from unsuspecting investors.

Go squirrels!