Oct 08, 2023 17:36:00

What are the 'shopping tips' taught by the developer of the all-purpose memo app Obsidian?

Many people have probably thought, 'It's expensive, but is it really worth buying?' when buying something you want, such as cooking utensils or gadgets. Steph Ango , CEO of the all-purpose note-taking app Obsidian , argues that you should consider the 'cost per use' when making purchases.

Buy wisely — Steph Ango
https://stephango.com/buy-wisely

For example, if you are looking to buy new socks and find ``500 yen socks,'' ``1000 yen socks,'' and ``2000 yen socks,'' many people will choose the ``500 yen socks'' because they are attracted to the low price. However, Mr. Ango points out that ``2000 yen socks'' may be the best value when considering the ``cost per use''.

``Cost per use'' when ``500 yen socks'' can be used 10 times, ``1000 yen socks'' can be used 50 times, and ``2000 yen socks'' can be used 200 times. Below is a table summarizing. If you consider the 'cost per use', you can see that 2,000 yen socks are the most cost-effective option.

price	Usable number of times	cost per use
500 yen	10 times	50 yen
1000 yen	50 times	20 yen
2000 yen	200 times	10 yen

To calculate the 'cost per use,' it is necessary to know the number of times a product can be used, but there are some products that do not specify the number of times a product can be used. Mr. Ango points out the following points to pay attention to when determining the number of times a product can be used.

・Will it be as useful in the future as it is now?
- Is it made of durable and easy-to-maintain materials?
・Is the design relevant even with changing times?
・Can you enjoy deterioration over time?
・Does it have good resale value?
・Can it be disassembled and repaired?
- Is it easy to obtain replacement parts?
- Can standard plugs and replaceable batteries be used?
- Is it possible to change or upgrade?
・Does the manufacturer of the product continue to exist at least as long as the product is owned?
・Can it be used for many tasks or is it only for a single task?
・Is there a guarantee?
・Are there any dependencies on other products or technologies?

Mr. Ango also said, ``The best money to spend is on products that you use frequently. If you sit in a chair for eight hours a day, buying a good chair is a good investment.'' He points out that it is also important to anticipate the frequency of use. If you don't know how often you use a product, one way is to rent it and try it out.