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Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the lyrics of the song “The best things in life are free” are not true. More accurate is the song's title, “Money (That's what I want),” made famous by the Beatles.
In fact, nothing is free. Yes, the trees look amazing this time of year. Autumn shades with a spectrum of red, orange and golden leaves. But who pays for the dreaded leaf blowers, talented tree surgeons, and grounds staff who work to keep your local park looking great? City tax will be charged.
Seaside air? Yes, it's a nice and refreshing place, but most people pay to go there. Or, in my case, I intend to have a second home to enjoy and maintain at some cost.
The water that comes out of the faucet outside my beach house may be “free,” but it's paid for by the hut's rent. And who would want to have a beach shack unless you can have a few bottles of fizz in the evening? Like everything else, the price of a decent bottle of beer is going up.
As British people, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. NHS is free at the point of use. Of course, behind the scenes, a large portion of our tax dollars are wasted. Since there is a waiting list, I decided to take out private health insurance. By making all hospitals across the UK unavailable, we cut costs in half.
What about the joy of owning a dog? Even that wagging tail is expensive. The price of dog food, poop bags, vet fees, and insurance all add up. This dog requires regular grooming and wears a very smart collar from Mungo & Maud.
But I'm not here to moan. In these pressing times, how can you make better financial choices while still enjoying the best that life has to offer?
Start at home. I was often told that I had two of everything. 2 Much has been written about the rise and rise of dishwasher-equipped kitchens. I love this idea. It's not because I want to show off. I just hate emptying the dishwasher.
I want two so I can use one for clean and one for dirty. So I don't have to take it down, avoiding domestic arguments with my other half. In every relationship, there are people who stack dishwashers like Swedish architects. And the other one is like a raccoon on meth. In our relationship, I'm the raccoon.
If you want to double the performance of your dishwasher, you're unlikely to buy the cheapest Beko online for £239. Miele is standard and costs around £950. Except that people with half-baked kitchens don't want white machines. It was phased out in the early '80s, along with fluorescent lights and Laura Ashley tiles. So you'll end up ordering one with a matching front panel or stainless steel. Goodbye, £1,769, double.
There is another method. One unit with two drawers, Fisher & Paykel. It's a great kit. Two drawers can be arranged in independent cycles. Well spent £1,700. You can also save on remodeling costs. It's a double win! You can quickly fill it with water and have it on before your other half notices.
Travel is another opportunity to redistribute cash. I used to do “Uber Exec” everywhere. Why would you do that when you can have a “Business Comfort” option that's at least 10% cheaper and usually a decent car (unless some awful MG or Kia slips through the net) with plenty of legroom? The price is only about 20% higher than the basic service.
Or better yet – shudder – you can use public transportation. You might be better off using the tube to save money and time and have more free cash left over for lunch.
However, it was traveling abroad that really changed my attitude. For many years, British Airways was truly my favorite airline in the world, and so was I. These days, it's a no-frills airline with high ticket prices.
The seats are very uncomfortable, and since I'm no longer a gold or silver points card holder, I often sit in the back of the plane, next to the rear gunner. Mountain air isn't free either, but it does require a regular annual flight. how much? BA wants to charge me £798 for two return flights to the Alps, even at the times I want to travel.
To make a long story short, on my last trip I booked an easyJet flight for £143 return with a reserved seat at the time I wanted. It's for both of us. You spend £655 on the mountain, mostly on lunch.
Money may be limited, but sometimes you just need to rearrange the deck chairs. Do more for the same cost. Dogs also save money by eating the supermarket's own brands. he loves it!
You'll save at least £30 a year, which is half the cost of a fancy collar. And to save myself a £40 groomer session, I bought a set of dog clippers for £15. Readers of this column will know that my black American Express Centurion card costs more each year. But if you use those points and take advantage of perks and freebies, you can earn even more cash.
I've bought a lot of “must-haves” over the past year, so I'm going to use points to buy a rental car for my mountain trip. Fizz at the Beach Hut will be funded by 'free' credits from Clos19 and Harvey Nicks. But all this takes work. I agree with finding ways to use what you have more efficiently, rather than just making more money and leaving it alone.
I'm not giving up on fancy lunches, champagne parties, and far-flung vacations. If I were a little more wise about my journey and the choices I made along the way, I wouldn't have to. If you make good financial decisions, you can afford the best things in life. Thankfully, I'm a columnist, not a lyricist.
James Max is a television and radio host and real estate expert. The views expressed are personal. X, Instagram, Thread @maaaaaaaaaaaaaa
