I\u2019ve spent this spring and summer in physical therapy for a knee injury. It\u2019s a bummer, but it has provided a chance to do some people watching as I go about my exercises in the rehab gym. While most of the people there are working hard and following the instructions of the therapists, more than a few are not. Some give only minimal effort to the exercises, while I overhear others being lectured for not doing the exercises at home. (A physical therapist can tell when you\u2019re not doing your homework!)\u00a0<\/p>\n
What does this have to do with money, you ask? Here you go: Physical therapy isn\u2019t cheap. Even with good insurance, you\u2019re likely paying a copay or working toward satisfying a high deductible. If you\u2019re not putting in the effort to heal your injury, you\u2019re wasting money. You might as well not even bother enrolling in therapy and just let nature take its course.<\/p>\n
Seeing this got me thinking about all the other ways people waste money by not putting in the effort to get the most out of an item or experience. Sure, something like deodorant doesn\u2019t require much effort in order to get your money out of the product. If you use it as directed, you pretty much get your money\u2019s worth. Huzzah. But there are other things that require extra effort, attention, and participation from us in order to maximize the money we spend. If we aren\u2019t willing to put in the effort or attention, we might as well not even bother spending the money because it\u2019s wasted.<\/p>\n
Simply throwing money at something doesn\u2019t mean that you\u2019re gaining any benefit from it.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Physical therapy is but one example. Here are some others:<\/p>\n You can throw money at Netflix or any other app, but if you aren\u2019t using it regularly, you\u2019re wasting money. Use the subscription and if it has features to help you get more from it, use those, too. For example, most streaming sties offer recommendations based on things you\u2019ve previously enjoyed. Check them out to see if there\u2019s something you\u2019re overlooking. If you\u2019re subscribing to software, make sure you\u2019re using the features you\u2019re paying for. If you\u2019re not using it beyond the bare minimum, a free version or free product will probably suffice. Health and wellness apps require you to do the work to get the benefits. If you\u2019re not working out, tracking your food intake, or whatever else the app is supposed to help you with, stop subscribing. Simply having an app and paying the fee isn\u2019t getting you anywhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n Yeah, fast food doesn\u2019t require much effort to get your money\u2019s worth. However, if you\u2019re going to splurge for a nice meal, you need to put in some effort. Put down your phone and pay attention to the food and your dining companions. Slow down your consumption so you savor the meal. Look around and enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant. If a band is playing, really listen to a few songs. Sure, you can go into the swanky restaurant and hoover the food down as you would in McDonalds, but you aren\u2019t getting your money\u2019s worth if you do. \u00a0<\/p>\n If you pay for a concert or some other sort of experience, be present and enjoy it. Don\u2019t spend the entire time recording the event on your phone or, worse, scrolling social media to see what others are saying about the event. You\u2019ll have better memories if you just enjoy the event. Otherwise, all of your memories will be of fighting with the recording and checking to make sure everything is in frame. Or your memories will be tainted with the thoughts of all those others on social media. Take a picture of you and your friends to commemorate the event and then enjoy it. Give it your full attention and participation.\u00a0<\/p>\n I went on a cruise a couple of years ago and was surprised at the number of people who seemed to spend the entire week in the same deck chair, scrolling their phone. Sure, relaxation on vacation is great and you may need some downtime. But if you\u2019re paying a boatload of money for a vacation, sitting in a deck chair (or your hotel room) all week isn\u2019t recouping your investment. You can do that at home. Go sightseeing or participate in activities. Spend time with your traveling companions and engage with them. Also, if food is included (as on a cruise or all-inclusive resort), try some of the offerings. Don\u2019t just spend the week eating chicken nuggets and fries that you could get at home. You\u2019re paying for gourmet food, so try some of it. If you\u2019re going to a retreat or camp of some sort, be sure to put your phone away (if they don\u2019t take it, first) and participate in the activities.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mental therapy requires the same effort as physical therapy. If you\u2019re not willing to do the homework prescribed by your therapist, or practice any coping exercises she gives you, you\u2019re simply throwing money away. You have to put in effort beyond sitting on the couch once a week in order to get anything out of the experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n Just belonging to a gym won\u2019t get you fit. You have to put in the effort to improve and progress. If you aren\u2019t wiling to do that, why are you a member? If it\u2019s for the social aspect, there are plenty of free places to socialize. While using your membership, make sure to try out some of the offerings beyond the treadmill, if applicable. Try some classes or activities that you\u2019re unfamiliar with. If they\u2019re included, it\u2019s a shame not to at least try them.\u00a0<\/p>\n When you buy something with features beyond the basics, make sure you\u2019re using them. Did you pay for the fridge with the in-door coffee maker? Use it. Did you buy a DVD with bonus features? Watch them. Did you buy the full-featured smart phone? Use that souped up camera and power to its fullest. If you aren\u2019t going to use the extra features on something, save money and purchase the basic version.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you\u2019re going to pay for any sort of education, be it college, extension courses, music\/language lessons, or webinars, make sure you do the work. Pay attention when class is in session and do any homework\/practice required. You\u2019re wasting money if you don\u2019t take in the material and do what\u2019s necessary to advance your skills or knowledge.\u00a0<\/p>\n We waste a lot of money when we don\u2019t put in the effort to fully utilize, benefit from, or experience something. Before you pay for anything, ask yourself if you will really use it to its max, or if you\u2019re willing to put in the effort to get the maximum benefit. If not, save the money and do something else.\u00a0<\/p>\n What else do you find requires some effort on your part to get your money\u2019s worth? Let us know in the comments below.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read More:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nSubscriptions<\/h4>\n
Nice Meals<\/h4>\n
Concerts & Other Live Events\/Experiences<\/h4>\n
Vacations\/Retreats\/Camps<\/h4>\n
Therapy<\/h4>\n
Gym Memberships<\/h4>\n
Extra Features<\/h4>\n
Classes\/Webinars<\/h4>\n