Last semester in my Economics class, we talked about a fairly simple, yet fundamental concept: Opportunity Costs.
It goes something like this:
The more a nation or industry invests in a product, such as guns, the more of that product will be produced, at the cost of the opportunity of producing another good, say butter, as we see in point A. The idea is that there needs to be equilibrium to maximize efficiency, close to or on point B. This ensures that you’ll have an equal amount of defense and goods. While this may be an economic concept, it can easily be applied to just about anything in life.
Say you have two choices: a nice two week long vay-cay to the sunny, sandy beaches of Hawaii or earning a couple thousand freshly minted green fresh off the press by working those two weeks. Your opportunity cost of going on vacation would be a paycheck. However, the opportunity cost of working is a much needed vacation. If you split your time evenly, you’re achieving the most benefit of your time. By taking a one week vacation instead of two weeks, you could make at least half the money you would have lost, spend less on the vacation, and still enjoy some time off.
It’s like the old saying goes, “Time is Money”.
Luis Dominguez
Student Social Media Intern
1st Nor Cal Credit Union