What Are You Willing to Pay For?


Dear Real Academics,

Since Dr. Garza and I are moving, we've been having to make a lot of decisions -- everything from what moving boxes to purchase to how we'll actually move our stuff. Let's just say it is a lot to manage.

The point is that I've been reflecting a lot on asking, what are we willing to pay for? 

In the grand scheme of things, I think this is a good question to ask in the context of managing life related to productivity.

Now, I'm not a financial guru, though I really enjoy learning about financial management.
I also fall into the category of "saver" vs. "spender". So, writing advice about spending money is hard for me.

But, sometimes prioritizing productivity means being willing to pay for certain things. 

Let me give you some examples (Note: I don't necessarily follow all of these but I've seen all of them work for myself and/or others depending on the circumstances):

(1) Pay for someone to clean your house. If it's feasible and safe, then this is a tip I've heard many times. Get a good reference for an individual or a company in your area.

(2) Pay for that numbered parking spot. I know, I know, it's EXPENSIVE to pay for parking at a university already and so much more expensive for a numbered parking spot. But, parking in the same spot and knowing where you car will be is one less thing to think about. This tip also saves a lot of headaches when parking is hard to find.

(3) Pay for pre-paid meals. I keep hearing more and more about food services that send pre-packaged FRESH ingredients. From what I understand, they also send recipes which are super fast and easy to follow. These services are healthier than eating out; so, in a sense, you are not just investing in time needed to plan out meals and go out to purchase food, but in your health.

(4) Pay for an editing service. If you have a really important manuscript (e.g., a dissertation or an article to go out to a big journal), it might be worth your time and sanity to outsource the editing to a professional editor. If you don't know where to find an editor, check out TAA's website for some resources and ideas (Note: You may have to join to see some of the resources, but it's well worth being a member!): https://www.taaonline.net/resources. 

(5) Pay for a productivity coach/mentor/tutor. Again, if you are stuck on a writing or analysis project, even just one session may be worth getting "unstuck". Again, TAA has resources for productivity coaches; AND, of course, we are always here! It's easy to book an appointment with us at www.therealacademics.com. We provide one free session and if we are not a good fit, we look for someone to refer you to. 

Do you have any other ideas for things that are worth paying for to help manage life (or academics) more productively? Or perhaps specific resources? If so, please leave a comment on the blog to share with us and others. This is a new feature we are trying out. You can always also email us privately at inforealacademics@gmail.com. We love to hear from you!

Until next time, happy writing and/or productivity!

Maggie

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