A Different Way to Look at the Cost of Something

It’s not all about the price listed at the bottom of the receipt.

Recently, while dining out with my husband and another couple at a restaurant, I found myself doing a little soul searching as I perused the menu. This particular restaurant was a little pricier than our usual dining out choices, more like in the $$$ range than the $$ range we were more likely to frequent.

There were a couple of entrees that caught my eye instantly and made my mouth water. There were also several more moderately priced options that would have been all well and good in their own right, just not exactly the one that was calling my name.

It’s just that, well, there was this one in particular — a $35 steak and crab leg plate that was calling out to me. I could see this same entree being brought out to other tables and the view (and smell) was simply amazing. I could already taste it!

But, $35! And that’s before adding on an appetizer, a glass (two?) of wine — maybe dessert thrown in for good measure.

Well, surely there would be something I would like in the $20-$25 range for entrees, right? A more sensible and cost effective choice?

Before I spoil the ending and tell you what I finally ordered, let me take you through my thought process.

Option A:

• One steak and crab leg dinner — $35
• One spinach dip appetizer — $10
• Two glasses of wine (let’s be honest here, just ordering one was never in the cards) — $22
• Dessert — $9

Grand Total (before tip) — $76

Option B:

• One miscellaneous dinner from the more moderately priced consolation column — $25
• One spinach dip appetizer — $10
• Two glasses of wine (nothing was going to change that choice) — $22
• Dessert — $9

Grand Total (before tip) — $66

So, to my way of thinking, the real cost of the dinner I really wanted wasn’t $76 (plus tip) — it was only $10.

I was going to be eating anyway so the step-up to the desired meal would have only added $10 (plus a couple dollars extra to account for the calculation of a proper tip).

In case you haven’t guessed by now, I chose that steak and crab leg dinner — and it was everything I hoped it would be.

It gets complicated when you start to measure life and its experiences in dollars and cents.

Most of the world operates on a finite general budget. It might make sense to cut corners when the end result is pretty much the same.

But what about when you see a clear benefit in terms of enjoyment and total experience?

I have to say I think there’s a great value in the splurge and living large in the moment.

For example, I don’t have to take a vacation — ever. But I have taken many vacations in my life (some of them pretty extravagant) and they have added immensely to my enjoyment of my time here on this planet. I wouldn’t sacrifice any one of them for the sake of hoarding a few more dollars.

And my finances have been none the worse based on any of my choices.

When looking at cost, there is more to the equation than dollar signs. Hidden somewhere in the background is the intrinsic value of that purchase.

There will eventually come a day for all of us when we make our exit from this crazy merry-go-round called life.

Which would you rather have on that final day you spend on this earth — a treasure trove of wonderful experiences and great memories — or a bank account filled with accumulated $10 sacrificial savings from always cutting corners and scrimping?

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