How to Save Money and Time By Living Like Goldilocks

Today’s post is going to teach you how to save money. It will also save you waiting time, and it will prevent stuff from piling up around your house.

The best part is that it will get you exactly what you need, exactly when you need it.

‘Sounds impossible!’ you say.

Nope, it’s not impossible.

First a Fairy Tale

You all remember the fairy tale about Goldilocks? You know, she was the girl who enters the house with the three bears who aren’t home at the time.  She finds three bowls of porridge – one is too hot, one is too, cold but one ‘is just right’ – so she eats it – like a little pig.

Then, she then finds three chairs, one is too hard, one is too soft, but one ‘is just right’ – the little one. So, she sits in it, but she’s too heavy and her fat ass ends up breaking it.

Finally, she realizes she’s a little tired, so she goes upstairs, the daddy bear’s bed is too hard, the mama bear’s bed is too soft, but the little bear’s bed ‘is just right’ – so she has a little nap in it.

On an aside, I never thought of this when I was a kid – but does anyone else wonder why the daddy bear and the mama bear are sleeping in different beds?  Is the daddy bear in the doghouse for cheating on the mama bear? Does he have sleep apnea and keeps her up with his snoring?  Is their marriage on the rocks and they are just staying together for the little bear?  Whatever the case, it’s just a little bizarre.

Anyway, the bears come home, see one of the bowls of porridge has been eaten and one of the chairs has been broken.  So, they go upstairs only to find Goldilocks sleeping in the little bear’s bed.  When she sees them, she jumps out of bed and runs away.

There are a couple morals of the story that sticks out to me:

(1)  Goldilocks and the Three Bears can teach you a lot about how to save money and time.

(2)  However, I strongly believe it should be banned from all nursery schools across North America.

We will discuss the former now and the latter at the end of this post.

What Does ‘Just in Time’ Mean?

In business, there is a concept called ‘Just in Time’.  More specifically it is a concept used in manufacturing where an item such as a material or component is delivered only at the exact time it is needed, therefore greatly minimizing inventory costs.

Also Known as Push vs. Pull

Another way you can think of it is ‘push’ vs. ‘pull’.

Think of it like this, a ‘pull’ strategy is when the manufacturer waits until a customer order is placed to build a product, while a ‘push’ strategy is when the manufacturer builds the product in anticipation of a future customer order.

The point in both is having what you need when you need it, to minimize inventory and cost.

Why Use Just in Time in Your Life?

Many times, you either have too much of something or too little of something.  Or you get something before you need it or after you need it.

If you get too much of something, it’s not good because you have:

  Spent money that could be collecting interest in your bank account.
  Taken up space keeping it.
  Bought something that could go bad if you don’t use it – think perishable groceries.
  Added more stress to your life.
  Created unnecessary clutter.

But if you get too little of something, it’s not good because you have:

  Caused yourself an inconvenience by not having it when you need it.
  Added another thing to do – i.e. go out and buy it.
  Created frustration.

If you get it too early:

  It will have to wait (think of someone picking you up before you are ready, they have to wait).
  It may go bad.

If you get it too late:

  You will have to wait (think of someone picking you up and being late).
  You may no longer need it.
  It may no longer be good.

Want Another Reason? How About the ‘Apocalyptic Decluttering Orgasm’

Remember our post about the ‘apocalyptic decluttering orgasm’?  The takeaway from that post was that reducing clutter by divesting material things can help free your mind, increase your happiness and allow you to help others who need your stuff more than you do.  Plus, all that stuff won’t take up space in your house and that money will stay in your bank account collecting interest right up until the time you purchase the item that you need.

One way to prevent clutter in the first place is to only consume things as you need them by using ‘Just in Time’ in your personal life.

Wait…What Does Goldilocks Have to Do with Just in Time?

As we saw earlier, Goldilocks had to find the porridge that wasn’t too hot, that wasn’t too cold but was just right.  She sat in the chair that wasn’t too hard and wasn’t too soft but was just right.  The same thing with the bed, she slept in the one that was just right.

By using ‘Just in Time’ (JIT), you won’t get too much, you won’t get too little, you will get the amount that’s just right.

At the same time, you won’t get it too soon, you won’t get it too late, you will get it at the time that’s just right.

With the internet and the fact that everyone is connected, getting the right amount at the right time is easier than it’s ever been.  So, like Goldilocks you can get exactly what you want, when you want it!

Let’s look at some specific examples to show you how you can save money and time in your life by using JIT:

Those are some examples of using JIT for how to save you money and time and to get you what you want when you want it.

Before we go, let’s go back to Goldilocks…

Why Goldilocks and the Three Bears Should Be Banned

Has anyone else considered the fact the Goldilocks and the Three Bears is responsible for a huge problem in North American society?

In my opinion, that book is responsible for all the entitled millennials running around wreaking havoc on society.

Just take a moment and think about what that little, entitled brat has taught today’s youth:

(1)  That it’s ok to go into people’s houses when they aren’t home.
(2)  Not only is it ok to eat their porridge – you need to have the one that isn’t too hot or too cold.
(3)  Sitting in other people’s chairs is A-ok. And if you break them? Who cares? Simply not your problem!  No need to apologize and offer to replace it.
(4)  Sleeping in other people’s beds is just fine.
(5)  And no need to worry about making the bed once you wake up.
(6)  It’s totally acceptable to be a guest in someone’s house and leave when it’s convenient for you without even so much as a thank you.

No wonder millennials are so damn entitled!

With a horrible role model like Goldilocks, what do you expect?

And that is why I think we need to ban Goldilocks from nursery schools.  It may be too late to affect millennials but hopefully, it will save another generation!

Until next time…use ‘Just In Time’, spread the word to ban Goldilocks from nursery schools, and as always PYMFP!

Rick

Use It or Lose It – How to Save Time and Money Using JIT

To save time and money using JIT, utilize some of the strategies in the infographics above such as:

  Using the Amazon dash button or getting a smart fridge to only get household items when you need them.

  Text people a bit before you are ready to be picked up so neither of you ends up waiting. Or use Uber!

Sell your car, save all that money and Uber everywhere.  Sound far-fetched?  Here’s a story of someone who has done it and here is a calculator that you can use to figure out if it makes sense for you.

  If you are always getting interrupted by calls, encourage people to text you so you can respond on your time.

  If you are a TV watcher utilize On-Demand, Netflix, and DVRs.

  Switch off notifications to consume social media on your time. Although it may be easier said than done as those dopamine hits can be pretty addictive!

  Utilize music on demand services like Pandora and Spotify to get the music you want when you want it.

  Food delivery can save you time and possibly money by getting you the food you want when you want it.  Just make sure you eat healthily, so you keep those six-pack abs! 

When to Use It:

  When you want to know how to save time and money in your life.

What Do You Think?

  What other ways can you use ‘Just in Time’ in your life?  Please share in the comments below!

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