— showcase of HallmarkA: why avoid branded colleges
If a branded top-quality middle school costs $20k/Y over 2Y, then many would be able to afford it, but could the brand give the parents esteem for decades?
In contrast, a branded college does make the parents proud for decades, and makes the graduate stand out in over-crowded dating markets, but look at the price tag. If the 70k/Y price tag is clearly /affordable/ to you, then you won’t need to be a “wise consumer”. For most families, however, 300k over 4Y is too high, so these families need to assess the benefit/cost.
Those with insider info often realize the benefit is not so high.
— (hallmarkA) At a fancy restaurant you taste something very nice (and expensive) . Later you find out it is similar to a cheap supermarket item that you have never tried.
The fancy restaurant version is subtly different (therefore expensive) but to the first time taster, the supermarket version is equally delicious. Even if company pays, I would still prefer the cheaper version.
— (hallmarkI) mass market .. How relevant (to me) are mass market statistics? Many mass market surveys are increasingly irrelevant to me, as they reflect ordinary people’s
* commute conditions
* work hours
* reported work stress, burn-out
* workout, nutrition, BMI
* savings, retirement plann, mtg, rental burden
These so-called “mass market profiles” are increasingly different from my profile. Therefore my buying priorities are different, too. Am in an exclub defined by myself, not based on FOMO.
— (hallmarkI) exclub/miswanting..
Property agents, car salesmen, college admission offices, luxury product sales/marketing teams … make huge efforts to impress on us the differences between the haves vs the the have-nots.
Some of them in their unspoken hint are careful to position you, the prospective buyer, as above average in the local market but somewhere below average among “my clients”. They like to describe their existing clients as filthy rich, indirectly setting role models for the rest of us.
That’s a form of mental manipulation and brainwash. However rich you are, there are always some “existing clients” who are better off! Exclub.
Now in my late 40s it’s becoming increasingly clear that those “haves” have acquired a lot of white elephants. For example,
- car is not an asset.
- wines, fancy electronics are not always good for their children’s wellbeing
- branded college is not necessary, but a conducive environment is.
— Two hallmarks of a wise consumer
- hallmarkI (vague): knowing what things are truly important to yourself.
- hallmarkA: knowing what unpopular/unconventional Alternatives are Actually Acceptable to yourself
Some examples that help explain the hallmarks
- [AI] eg: free books
- [A] eg: refuse to buy sports merchandize. Use simple substitutes instead.
- [AI] eg: avoid branded sports shoes. Try the low-cost shoes and trust your own feeling of comfort
- [A] eg: slightly dented fruits