I'm definitely the Swiss army knife here, and I enjoy it that way. I don't know if it's my personality, or what, but I prefer wearing several hats. My long term goal is to work for myself, so I think developing a broad skill set will benefit me. I understand that I will need hammers once my business takes off, and I look forward to bringing those people into the tool box.
I do agree that I would benefit from really honing one skill, and trying to become a master of it. The hardest part for me is trying to decide what I enjoy the most - so I can "do something I love and never have to work a day in my life".
To take your analogy further, the hammer may only be good for one job, but it does it very well. The Swill Army knife, on the other hand, is good for many jobs but it's never great. There are so many tools fit into that one package that it just can't be perfect for the job at hand. Because it's so big the Swiss Army knife isn't even very good as a knife.
Sure, you can cut through a piece of plywood the saw in your Swiss Army knife, but it will take forever and you probably won't be able to make a straight cut. But a good ol' handsaw will do it in a couple minutes (or a circular saw will rip through it in a couple seconds).
I know a little bit about everything, but not enough about any one thing to excel. This serves me well at home, but not in my career. I'd prefer to be a hammer who moonlights as a Swiss Army knife.
Would it not make more sense though to save the money spent on "flashy cars and gator shoes" to move out of a dangerous living situation? Instead of wasting money on 'bling' and showy assets, use the money to get an apartment in a better neighborhood and stop putting yourself in a situation where you might be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I wouldn't shop at stores that give discounts for cash (same as I make a point of never buying gas at stations that provide a "cash discount") - it's just a tricky way of penalizing credit card use, and I make a point of not rewarding that type of practice.
Thanks for hosting this week and including my post! I've seen half of the movie "Pay it Forward" while on cable but I am going to have to finish the other half now!!!
Thanks for including my article! And awesome carnival!
I got a real laugh out of a recent comment on annoying work behaviors (clipping nails in the office? eeww?). Anyway, I appreciate you sharing with readers so people can continue to vent on what drives you nuts at work!
The hammer vs swiss army knife got me thinking about my career. I have almost always beens a swiss army knife, at least in Information Technology (IT). I've been a web developer, a systems integration specialist, a database admin, an information security analyst, and IT strategist.. The challenge is that becoming a hammer requires a lot of effort and sometime by the time you become one kind of hammer, the business needs a different kind.
I wonder if it would be possible to create a "new tool"... one that had a full sized hammer (your specialty) and then the swiss army knife gadgets (your versatility) coming out of the handle. That way, you can be really good at one particular thing, and still have some versatility that allows you to be "ok enough" at a bunch of other things.
Other countries in the world give discounts for cash purchases so it would not be strange for the US to do so as well. I just wonder if Americans would get used to carrying cash again or if we are just too used to using credit cards.
I would far prefer to pay with a card because of the record of receipts the credit card company keeps automatically. I recently received a store credit on a watch which stopped working even after the warranty expired. I believe I received the credit because I was able to quickly find and bring in receipts from the last 3 years from this store that showed I was a repeat customer. I wouldn't have the accessible record of those purchases without my credit card... and a new watch would have cost me far more than these negligible savings.
When i read this I thought wow!! when I put the kid to bed I'm trying this and let me tell you all though I'm still trying to see through the tears it was great. I know that I am hurting for a multitude of reasons right now but as I wrote I allowed myself to feel. I can say this round really seem to be more of what I want to change but I defanitly got a few things i'd like to accomplish in there; but i have to decide where to do it I'm afraid to leave the tri state area and it's hard to make it in this town for a single mom.
Aldi, for a long time, only accepted cash, so I paid cash - it was well worth the "discount" of their prices on some items.
And I do a lot of garage-sale shopping as well, and small charity thrift stores that only take cash. If there were a cash discount, I'd use cash - if there were a debit card discount I'd do that.
The one thing I don't do is use a cash-back credit card, because I don't use the credit card unless I absolutely have to - i got into carrying a debt when I was in my early twenties, and got out of it by going cash-only.I'm not going back.
The ironic part is that a lot people are still employed because of government bailouts. Anyone employed in the banking,auto,financial industry,not to mention those that indirectly benefit from those institutions,still have jobs because they were bailed out by us (the people). Even people on UI have to pay taxes on that money. That is what`s so frustrating for me. MY tax money goes to bailout other people so they can keep their jobs,but nobody gave my company a bailout. Then to listen to people who were bailed out criticize the people who now have to take UI benefits is a joke.Maybe we wouldn`t have to take UI benefits if we got bailed out like you.
I would love to see people cut down on their use of credit cards enormously. They can certainly be useful from a cash flow perspective, but people charge everything and the credit card networks take 2.5% or more of the money from each transaction. It's sickening.
Yes, you can make out well with a rewards card but you're still pushing up prices for everyone by adding another middleman to the shopping process. Try to minimize daily use of credit cards and use them (if you must) for those larger purchases where the extra benefits are most important.
Personal choice is important in frugal living purchases . . .
I believe in a less, but better approach:
Another Look: What If We Had Less, But Better? http://divorceddadfrugaldad.com/2009/01/22/another-look-what-if-we-had-l...
Simple Living—What if You Had Less, But Better? http://divorceddadfrugaldad.com/2008/10/21/simple-livingwhat-if-you-had-...
I'm definitely the Swiss army knife here, and I enjoy it that way. I don't know if it's my personality, or what, but I prefer wearing several hats. My long term goal is to work for myself, so I think developing a broad skill set will benefit me. I understand that I will need hammers once my business takes off, and I look forward to bringing those people into the tool box.
I do agree that I would benefit from really honing one skill, and trying to become a master of it. The hardest part for me is trying to decide what I enjoy the most - so I can "do something I love and never have to work a day in my life".
To take your analogy further, the hammer may only be good for one job, but it does it very well. The Swill Army knife, on the other hand, is good for many jobs but it's never great. There are so many tools fit into that one package that it just can't be perfect for the job at hand. Because it's so big the Swiss Army knife isn't even very good as a knife.
Sure, you can cut through a piece of plywood the saw in your Swiss Army knife, but it will take forever and you probably won't be able to make a straight cut. But a good ol' handsaw will do it in a couple minutes (or a circular saw will rip through it in a couple seconds).
I know a little bit about everything, but not enough about any one thing to excel. This serves me well at home, but not in my career. I'd prefer to be a hammer who moonlights as a Swiss Army knife.
Great post! We should all develop full time and/or side gigs. Here are some of the side business ideas I have listed:
Side Business Ideas Recap http://divorceddadfrugaldad.com/2009/02/17/side-business-ideas-recap.aspx
Would it not make more sense though to save the money spent on "flashy cars and gator shoes" to move out of a dangerous living situation? Instead of wasting money on 'bling' and showy assets, use the money to get an apartment in a better neighborhood and stop putting yourself in a situation where you might be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I ask for cash discounts all the time and I get them almost every time . . .
I wouldn't shop at stores that give discounts for cash (same as I make a point of never buying gas at stations that provide a "cash discount") - it's just a tricky way of penalizing credit card use, and I make a point of not rewarding that type of practice.
Thanks for hosting and for including me!
Thanks for hosting this week and including my post! I've seen half of the movie "Pay it Forward" while on cable but I am going to have to finish the other half now!!!
Thanks for including my article! And awesome carnival!
I got a real laugh out of a recent comment on annoying work behaviors (clipping nails in the office? eeww?). Anyway, I appreciate you sharing with readers so people can continue to vent on what drives you nuts at work!
Thanks for hosting, and for featuring our post!
Debbie, thanks for all your hard work on the carnival, looks great! And thanks for featuring the post on improving your credit score.
The hammer vs swiss army knife got me thinking about my career. I have almost always beens a swiss army knife, at least in Information Technology (IT). I've been a web developer, a systems integration specialist, a database admin, an information security analyst, and IT strategist.. The challenge is that becoming a hammer requires a lot of effort and sometime by the time you become one kind of hammer, the business needs a different kind.
While the "hammer" may get it done . . . the "multi-tool" probably wins in the long run due to the inherent flexibility to adapt to change.
I wonder if it would be possible to create a "new tool"... one that had a full sized hammer (your specialty) and then the swiss army knife gadgets (your versatility) coming out of the handle. That way, you can be really good at one particular thing, and still have some versatility that allows you to be "ok enough" at a bunch of other things.
Thank you for including me!
love your theme. think the world would be a nicer place if we all paid it forward a little more often...
I spend cash or use my ATM card like a debit card when I shop. The credit cards stay at home and only come out for large planned purchases.
Why should I have to subsidize other people's decision to go into debt every time they make a purchase?
After all, America is the most developed capitalist country in the world, so I want to take a look at it
Other countries in the world give discounts for cash purchases so it would not be strange for the US to do so as well. I just wonder if Americans would get used to carrying cash again or if we are just too used to using credit cards.
Its an interesting idea.
I would far prefer to pay with a card because of the record of receipts the credit card company keeps automatically. I recently received a store credit on a watch which stopped working even after the warranty expired. I believe I received the credit because I was able to quickly find and bring in receipts from the last 3 years from this store that showed I was a repeat customer. I wouldn't have the accessible record of those purchases without my credit card... and a new watch would have cost me far more than these negligible savings.
When i read this I thought wow!! when I put the kid to bed I'm trying this and let me tell you all though I'm still trying to see through the tears it was great. I know that I am hurting for a multitude of reasons right now but as I wrote I allowed myself to feel. I can say this round really seem to be more of what I want to change but I defanitly got a few things i'd like to accomplish in there; but i have to decide where to do it I'm afraid to leave the tri state area and it's hard to make it in this town for a single mom.
Aldi, for a long time, only accepted cash, so I paid cash - it was well worth the "discount" of their prices on some items.
And I do a lot of garage-sale shopping as well, and small charity thrift stores that only take cash. If there were a cash discount, I'd use cash - if there were a debit card discount I'd do that.
The one thing I don't do is use a cash-back credit card, because I don't use the credit card unless I absolutely have to - i got into carrying a debt when I was in my early twenties, and got out of it by going cash-only.I'm not going back.
The ironic part is that a lot people are still employed because of government bailouts. Anyone employed in the banking,auto,financial industry,not to mention those that indirectly benefit from those institutions,still have jobs because they were bailed out by us (the people). Even people on UI have to pay taxes on that money. That is what`s so frustrating for me. MY tax money goes to bailout other people so they can keep their jobs,but nobody gave my company a bailout. Then to listen to people who were bailed out criticize the people who now have to take UI benefits is a joke.Maybe we wouldn`t have to take UI benefits if we got bailed out like you.
I would love to see people cut down on their use of credit cards enormously. They can certainly be useful from a cash flow perspective, but people charge everything and the credit card networks take 2.5% or more of the money from each transaction. It's sickening.
Yes, you can make out well with a rewards card but you're still pushing up prices for everyone by adding another middleman to the shopping process. Try to minimize daily use of credit cards and use them (if you must) for those larger purchases where the extra benefits are most important.