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Is buying a boat a bad investment? Hey Taylor: I’m thinking of buying a boat. I’ve got enough to pay cash for a decent ship, but I’m wondering Taylor how good or bad of an inKovar vestment it might be. — Brad Hey Brad: In this case, it all depends on how you want to define "investment." Compared to a piece of real estate or some other commodity, a boat is a pretty bad investment. However, if we’re thinking about your lifestyle and spending money wisely, a boat might be a great purchase. A few things to think about: How much boating will you do? You don’t buy a boat thinking about resale value (unless it’s a fix-and-flip project). If you want to know whether it’s worth the money, be honest with yourself about how often you’ll actually use it. Do you live hours away from the nearest body of water? If so, have you thought about how much time you’ll spend hitching, unhitching, and driving to and from the lake? Do you want a fancy sailboat that you can take into the open sea, and do you know how to operate such a vessel? Did you love fishing as a kid, and you’re hopeful your own boat will rekindle that love affair? The last thing you want to do is make this purchase on a whim, so be as analytical as possible when weighing the pros and cons. “The only thing that works on a boat is its owner.” Phrases like this are popular among the boating community because there’s a lot of truth to it. While depreciat-
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ing in value, the boat you buy will also require constant upkeep. The resale value will be better than an automobile if you keep the ship in good condition, but doing so will take a lot of time and money. This purchase will definitely be labor; make sure it’s a labor of love. Vacation for purchase. In my mind, one of the best reasons to buy a boat is to cut back on future travel costs. Instead of flying to some exotic destination, you load the family on the boat for a couple of days and enjoy the thrill of camping at sea. If it fits your lifestyle, all the time and money spent fixing and repairing your boat might still be cheaper than what you’d spend on other summer getaways. Let’s take the word “investment” out of this conversation. Think about a boat’s personal worth instead of its financial meaning. Will the experience merit the cost? If so, enjoy that boat! Legal Disclaimer: Information presented is for educational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. To submit a question to be answered in this column, please send it via email to Question@GoFarWithKovar.com or via USPS to Taylor Kovar, 415 S 1st St, Suite 300, Lufkin, TX 75901.
Living with children A grandmother in Arkansas says her adult children have great difficulty telling their children what to do. They turn John instructions – Rosemond more accurately, what they think are instructions – into questions and then wonder why their kids don’t seem to appreciate their timidity. Grandma’s email made me think of a habit I have noticed among people a generation or more younger than myself. To wit, when they order food in a restaurant, they ask if they are allowed to have whatever they want. For example, when ordering a hamburger, instead of saying, “I’ll have a hamburger” or “I’d like a hamburger, please,” they ask, “Can I have a hamburger?” What’s with that? You’re in a hamburger joint. The word hamburger is printed clearly on the menu. The owner of said joint is obviously in the business of making money selling hamburgers. Setting aside, for the moment, that “may I have” is grammatically correct, why are you asking if you can have a hamburger? Has some hamburger salesperson ever denied you, as in “No hamburger for you. Try again”?
be counted on to defy the passive non-instruction. He doesn’t want to, it’s not fair, he didn’t put them all there, or just downright “no.” I suppose I shouldn’t be pointing this sort of thing out to parents because it’s why I have a job. It’s why, when I counsel with parents, I spend lots of time telling them how to talk to children, teaching them how to sound like authority figures. “If you want Billy to pick up his toys, simply say, “Billy, I want you to pick up your toys.” And then, I tell said parents, “Don’t stand there, waiting. That invites push-back. Just walk away.” Believe it or not, I occasionally have a parent tell me, “Oh, I don’t think I can do that.” “Why not?” I ask. “Well, I mean, it sounds, well, harsh.” Immediately, I know I’m working with someone who asks waitpersons if she is allowed to order a hamburger. Harsh is a word occasionally used to describe my approach to helping children eventually become functioning adults, when in fact, harsh is what’s likely to happen if one doesn’t use “my” approach (it’s not actually “mine” in any sense). As in, screaming and other lunacies. Respect is not an entitlement. It isn’t deserved; it’s earned. People in positions of authority earn respect by acting like they know what they want. That begins with making oneself perfectly clear, as in, “I’d like a hamburger.”
It occurred to me that there may be some generational connection between asking a person behind a fast food counter if you are allowed to order an item that is clearly printed on the menu and asking children “how about” questions that end in “okay?”
And then, of course, “Thank you.”
Example: “How about helping Mommy pick up these toys now, okay?”
Family psychologist John Rosemond: johnrosemond.com, p arentguru.com.
Is the person who orders food passively also or someday going to be a parent who gives passive instructions to his or her kids? That’s where the analogy breaks down because whereas the hamburger worker isn’t going to deny the hamburger, a child can
John Rosemond has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971 in the field of family psychology. In 1971, John earned his masters in psychology from Western Illinois University and was elected to the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society.
