Can Spatial Arbitrage Substitute for Geoarbitrage?
Freedom Is Groovy – October 18, 2017
In the personal finance world, there is a concept known as geoarbitrage. This is when people choose to live in lower cost of living areas in order to save money. It can be anything from moving to a state with no income tax, to a rural area, to another country.
But for active duty military members, that simply isn’t an option. We are told where to live, within a relatively small geographic range. If we are living off base we might be able to live in a cheaper neighborhood or outside the city, but we can’t just choose not to live within commuting distance to our duty location.
If people who can’t take advantage of geoarbitrage want to save money on housing, we have to get creative.
My place is overpriced, so I started looking for something better. It turns out I was looking into spatial arbitrage myself, without even knowing what it was. And while I’m not going to move into a place 1000 sq feet smaller than what I have now, I am looking at ways to live smaller. So this article came at the perfect time for me.
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Accidental Landlording: When You Rent To Relatives
Live Zemplified – October, 2017
Have I ever told you guys that I rented out my first property to a family member? I did. I’ll have to tell the full story another time, but the teaser is that it worked out phenomenally well. But, most people recommended I not do it. That’s because mixing family and finances often doesn’t end well for one or both sides.
In this post, Life Zemplified talks about their very short notice decision to buy a property and rent it out to some family members who couldn’t find an affordable place to live. It’s a decision not everybody would or should make, but it sounds like it’s working out okay. The post includes some lessons learned about surprise costs and requirements that come from buying an investment property. A lot of you may be interested in that. If you plan to purchase an investment property, regardless of who you plan to rent it out to, this is a good list of things to consider.
Do Special Privileges for the Military Magnify the Civilian-Military Divide
Military Shoppers – September 18, 2017
Finally, an article that I’d love to hear opinions on from both military and civilian readers. I’m not going to write much because I don’t want anybody’s perception tainted by my comments. Read the post, then let me know – do you think the military discounts offered by retailers magnify the civilian-military divide in this country?
Thank you very much for including me. I’m honored! Good luck with your spatial arbitrage.
Thanks Mr. Groovy!
Thanks for the shout out MD! Honored to be included in your Sunday Summary.
Regarding your question on the military discounts – I’ve never begrudged anyone obtaining a military discount. Anyone giving their time to serve their country is giving an incredible gift to their fellow Americans. In my mind, that’s worth far more than a few discounts and benefits. Those that think differently are either not thinking logically or can’t empathize.
Loved this line…”let’s not lose sight of the fact that it is still a marketing technique used to attract customers.” Consumerism.
You’re welcome!
Yeah, I’m not gonna lie – I will totally go to the place with the military discount over the place without it. A lot of companies have benefited from my repeat business because of that!