My Nerdy Life

Why I Didn’t Mind Spending $100 on Fuel This Week

Normally the idea of spending $100 on fuel in one week, just plain sucks. Especially when you consider that $100 spent now means a loss of $700+ future dollars in 30 years. In this case however, $100 bought me great experiences worth far more to me now than $700 in the future. And partially, it’s thanks to the late Queen Victoria.

Since 1845, Canada has celebrated Queen Victoria’s birthday. In 1901 after her death, it was made into an official a national holiday (Journée nationale des patriotes in Quebec, which is actually a different holiday on the same date). Today, it is considered the kick-off for summer, with many people heading to campgrounds, lakes, cabins, and starting on outdoor projects such as gardening. Though in my neck of the woods, it’s not uncommon to get snow during May, so it’s always a toss up. This year, it was quite rainy on the Saturday, but then cleared for a beautiful day on Victoria Day (Monday).

One of my goals this year is to get outside more and get physical! So, with the great weather, I headed out to the rocky mountains with a friend for a day of hiking. After 700 m (2,296 ft) climb we reached the summit of Ha Ling Peak at an altitude of 2,408 m (7,898 ft). It’s not considered a tough climb, but since it was the first hike of the season and it’s a constant grind up, my legs were certainly feeling a little jello-y by the time we were done. Our backup plan was to have the dog drag us up the mountain if our legs stopped working haha! Fortunately, we (and the dog) made it up of our own accord.

I never get tired of the feeling you get when you get up over the ridge and take in the incredible views. So even though our legs were burning and a cold wind was constantly howling at us, it was worth it. Besides the fantastic views, I always feel very accomplished when I reach the top of a mountain. It’s especially inspiring when you look down at the car park and see just how far you’ve come. In many way’s it’s just like investing, but I’m still nowhere near the top of that journey yet. Fortunately, as with this hike I don’t have to wait until I get to the top to enjoy the views and feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment. By setting personal milestones and goals, I can conquer the mountain of financial independence one small trek at a time.

In addition to financial independence, I’ve made physical health and fitness one of my priorities over the last couple of years. Hiking is a great way to build strength, get your heart pumping, get your fill of vitamin D from the sun, and improve your cardiovascular strength. It’s also a great way to hang out with a friend while improving your own health! Not to mention the life-long dividends of living a healthy lifestyle which will only improve my energy and productivity in other aspects of life.

The economics of hiking are also very favourable when compared to many other sports. The only significant start-up costs are a good pair of hiking shoes/boots (~$100-200+) and some hiking clothes (shorts, pants, shirts, jacket), and maybe a backpack for water/food. There’s lots of flexibility in these items and they can suit a range of budgets. For someone just starting out, a good pair of boots/shoes (even sneakers can do the trick on easier trails), a windbreaker, and a backpack will easily suffice. If you’re in mountains, bear spray is also highly recommended. Also, most of these items will last a long time and seldom need to be replaced. Beyond that, you just have to get yourself to the trail.

Transportation (and food, but that’s a given), is really the only reoccurring cost for hiking. In the grand scheme of things this is quite a low expense, especially when compared to something like skiing where you may have to pay upwards of $90 per day just for a lift ticket. If you’re going with a friend, you can carpool, which also helps reduce the costs. In my case, the ~$100 I spent in fuel this past week got me 4 trips to the mountains, plus driving around town. Loosely using some hypermiling techniques, I averaged just over 6 L/100 km (39 mpg).

The other 3 trips included a group mountain bike ride with some locals, a mountain bike ride with my partner, and another (intentionally easier for the sake of my sore legs) hike with my friend and her dog (pictures below). In the process I got to meet some new people, see friends, and see my partner all the while getting some great exercise and having a blast doing it! There’s nothing like barreling down a mountain on a bike at 30 km/h zig-zagging through trees and over rocks to put a grin on your face. It almost makes you forget about the long hard grind up the mountain, haha.

So even though I spent a lot of money on fuel this past week. The value in those experiences far eclipses what I would have likely done if I just saved the money and stayed home. If you consider how much money people spend on fuel commuting to work just to sit and be miserable all day, despite the money they earn, are they really getting much out of that experience? Probably not. Spending money to make money is one thing, but it’s totally different than spending money to enjoy life through meaningful experiences.

I’m also making an effort to live in the present. Long-term investors (myself included) talk a lot about the future and building up your finances over an extended period of time. But of course, the big overarching assumption is that you will actually be able to do things you want to do when you reach financial independence. The next day, week, month, year or decade is not guaranteed, and I firmly believe it is possible to live life to the fullest while you climb the mountain of financial independence. I try to treat it as just another dot on the map along the journey of life, that continues long after you reach financial independence.

So as important it is the keep your eye on the prize, it’s just as important to enjoy your journey up the mountain. How was your long weekend? Did you go on any adventures?