GTD Cost vs. Benefit Analysis

markovich — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:13:55 -0800

GTD Filter: How do I best decide what my next action should be? I.e, how do I map out the Cost vs. Benefit? I always have the choice between different things to do. I could work on my clients project, I could work on my personal project, I could study for school, I could go out and get me some needle and thread, I could call a friend, I could watch the new episode of Lost, I could research and buy some parts for my hobby robot.

There are always a lot of things to be done, and these things will all have to be done sooner or later. The list also never ends, because there is always something pending for the client, my project is never done, housework is a constant thing, etc.

I need a way of somehow being able to decide which task should be done right now, and which should be moved forward. What's the best system to decide this?

Important is that there is constant rotation - each thing needs some time so it does not fall behind the others. Also, I don't want to relearn a whole new GTD system, I just want a technical solution for how to keep my next actions rotating, with each project gettings its fair share.

Fix it or junk it?

COBRA! — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 08:59:34 -0800

At what point is a car not worth repairing? My 10-year-old 130k-mile Saturn is showing its age pretty badly—leaking oil, disturbing noise coming from the front end, crumbling exhaust system. I'm having a tough time coming up with a satisfying way to determine if it makes financial sense to pay for the repairs or to just ditch the car and buy a new one (living carless isn't an option, cool as it would be).

The Internet tells me the car's currently worth $700; one common calculation I hear is that if the repairs cost more than $700, they're not worth making. But on the other hand, even if the repairs were to cost twice the value of the car, $1400 is a lot less than the expense I'd incur getting a new one.

So I guess what I'm looking for is advice/perspectives on how these factors play against each other. Does anyone have any experience bringing an aging car like this back from the brink without essentially taking a large pile of money out into the garage and lighting it on fire?

Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with costbenefit

GTD Cost vs. Benefit Analysis

Fix it or junk it?