Understanding The True Cost Of That Priceless Magic Moment

Have you ever experienced one of those magic or cherished  moments that seem to be priceless, yet you feel that this moment didn’t cost a single cent? These moments are usually experienced through some fun filled get together, outing or an emotional experience that doesn’t have an immediate cost at that given moment in time.

These moments may consist of a simple fire on the beach with a few friends or family. Maybe this cherished moment was watching your first-born walk for the first time.  Or, this moment may have consisted of watching a spectacular sunset that made time stand still. Often, these unexpected magic moments seem to manifest out of thin air.

Several times, when I’ve been a part of one of those moments, someone would make a statement like “See, we don’t need money to have a good time or enjoy life” or “money can’t buy precious moments like these”.

Its these statements that truly rev up my internal calculator. I start thinking about the matrix of spending throughout our lives that brought us to this point in time.

 

The costs that I usually consider are the prepaid cost, lifetime accumulated cost and any ongoing cost that maybe carried by use of credit. Here is a breakdown of the different costs that I would consider applying to any magic moment.

Of course, the cost of the experience may vary greatly depending on the nature of the moment. It will also vary based on previous spending habits and life journey of each person involved.

Prepaid Cost

The prepaid cost is the previous cost of anything that is being used, supporting or somehow adding to the experience.

The prepaid cost may include food or drink that is being consumed at this moment. It may also include food or drink that was previously consumed that is supporting your energy throughout the moment. It will include anything that you are wearing including clothes, eyewear or footwear.

Depending on the nature of the moment, the prepaid cost may include a musical instrument, sporting equipment, outdoor furniture, fireworks, candles and so on.

Depending on the location, additional previous cost may include a home, vehicles to get there, a cabin, a boat and so on. We must also consider the operating cost of each of these.

This cost will also include anything else that exists or being utilized at the time of the event that is adding to or somehow enhancing the experience. Remember, just because we are not paying for it in the moment, does not mean that the value of its cost does not support or enhance the experience.

The Accumulative Lifetime Cost

 

The accumulative lifetime cost is the total cost of everything that has kept us alive since birth. These costs will include all the food and any medical treatments, medication, health care products and anything else that has supported our existence.

This cost will also include anything that has supported our life’s journey to this point in time. They may include any accommodations, transportation, education, public infrastructure and services. Essentially, this cost will include anything that have allowed us to navigate and progress through the different stages of our life’s journey up to this point in time.

This accumulative cost not only includes the money that we have personally spent on supporting our existence or the journey. It also includes money spent by our parents or guardians as well as any public services that have supported our life and the journey.

Remember, this magic moment is just a point in our lives that we have reached. It consists of a specific set of conditions and a specific location at a specific point in time. Without the money that has supported our existence and the journey to get there, we would not have reached this specific destination at that specific point in time. Essentially , we would not have reached this magic moment, or we would have missed it entirely due to a different path in life.

Cost Carried By Credit

The cost carried by credit is any ongoing expense of anything that is supporting or enhancing the experience. This cost includes any payments on a home, boat, cottage rental and any operating expenses such as insurance or maintenance.

Again, this cost will vary greatly depending on the nature of the moment and its supportive or enhanced value of the experience.

Final Thoughts

In reality, the total cost of this magic moment could range from thousands to hundreds of thousands or even millions. This total is dependant on the age of the individuals involved and their lifestyle conditions leading up to this point.

Of course, not every dollar that has been spent throughout our lives will contribute to the cost of that special moment. We may have spent money on things or experiences  that didn’t support our health or the path that brought us to this specific location at this specific moment of time.

Without getting too crazy, I will argue that the cost of this magic moment started long before we were born. I feel that it has been accumulating since the beginning of time. It’s the accumulated cost of all the people in our family tree which ultimately resulted in their life’s journey and the result of our very existence.

Yes, we could say that the total of this magic moment is priceless.