I
ssue 299; sitting right on
the eve of an absolute
milestone, issue 300!
With 299 issues under
our belt I still firmly
believe this publication has
delivered the single best value
for money in the 4WD industry,
hands down. Sure, as industries
evolve and technologies
emerge, these facts will change
but for the most part, a glossy
magazine and a full length,
action packed, professionally
produced DVD for under a
tenner is bloody good value.
What else in this industry can
you get such enjoyment out of
for the price?
Yep, there’s been no other
time in the history of the
Australian 4WD industry where
we’ve been so utterly spoiled
for choice, when it comes to
purchasing within the 4WD and
outdoor sphere. From budget
to deluxe, you can literally pick
a price point and pay your
money. My way of gathering as
much value from an item is to
determine if it’s a want or a
need. Something I need is an
item I’m not overly concerned
about price with; yes you read
that right. I’m happy to pay top
dollar for a quality item I need.
I’m not going to scrimp on a
dodgy rip-off satellite phone to
save a few bucks cos when it
comes time to use that sucker I
absolutely need it to work.
Wants are a whole other story.
A want isn’t a necessity and as
such I can shop around a little.
I’m happy to accept some
failings or perhaps lesser
quality in a want such that it
saves me a buck or two.
However for both to represent
good value for money they
MUST play a part; either paying
for themselves (in my line of
work this is a real factor) or by
being used proactively.
Mixing the words lifestyle
and value for money is a weird
concept for many but the truth
is, they are in my opinion,
critically linked. You can’t buy a
lifestyle; it’s something you
create. So spending your pay
packet on an item should be
carefully calculated such that
you’re getting lifestyle value for
money out of it. What the heck
am I talking about? Ok let’s say
you’ve saved $500 and want to
put that coin to use; how do youdo so to get best value for your
money? In my opinion you aim it
fair and square at your
lifestyle. If you’ve got crippling
bills, pay those suckers off.
Your rig is well overdue for a
service, get it done. These are
obvious choices and they suck
but they are life. Well so too do
real lifestyle choices. I’d love to
run a portal axle GU with a fire
breathing V8 but, while I could
probably put all my pennies
together and make that
happen, it’s just a want. All I
need is a 4WD that works. So
while something works I prefer
to keep that lifestyle aspect
going (that portal axle Patrol
isn’t a lifestyle, it’s a money pit)
so I’d put that $500 towards
food and diesel and simply go
bush! See diesel might not be
the first thing you think of whenyou think value for money but
there’s not much else, except
perhaps this very magazine,
that will give you as much
enjoyment, as a full tank of
fuel and the time to put it to
good use.
So next time you’re about to
hand over your hard earned
folding cash, stop for a second
and do the math on just what
sort of value for money you’re
getting. Is it going to pay you
back with a foot firmly in the
lifestyle corner? After all, as
we head into issue 300 its
worth remembering my
motto; Work to Live, don’t Live
to Work.Graham is thinking
about the value
he gets out of
supporting his
offroad lifestlyeWORDS BY GRAHAM CAHILL
VALU E
FOR MONEY
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