Volksrust Recorder - Column/Rubrieke10 Recorder 12 August 2016

ChangeYourStory

With Jacques de Villiers

Volksrust SemeBusiness Chamber

Procrastinationis the thief of time

How much moneyyou save when you buyhousehold goodsin bulk in SABy Staff WriterAugust 7, 2016With a tough economy leading SouthAfrican households to pinch their penniesat the till, consumers are looking at moreways to save money on groceries and otherhousehold products.One way to cut costs is to shop smarter –by purchasing some of the most-usedhousehold items in bulk, and subsequentlycutting down on having to stock up on theproducts every week or so.Some smaller communities and social groupshave even turned to “bulk-buying clubs”,where everyone pays in to get specific itemsin bulk, saving money in the process.There is some debate over whether or notbulk buying is an effect cost-saving tool –with analysts arguing that having an

abundance of a specific item may lead toheavier consumption, or that shopperssimply by items that they wouldn’t typicallyuse.It has been suggested that it’s more cost-effective to simply use less, or to switch to acheaper brand.However, for those who are sticklers forspecific brands – and know which productsthey use regularly – buying bulk could helpyou save money in the long-run.BusinessTech looked at the prices of bulkcosts (from Makro) versus individual costsof some popular most-used products inSouth Africa, and determined how muchshoppers would save.

For more information, please callWillem Hussel-mann - 082 415 7725Freddie Kapp - 017 735 4444Ashraf Moola - 082 588 5515

Overall, buying the listed items on anindividual basis in the same quantity wouldbe 7.5% more expensive than buying theitems in bulk.Of course, the value of bulk buying extendsonly so far as consumers are able to pay theup-front cost of buying in such largequantities.Notably, in hunting down the prices for thecomparison above, it must be noted thatseveral promotions were taking place onindividual items (prices presented are non-promotional for comparative purposes).This reinforces sentiments that, if savingmoney is your ultimate goal, looking forgood deals can sometimes yield better

savings than simply buying in bulk.But because promotions and deals aretemporary and not always consistent,consumers may need to shop around tobenefit.It is important for retailers to take note ofthis trend and ensure that more promotionsare run on a more consistent basis for thegeneral consumer out there. On ideas howto run promotions but still benefit from it,contact your local Business Chamber.

My girlfriend thinks I’m a procrastinator. Shegoes so far as to say that I’m like the designerof the Japanese flag. You know the one, thered circle on the white background.She’s right you know. I am a procrastinator.I’m like, “Never put off till tomorrow whatmay be done the day after tomorrow just aswell.”I actually wanted to write on the subject ofprocrastination a couple of months ago. And,here it is, three months later. Ironic really.So, why do I procrastinate? I get that asEdward Young said, that, “Procrastinationis the thief of time”, and that I only have 2-billion seconds or so to play on this planet.So, why don’t I do what should be donetoday but rather put it off for tomorrow orfor never? I really don’t have that much timeto waste now do I?I think that for me there are two very clearreasons.First, there are just some things that I reallydon’t like doing, even though they need tobe done. A courageous conversation. Fillingin a tax form. Picking up dog poop. Sendinginvoices (actually I don’t really mind doingthat since money won’t miraculously appearin my bank account). Writing articles.Keeping my social media content up-to-date.There’s so many better things to do. Likesorting out my sock drawer. Reading one ofthe six books I’ve got on the go at themoment. Watching a rerun of Friends for the3rd time. Wiping my computer withdisinfectant. Sorting out my desk. Cleaningout unwanted or unread emails from myinbox. Obviously, I get that when one thinkssorting out his sock drawer is more importantthan say … sending an invoice … then onehas a problem. It’s classic avoidance.Second, I clearly don’t like the mundane andbanality of everyday life. Getting up, eating,going to work, eating, going home, eating,sleeping, getting up … I think that I’vewatched too many movies. In an hour and ahalf one has half a dozen adventures, getsthe smoking hot femme fatale and saves theworld. Most days the only ‘adventure’ I haveis spilling my coffee in the saucer. So, whatdo I do to combat this banality? Of course, Ileave everything for the last second. Eachcrisis and drama that is caused by myprocrastination makes me come alive (andstresses out every other living soulinvolved). I can do things quickly and bethe hero of my own story.I can knock up an article in 20 minutes andjust beat the deadline (this article took 32

minutes). I deliver the story with fiveminutes to spare and both Enid andAnnemarie who put your newspapertogether every week breathe a sigh of relief.Like they need more stress! I’m the hero andsaved the day. Problem is that I actuallycaused the stress for everyone (includingmyself) because I selfishly wanted to feelalive. But it is addictive and I can’t help it.Me versus the clock. It’s an adrenaline rushand it does keep the boredom away.Can I change? Can I stop procrastinating? Ithink so. I just need to reframe the way I seemy life. You see, every moment that I get toplay is a blessing. I may depart this life anysecond from now. So, every task, be itmundane or magnificent is a gift that hasbeen given to me. Everything I do and everylesson I learn is there to help make me a betterperson. That invoice that gets sent pays formy daughter’s education, her acting and hermusic lessons. Filling in my tax form couldkeep me out of jail. That conversation I’vebeen avoiding could make a real difference.Writing articles feed my soul and every nowand then add to my bank account. Pickingup dog poop … mmm, I still can’t sell myselfon that one.I suppose that what I’m getting to realize isthat I shouldn’t put off for tomorrow what Ican do today. I already have the mostextraordinary life and should savor everymoment that has been graced to me. I like tobelieve that I’m a warrior. And, if I’m goingto be a true warrior, I should heed the wordsof Don Juan, Carlos Castaneda’s spiritualteacher: “A warrior doesn’t wish to beanywhere but in this moment.” I get thatevery moment and every task no matter howbanal, is an opportunity to hone my bladeso that I can be the best warrior I can be.And, of course, there’s still a bit of ego leftin me and a need to leave a legacy. So, thesewords by Donald Gardner have made metake notice, “Do you know what happenswhen you give a procrastinator a good idea?Nothing!” I don’t want to be that guy. Theguy that did nothing with his potential. Doyou?Footnote: I actually don’t mind being calledthe designer of the Japanese flag. It may bea simple design but the symbolism is quitesublime: The white on Japan’s flagrepresents honesty, purity of the Japanesepeople and integrity. The red sun diskrepresents the sun goddess Amaterasu whowas the founder of Japan. The red disksymbolizes a bright future for the country.Source: www.reference.comFor further information:Jacques de Villiers 082 906 3693www.jacquesdevilliers.com

"What I’m getting torealize is that Ishouldn’t put off fortomorrow what I can dotoday".