A TOUCH OF FROST #15 – Vanilla Ice Cream, The Urge to Splurge & Hot Air Balloons
Vanilla Ice Cream
Over the past couple weeks, I have had numerous people (more than normal) ask me about what kind of ice cream flavour I have in my freezer. Before I answered their question, I always asked it right back to them, “What kind of ice cream do you have?” And I got a variety of different answers, hardly ever the same, nothing really close to how I answered it.
For some additional context, these people are all individuals in their early 20s. I figured ice cream palates would be similar across different age groups. However, I was wrong. I got answers ranging from Rocky Road to chocolate brownie chunks to Drumsticks! When I asked why they had picked these flavours/kinds, I got plenty of answers: “My friend told me to buy this flavour” or “I saw this online and looked good.” Then, after discussing theirs, I would finally give my answer to the question, saying, “Plain boring vanilla ice cream.” Yes, vanilla ice cream! Nothing beats vanilla ice cream (in my opinion), especially a tasty smooth vanilla. Whether it’s actual soft-serve or hard ice cream, vanilla is my go-to right now in life.
It’s simple, I don’t really need to think, it nullifies choices/cravings. I don’t need to think about what I’m craving; I just know that if I want ice cream, I can get ice cream. I also know what I am getting. Maybe I won’t get the same sugar high as a Chocolate Brownie Extreme, but I also may not be disappointed if I get Rocky Road and it is too rocky… It’s vanilla, I know what vanilla tastes like. Yes, it could be slightly disappointing, maybe too soft, but I know I can live with that disappointment more than if I got a bad batch of Rocky Road.
I also find that, with vanilla ice cream, it’s hard to have too much. I can consistently have vanilla ice cream without overthinking it or doubting if that was the correct choice or not. If I were to get Cotton Candy flavour because I saw an ad for it and it flopped, I might be hard-pressed to buy ice cream again. The other possibility is that I might hit it out of the park and end up loving that Cotton Candy ice cream. I’d then go back, either buy more Cotton Candy or go buy another flavour from that brand, hoping it’s as good as the first time, and experience the same feeling I had the first time around. Maybe it works twice, maybe it doesn’t. Who knows. With vanilla, I know every time I buy it, I will enjoy it. Vanilla ice cream is also easy to buy. Every store has it, the price is affordable and I can get large quantities. Look at a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, it very well could be one serving. However, when I buy a tub of vanilla ice cream, I can continuously have many servings, maybe monthly, maybe weekly. Having that tub at home already means I can go back to it, I know the product. Whereas if I were to enjoy one pint of Rocky Road, the next time I crave ice cream, I have to go to the store, find a flavour, and hope I like it.
By now, you probably think I am crazy. Just vanilla? Seriously? How can you not switch it up? Isn’t it boring? My answer is yes; it is boring but I don’t need to switch yet. I want ice cream, we have that in common, but I just want ice cream. I don’t need to blow my mind every time I have it, I just enjoy the simplicity of vanilla ice cream.
Having said that, I’m not actually talking about ice cream; you may have picked up on this already. I am actually talking about investments. For where I am in my life, I don’t need to be picking stocks or finding the next best thing.
The idea of investing individual stocks is fun, don’t get me wrong, and people have great success in doing so. It’s just not the kind of risk I am willing to take right now. On the Path to the One Comma Club, I want plain, boring products that can help reduce the impact of individual stock volatility, although values can still decline. These types of investments may be appropriate for some investors, depending on their financial situation, goals, and risk tolerance, but are not suitable for everyone. We always say, the first $100,000 is your hardest. Picking stocks can only make it harder.
I’m still working towards the One Comma Club; you should look into it too. Keep in mind that this reflects my personal approach and may not be suitable for others. More on the One Comma Club can be found here.
What I’m Seeing and Reading
The Urge to Splurge – Jared Dillian
- This article provides a great perspective on thinking about how to spend our hard-earned money. “You don’t want to live above your means, but you don’t want to live below your means either. You want to live at your means.”
A Government Debt Crisis? – Ben Carlson
- Since COVID, it seems like, on a monthly basis, you come across a headline about the U.S. debt situation and how massive it is. Heck, there is a website just to watch it go up. Canada is not much better; you hear it constantly that the government has doubled the debt since x date. Ben provides an interesting article explaining what it actually means.
Why Early Planning for Brain Health Matters Now – Raymond James Ltd.
- By 2031, one million Canadians will be living with dementia. We can roughly guess when it can come, but no one truly knows. That means your estate planning, retirement plans, and final wishes all need to be planned out earlier. This doesn’t mean they need to be picture-perfect, but the guardrails should be in place, just in case a swerve happens.
The Top-Ten Reason Why You Should Never Write a Will. – Tom Deans
- A fun, thought-provoking article by Tom Deans about why you should never write a will.
Chip-Ins From the Week – Hot Air Balloons
This past weekend, May 21-24, Medicine Hat hosted its 5th annual Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival! When I say it is a pretty cool event, it is a pretty cool event. Unique is a great way to describe it. Pilots from all over North America come to Medicine Hat and fly over our skyline, weather permitting, of course. However, it is more than just balloons. The Saturday of the event is a community day with breakfasts, movies, events, and activities for people of all ages. This event is put on by Our Collective Journey to raise awareness for mental health and to fundraise for better support, coaching and well-being, as well as to help at-risk Albertans. It truly is a wonderful weekend.
On that note, here are some fun facts about hot air balloons:
- A typical hot air balloon burner can produce up to 15 million BTUs of heat. To put that in perspective, it’s about 150 times more powerful than a standard home gas grill.
- If you’re offered a post-flight champagne toast, this isn’t just to celebrate. It’s actually a long-standing, cherished tradition in ballooning, and it started for very practical reasons.
- When you are floating in a hot air balloon, you move with the wind, not against it. Because you become part of the air current, the only time you might feel a slight breeze on your face is when the airship is moving between two different air layers going in different directions and speeds. The basket remains remarkably still and peaceful as it drifts along.
Enjoy the weekend,
Jonny
Disclaimer: Information in this article is from sources believed to be reliable; however, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete. It is provided as a general source of information and should not be considered personal investment advice or solicitation to buy or sell securities. Raymond James advisors are not tax advisors and we recommend that clients seek independent advice from a professional advisor on tax-related matters. The views are those of the author, Jonathan Van Dam, and not necessarily those of Raymond James Ltd. Investors considering any investment should consult with their Investment Advisor to ensure that it is suitable for the investor’s circumstances and risk tolerance before making any investment decision. This provides links to other Internet sites for the convenience of users. Raymond James Ltd. is not responsible for the availability or content of these external sites, nor does Raymond James Ltd endorse, warrant or guarantee the products, services or information described or offered at these other Internet sites. Users cannot assume that the external sites will abide by the same Privacy Policy which Raymond James Ltd adheres to. Raymond James Ltd. is a Member Canadian Investor Protection Fund.
