MasterClass was about fifteen dollars a month. I cancelled it. That is roughly one hundred and eighty dollars a year. My new plan is a single private lesson with a local expert and a large amount of free YouTube. The difference stays in my pocket. Then it goes to the following. Here is what I could buy instead.
Decorative shark fin for the roof about four hundred dollars. Shark rating 0.6.
This is for the roof. It is not structural. It is a signal. When people drive past, they will know a shark lives here and has a plan. Donna asked if it is load bearing. I said no, which is why it is on the roof and not under it.
Unicycle about one hundred and twenty dollars. Shark rating 0.8.
The private lesson is about balance. The unicycle is the final exam. I will not ride it until after the lesson. Probably. A low rating is not a warning. It is a prediction.
Sword about three hundred dollars. Shark rating 0.9.
Every education has a physical component. This is mine. It will hang above the desk and remind me that discipline is sharp. I will not swing it indoors. I will swing it outdoors, where the ceiling is not a factor.
Indoor smoker about four hundred dollars. Shark rating 1.0.
Cooking is a skill. MasterClass had cooking. I can learn the same things from free videos while a small brisket fills the room with smoke. The smoke alarm is not a timer. It is a reminder.
Studio light about two hundred and fifty dollars. Shark rating 1.1.
If I am going to learn from videos, I need to look like I am taking it seriously. The light goes on my desk. It shines on my face. The face is the student.
Green screen about ninety dollars. Shark rating 1.2.
For the videos I will make after I learn things. I do not know what is behind me yet. That is the point of the green.
Karaoke machine about one hundred and fifty dollars. Shark rating 1.3.
Public speaking. Confidence. Songs Donna knows. This is not entertainment. It is a workshop.
Drone about five hundred dollars. Shark rating 1.4.
Aerial perspective. The videos are free, but the view from above costs money. Also I need to see the roof fin from a better angle.
Espresso machine about six hundred dollars. Shark rating 1.5.
MasterClass had a chef who drank coffee. I do not remember which one. The machine is for the long study sessions. The study sessions are mostly watching free videos. The coffee makes them feel official.
Bar cart about two hundred and fifty dollars. Shark rating 1.6.
The study needs a place for the coffee. It also needs a place for the cups. A cart moves. That is more flexible than a shelf.
Neon sign about three hundred dollars. Shark rating 1.7.
It will say STUDY. Then people will know the room is for study. Donna said the room is the kitchen. I said the kitchen is flexible.
Chess set about one hundred dollars. Shark rating 1.8.
Strategy. Patience. I will play against myself. One of us will win. That is the nature of chess.
Telescope about two hundred dollars. Shark rating 1.9.
For breaks. The videos are long. I need to look at something far away and remember there is a world outside the kitchen.
Leather notebook about thirty dollars. Shark rating 2.0.
The private lesson needs notes. The notes need a cover. The cover needs to be leather because a spiral notebook does not say I am serious.
Calligraphy pen set about forty dollars. Shark rating 2.1.
If the notes are going to be good, they should be legible. If they are legible, they should be beautiful. This is not vanity. It is quality control.
Microphone about one hundred dollars. Shark rating 2.2.
The free videos have sound. My own videos will need sound. I will speak into this and the computer will hear me.
Tripod about sixty dollars. Shark rating 2.3.
A camera on a stack of books is not stable. A camera on a tripod is stable. This is the difference between art and an accident.
Ring light about forty five dollars. Shark rating 2.4.
The studio light is for the desk. The ring light is for the face. The face is the student. The student needs to be visible.
Private lesson with a local expert about eighty dollars. Shark rating 3.2.
One hour. In person. I asked a local expert to teach me the one thing I actually need to know. I will take notes in the leather notebook. The rest of the curriculum is YouTube, which is free. This is the only paid instruction in the plan, and it is the reason the plan is affordable.
Whiteboard about seventy dollars. Shark rating 2.6.
For the plan. The plan is one lesson and free videos. The whiteboard will show the plan. It will also show the budget, which is a different plan.
Label maker about thirty dollars. Shark rating 2.7.
Every object in the study will get a label. The labels will say what the object is. This is how a system starts.
Filing cabinet about one hundred dollars. Shark rating 2.8.
The notes, the printouts, and the labels need a home. A cabinet is a home with drawers. The rating is high because a cabinet looks like adulthood.
Desk lamp about forty dollars. Shark rating 2.9.
The kitchen light is overhead. The desk light is specific. Specific light is how you tell the difference between a hobby and a department.
Laminator about thirty five dollars. Shark rating 3.0.
Some notes are permanent. The laminator makes them permanent. If I laminate the wrong note, that is a lesson in commitment.
Printer about one hundred and twenty dollars. Shark rating 3.1.
Free videos cannot be printed. But the notes can. I need a printer to turn the free videos into paper, which is the original video.
Paper shredder about seventy dollars. Shark rating 3.2.
For the notes that do not work out. An education has drafts. A shredder is how you respect the drafts.
Stapler about twenty dollars. Shark rating 3.3.
Loose paper is a liability. A stapler is a small machine that prevents a larger problem.
Extension cord about twenty five dollars. Shark rating 3.4.
The desk is not near the outlet. The desk is where the learning happens. The cord is how the learning gets power.
Surge protector about twenty two dollars. Shark rating 3.5.
If the learning gets a power surge, the learning stops. This is not expensive. It is insurance for the extension cord.
Batteries about eighteen dollars. Shark rating 3.6.
For the microphone, the label maker, and the thing I forgot to check. Batteries are the quiet part of any plan.
LED light bulbs about twenty dollars. Shark rating 3.7.
The study has two lamps and a ceiling. The bulbs should match. When the bulbs match, the room looks deliberate.
Sponges about eight dollars. Shark rating 3.8.
The kitchen is also the study. The kitchen has dishes. The dishes are part of the study environment. I am not going to learn in a room with a dirty pan.
Dish soap about five dollars. Shark rating 3.9.
The sponges need help. This is a partnership. Donna said this is the most sensible thing on the list. I am choosing to hear that as support.
Laundry detergent about fifteen dollars. Shark rating 4.0.
I will be taking notes in clean clothes. Clean clothes are a professional courtesy to the local expert. The expert is coming to the house.
Coffee filters about six dollars. Shark rating 4.1.
The espresso machine was a large purchase. The filters are for the regular coffee that keeps the espresso machine from being the only coffee. This is a backup plan. I call it a department.
Trash bags about twelve dollars. Shark rating 4.2.
The shredded notes, the coffee grounds, and the packaging from all of the above need somewhere to go. The bags are the exit strategy.
Toilet paper about twenty dollars. Shark rating 4.3.
A functioning household is the foundation of any education. I am not going to explain this further.
Plain white socks about fifteen dollars. Shark rating 4.9.
The rest of the list is an education. This is the part where I put on socks and go to the local expert’s lesson on time. Donna said just buy the damn socks. I am buying the socks.