Tag: Opportunity Cost
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Understanding Seasonal Trends in Toy Sales
A lot of toys are bought during December, and the news makes it seem as if Christmas spending plans are important news. Christmas and birthday are likely to be the two biggest reasons to buy toys for a child. “Canadian toy and games sales generated almost $7.3 billion in retail store sales in 2022”. Most…
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Trick or Treat: Lessons in Economics
Halloween is an odd event because it is so silly: people dress up in scary costumes and, for one night in the year, anybody who knocks on the door is given candy. This post notes six lessons involving economics, not including the incentive/threat implied by the phrase “Trick or Treat”.
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The Truth About Investing in Fractional Shares: Marginal Thinking Explained
You may have seen the ads from banks suggesting investors should buy fractions of a share of a company. Normally, I applaud anybody who thinks on the margin. This post applies marginal thinking to this suggestion and argues that, with one exception, buying a fraction of a share displays ignorance or narrowness of thinking.
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What HBC’s 355-Year Journey Reveals about Opportunity Cost
Recent news about the end of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) emphasizes financial and related numbers: HBC lost about $330 million during the last 12 months; it owes at least $1 billion; 9,300 employees plus contractors will lose their jobs (income, benefits, …); 74 stores and 40 million sq. ft. of retail space will become…
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Economic Lessons Hidden in Popular Movies
The Oscars® are handed out on March 2, and, in many Canadian provinces, Spring Break for high school students is soon after. So, now is a good time to remember that some movies present important economic ideas entertainingly. Most movies do a bad job of conveying economic ideas precisely.
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What are the Effects of Tariffs on a Nation’s Wealth?
This old question has been given new life by the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America. Using tariffs to “fix” a trade deficit is seductively appealing but, like other zombie ideas, it relies on a misunderstanding. In this case, it ignores two basic principles of economics: opportunity cost and…
5 Basic Principles of Economics 