Something Appropriate

time vs. value

I always like the NFL draft, because there is a hard formula for calculating value based on time of selection. Not only is this true contractually (rookie contracts are allotted on a scale, with the first draft pick making the most, the second making slightly less, etc.) but also for the picks before they are made. For example the 5th overall choice may be worth roughly one 15th overall plus a second round choice.
Anyway, the point being is these formulas would be great to apply to everyday life. As I was sorting for a yard sale, I realized that some of this stuff we were saving from the last yard sale may fetch 2 bucks total, meaning the time invested in storage probably vastly outweighs the fiscal value.
In contrast, a futon we were saving to sell may fetch 20 bucks or more. Meaning since it did take up some space, it wasn't being otherwise used and $20 will get me a third of a tank of gas. nothing to scoff at. meaning its worth keeping.
so, breaking out ye' ol math skills, here is a formula i will now try and create
( (value) TIMES (1/time to be stored) ) > 1
Translated
Take the approximate value and multiply it by the inverse of time (Usually in months)
if the result is greater than one, keep the item.
($20 futon) TIMES (1/12 months) = $1.6 > 1
keep the item
if you have an entire box of stuff, you should use the value of the entire box, not just each individual item.
Of course this ignores the value of storage, the amount of space the item takes up and the value of the space if it were used for other things. But at least its a hard number that you can use. ( a hard number that is statistically worthless.)
But if this is what it takes to get me to finally though out those ugly lamps, so be it.
NOTE: this is a great argument for thinking out what one writes instead of just scribbling it out as it comes to your head. And don't tell Kerouac I said that.