--%>

What is the opportunity cost of your decision

Suppose you arrive at a store expecting to pay $100 for an item, but learn that a store two miles away is charging $50 for it.  Would you drive there and buy it?  How does your decision benefit you?  What is the opportunity cost of your decision?  Now suppose you arrive at a store expecting to pay $6000 for an item, but learn that it costs $5950 at the other store.  Do you make the same decision as before? Perhaps surprisingly, you should!  Explain why.

E

Expert

Verified

Driving to the other store to save $50 does involve some cost in terms of time and inconvenience.  However, for most of us the time it takes to drive two miles would be worth $50.  For example, if it takes about ten minutes extra time and a negligible amount of gasoline (unless your time is worth $300 an hour, or $50 per each ten-minute period), it would benefit you to drive to the other store.  While in the second case, $50 may seem like less compared to the $6000 total price, for you the $50 is still a $50 savings, exactly the same as in the first case.  Therefore, you should apply the same reasoning.  Is the $50 benefit from driving the extra two miles worth the cost?  The conclusion should be the same in both cases.

   Related Questions in Business Economics

  • Q : Production function for the game

    Question Can you describe what the production function for the game looks like? (How are labour, capital and resources combined? Are there constant, increasing or decreasing returns to scale?) Answer

    Q : Positive Balance of Payments Question:

    Question: "Things will look good for the US if we could just get to where we are consistently running a positive Balance of Payments." Briefly comment on this

  • Q : What is an inverse relationship Briefly

    Briefly explain the use of graphs as a way to present economic relationships. What is an inverse relationship?

  • Q : What are economic resources What are

    What are economic resources? What are the major functions of the entrepreneur?

  • Q : Explain a refutation of the doctrines

    Adam Smith wrote his Wealth of Nations within part like a refutation of the doctrines: (1) classical liberalism. (2) utilitarianism. (3) mercantilism. (4) physiocracy. (5) laissez faire capitalism.

  • Q : Case of arbitrage while selling and

    Assume that melons sell for $5 in Brazil when moose pelts sell for $10, still into Canada melons sell for $10 as well as moose pelts sell for $5. A person who buys moose pelts within Canada to sell into Brazil would be doing: (1) speculation. (2) the “invisible

  • Q : Illustrates inverse relationship

    Illustrates the inverse relationship between price and quantity?

  • Q : Larger amount is actually purchased at

    Critically evaluate:  “In comparing the two equilibrium positions, it note that a larger amount is actually purchased at a higher price. This disprove the law of demand.”

  • Q : Meaning of Economic Development

    Question Discuss what "economic development" means in the context of this game? (Hint: How do you win, and what do you have at the end of the game that you did not have at the beginning of the game?)

  • Q : Price charges of firm in perfectly

    Assume that the equilibrium price within a perfectly competitive industry is $15 and a firm into the industry charges $21 there. Which of the given will occur: w) the firm's profits will rise. x) The firm's revenue will rise. y) The firm will not sell