Jesse reads an excerpt from the book The End of Average by Todd Rose. In the late 1940's the Air Force had a dangerous problem on its hands -- aircraft of all kinds were malfunctioning and crashing at alarming rates. The Air Force brought in scientist Lt Gilbert S Daniels to diagnose the problem. Daniels discovered that the Air Force had designed cockpits based on thousands of physical measurements taken from its ranks of pilots, then averaged. Daniels ascertained that despite the rigor and breadth of the measurements, not a single active pilot in the Air Force actually matched up with all the averages. In short, the Air Force had designed their planes around an average pilot that didn't actually exist, causing pilots to have trouble controlling their planes.
We can take a lesson from Lt. Daniels discovery when it comes to our budgets. It's tempting to come up with an average for each line item, and compare your budget to someone else's or perhaps even a regional or national "average." Designing your budget around averages may not actually fit your life, and, going back to Episode 420, may leave your budget rigid and inflexible.
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Ask Jesse: ...And Done!
Ask Jesse: We're Getting There People!
Ask Jesse: Still Catching Up
Ask Jesse: Catching Up
An Experiment Made Permanent
When Expenses Rise: Ben Rolls With the Punches
Money Stress
Rules Changes: A Quick Trip Through YNAB History
How to Talk to Your Partner About Budgeting
Managing Vacation Transactions
How Often Should You Reconcile?
Leaving Margin for Life
One Easy Trick to Boost Your Retirement Savings
This Question Doesn't Have to Be Scary: Can I Afford This?
A Different Take on Credit Cards
Paying Off Debt the Sustainable Way
Rule Four Reviewed
Rule Three Reviewed
Rule Two Reviewed
Rule One Reviewed
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