you may think economics is just about gdp and the fed. but actually, it's the science of weighing costs and benefits - which makes it also very useful for solving problems in everyday life.
how to win an argument with your spouse
a marriage, like a lot of economic arrangements, is a long-term investment. it's smarter to defer an immediate profit (proving to your spouse that you're more intelligent/ deserving/put upon) in order to gain a longer-lasting one (a spouse who thinks you take his or her points seriously).
so in the middle of your next battle, stop and remember, "the chance that i am wrong is at least 50%." and ask yourself whether this particular fifty-fifty proposition is worth the certainty that you'll steam your spouse if you insist on winning. then give in.
how to find a good restaurant in a strange city
keep in mind just one simple principle: competition raises quality and lowers price. look for large numbers of restaurants of a similar kind - barbecue in rural texas, mexican food in chicago - where competition will work its magic. avoid going to the restaurant on the main drag; the worst ones are those with a captive (or lazy) audience.
how to really help a charity
what you don't want to do is send a check for $50 with a hint that you own a yacht. because fund raising is so expensive, the nonprofit will probably end up spending more money on future solicitations than you're worth. minimize the costs of extracting a donation and processing it: give one large amount to your favorite cause rather than small sums to many.
how to get someone to fall in love with you
join a dating service such as eharmony that uses scientific formulas to tell a potential mate that you are a terrific match. the point is not that the formulas really work (who knows?) but that the users of the service believe they do - and therefore will be receptive to you. a lot about closing a deal, whether in business or romance, is simply being open to it.
你想到的经济一定只是关乎gdp和联邦储备。但实际上，它是一门权衡收支的科学——它可以非常有效的解决日常生活中的问题。
如何在夫妻间的争论中胜出
婚姻本身就像是许多个经济学问题排列而成，它是一个长期投资。为了取得一个长期且持续的利益而推迟眼前利益是明智的。这既能向配偶证明你聪明、有功而且会让对方认为你认真的听取了她或他的意见。
所以，在你接近成功的中途，停下来并且记得要想一下，“我有至少50%的机率可能失败。”并问问你自己这种机会和风险对半的事情是否值得你和家人去冒险，如果你仍然坚持认为会成功，那么就去做吧。
如何在陌生的城市里找到一个物美价廉的餐馆
紧记这个简单的原则：竞争会优化商品质量且降低商品降格。寻找比较多同类餐馆——得克萨斯的乡下烧烤，芝加哥的墨西哥食物——竞争在这些地方发挥了神奇的力量。避免在城市的主要街道用餐；那是最差的地方，别去当冤大头。
如何真正帮助到需要帮助的人
别给人家寄一张五十美元的支票，同时却暗示自己拥有游艇。现在基金涨到这么高，你很可能因为金融市场的美好前景的诱惑而投入了过多数量的钱但最终却无利可图。减小选取和进行捐赠的成本的方法就是：把一笔大额度的款项给你所喜欢的目标而不是把它分散给许多小目标。
如何让别人爱上你
加入一个类似像eharmony这样的交友服务，他们会用系统而科学的方案为你选取一个潜在的可能和你非常合拍的人。这不是说这个方案真的那么有效（谁知道呢？）但是它的用户们完全相信——因此你将更容易接受。成交的秘诀，一大半在于持一个开放的态度，商场如此，情场亦然。