A util is a business term that represents one measure of quality, balanced against what it costs. Cost is measured by money, convenience, time, and effort. A product that has high utils is a product that gives a high amount of usability and enjoyment with a relatively low cost. Something with low utils is a product that has high cost and low value.
When making a purchase, Jay considers the utils, and it guides him in making a decision. By considering the cost vs. the benefits helps weed out the ridiculous and impulsive buys. It also eases the buyer’s remorse after a big purchase. If we just bought a new car, we’ll be happy thinking about the utils we’re getting from it because it is worth the cost.
Utils can be used in eating and spending calories too. Is the enjoyment and physical benefit of a food worth the calorie and fat cost? Am I getting high utils on the snack I choose?
Think about the following two examples using utils for snacks and desserts.
Snacks. The purpose of a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack is to help sustain our appetite, and boost our energy during sluggish times. Therefore, a snack with high utils will be one that gives high amounts of both energy and sustainability for a low amount of calories and fat. Milk is a good choice since it contains both sugar for energy and protein to sustain us. A donut, on the other hand, will guarantee a sugar crash, giving it low utils.
Desserts. Utils can be defined in terms of enjoyment and pleasure. When I decide to eat a luscious piece of pumpkin cheesecake, I think its utils will be worth its cost in calories and fat. However, eating the dessert often will cause its enjoyment to decline, and soon the cost will be higher than its value. Eating too much dessert will give it low utils.
I think I like this way of looking at buying and eating. It’s simple logic. Sometimes I make things way too complicated.
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