Taking stock of your return on spending

AS INVESTORS, we spend a great deal of time measuring returns. We track markets daily, analyse charts and compare our investment performance against benchmarks. And when the year comes to a close, the first thing many of us look at is our portfolio statement.

But there is another return we seldom evaluate: the return on our spending.

Every dollar we spend shapes our lives in small or big ways. Some spending brings joy, connection and better health. Some bring regret, or nothing meaningful at all.