التضحية بالفرصة (Opportunity Cost) هي مفهوم اقتصادي يشير إلى القيمة المفقودة لفرصة بديلة عندما يتم اختيار خيار معين. بمعنى آخر، هي الفائدة المحتملة التي كان من الممكن الحصول عليها من الخيار الذي لم يتم اختياره. على سبيل المثال، إذا قررت قضاء ساعات في الدراسة بدلاً من العمل، فإن التضحية بالفرصة ستكون الراتب الذي كنت ستكسبه من العمل خلال تلك الساعات.

Definition and Examples of Opportunity Cost

Opportunity Cost is

The value of what an investor loses when choosing one investment over another. In short, opportunity cost is the loss incurred in order to achieve a profit, or the loss of one profit in favor of another. For example, when an investor chooses to sell his current shares instead of holding them for later sale, he misses the opportunity to make a profit in the future.

How Does Opportunity Cost Work?

When faced with a financial decision, you can try to determine the return you will get from each option. For example, assume you are considering selling a bond and using the money you will receive to buy another bond. You can visualize the opportunities using the following table:

Other details on how to capitalize on opportunity

How to Calculate Opportunity Cost

Although opportunity cost is not an exact measure, you can estimate the potential future financial value that you chose not to receive and compare it to the value of the decision you made instead. Here is the formula to calculate opportunity cost:

What does opportunity cost mean for you

Explicit Costs

For investors, explicit costs are the direct payments incurred, for example, when purchasing a stock or option or spending money to improve a rental property. These costs can include wages, utility bills, materials, or rent.

Implicit Costs

Implicit costs do not represent a direct financial payment. They are not direct costs to you but represent the lost opportunity to generate income from your resources. For example, if you have a second home that you use as a vacation home, the implicit cost is the rental income you could have generated had you rented it out and received monthly rent checks when it is not in use.

Considerations

For you, if you find it difficult to understand the theory, remember that opportunity cost is linked to the idea that every decision requires a sacrifice for something. We live in a limited world – you cannot be in two places at once. Ultimately, every decision requires a certain sacrifice.

Frequently Asked Questions

– What is the simple definition of opportunity cost?

Opportunity cost is the value derived from what you lose when choosing one among multiple options. Each choice has sacrifices, and the opportunity cost is the potential benefit you will miss out on by choosing one direction over another.

– Why does opportunity cost matter?

Understanding opportunity cost can help you make better decisions. When you fully understand the costs and potential benefits of each option you are weighing, you can make a more informed decision and be better prepared for any consequences that your choice may carry.

Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/what-is-opportunity-cost-357200