Home / Hidden Secrets of Value with Alan Hibbard / Saving vs. Investing | Hidden Secrets of Value Ep. 1 | Alan Hibbard
Episode One: Saving vs. Investing


About This Episode
In the opening episode of Hidden Secrets of Value, Alan Hibbard challenges the way we think about every decision we make — financial or otherwise. At its core, life is a constant series of trades. We trade time for money, money for goods, and sometimes, peace of mind for a sense of safety.
But what if we’ve been making bad trades all along?
Alan walks us through the foundational concept of value — not price, but value — and how understanding this one idea can transform your financial strategy, your career choices, and even your overall satisfaction in life. This episode reveals that to truly build wealth, we must stop thinking like consumers and start thinking like value-driven investors in everything we do.
Key Question
What’s the difference between saving and investing, and how does understanding value create wealth?
Price vs. Value
Price is what you pay. Value is what you get. This fundamental distinction separates successful investors from everyone else.
Key Insight:
Most people confuse price with value, leading to poor investment decisions. Price is simply the cost you pay, while value represents the benefit you receive in return.
Practical Takeaway:
Before making any investment, ask yourself: ‘What value am I getting for this price?’ Often the benefit is a feeling, not a prudent investment.
Value is Subjective
Value is a perceived benefit. It is subjective, forward-looking, and dynamic. Understanding this changes how you view every investment opportunity.
Key Insight:
Value is perceived benefit. It is subjective, forward-looking, and dynamic. Understanding this changes how you view every investment opportunity.
Practical Takeaway:
Research investments thoroughly to understand their unique value proposition. Wealth flows to people who acquire valuable resources at low prices.
Energy Investment
Any investment requires an ongoing expenditure of energy. If you ‘make an investment’ and don’t spend energy monitoring or growing it, it will fail.
Key Insight:
All investments demand your time, attention, and energy to maintain and grow. Even with your energy investment, there is no guarantee that an investment will prove fruitful.
Practical Takeaway:
If you think you found ‘passive income,’ guess again. There is likely a great source of risk than you’re accounting for.
Unpopular Assets
Real financial gains come from investing in unpopular assets before they become popular. The crowd is usually wrong at turning points.
Key Insight:
The best investment opportunities are often found in assets that are currently out of favor. When everyone loves an asset, it’s usually overpriced.
Practical Takeaway:
Look for quality assets that are temporarily unpopular due to negative sentiment or lack of understanding. Be contrarian when you have strong conviction.
True Saving
Saving means preserving the value you have. True saving protects your purchasing power against the erosion of currency debasement.
Key Insight:
Traditional ‘saving’ in currency actually loses value over time due to inflation and debasement, which means it isn’t really saving.
Practical Takeaway:
Store your wealth in assets that historically preserve purchasing power, such as precious metals. This is ‘saving’ even if your government doesn’t call it that.
Ready to Take Action?
Apply what you’ve learned and start building your financial future today.