There are indeed similarities between managing your investment properties and groceries.
If you know that you're gonna use the same brand or kinds of flour, oil, seasoning and spices to prepare your meals every other day or so, it makes sense to buy in bulk a month's supply at one go. Many grocers have bulk discounts or special 'day of week' promotions. Once you have enjoyed the economy of scale of bulk purchase, obviously as foods are eventually perishable and have expiry dates, you will need to use them up within that certain time period. Otherwise stuff goes to waste. In the example above, if you're say sick of bread, the ingredients may be used to dish up something quite different, for example, pies or even cakes. Just so they don't go to waste.
In the same vein, once your investment property is ready to let, every day it is empty is money down the drain, especially if it's mortgaged. It's money out and nothing in. So instead of insisting on getting a tenant that is willing to pay the rent you expect, why not consider dropping it by say 10% - who knows, you may seal a deal right away. Dollars and cents become much more sensitive issues to the average tenant in tough times like now. The month or months of vacancy would be more than made up for with the mere 10% drop in income, more so if the signed lease is for more than year.
property investment for the everyday foodie
