How much have you spent on Real Estate Education?

[Cal C.]

I've probably bought a couple of dozen books over the years and I've spend a few hundred on my BP plus membership, so a few hundred dollars in total.  Best book I've read is @J Scott 's The book on Flipping Houses.  I've learned tons on BP and one other landlord site, which I stopped reading once I truly discovered BP. 

Please exclude the school of hard knocks-meaning any losses you suffered; although, they are often a great teaching tool they are harder to quantify.   Thanks!  

[AJ Ard]

I have spent tens of thousands on RE courses and hundreds of thousands on all types of educational expenses. In hindsight I have realized that cost and value can vary significantly. In the future I have been more selective in what I am willing to pay for and require a list of prior students to select a sample to discuss what the course did for them and their experience with the material. Many of the gurus will say unable due to confidentiality. That is an automatic reason to exclude them. I think the most effective way to utilize any educational information is to start small and boot strap the material and cost up if it is effective. If the material pays for itself than it has proven its worth. Additionally I think everyone should allocate a small percentage of income to educating themselves on their chosen fields. Maybe somewhere between 1-5% should be allocated to continuing education and consider like a marketing expense. Just my two cents!