Money is Time: A Truth Few People Know

Money is not just for buying things

We all understand the meaning of the expression “time is money.”

Whenever we waste time, we miss the opportunity to use it to do something of value.

However, even if this is rarely mentioned, the opposite is also true: money is time. And this perception can show the great contribution of money to the achievement of happiness.

I talked a lot about this in the article “11 Myths About Money That Can Stop You From Generating Wealth”, but I want to explore another point of view in this new article.

Why Do We Work To Make Money?

What would be the main purpose of our work?

To earn money to support ourselves.

Each of us needs a certain amount of things to live. We are forced to produce (directly or indirectly) what we need to survive.

The easier this production process is, and the less effort and energy it takes, the better.
This way, you will have more free time to dedicate to more pleasurable activities.
The more you have produced so far (in other words, the more wealth you have accumulated), the less you will have to produce in the future.

And the more productive you are, the more rewarding this work will be.
Without money, a person must concentrate on those obligatory tasks day after day, no matter how pleasurable they are.

With money, a person can choose what he likes to do and dedicate himself more to what he really prioritizes.

Money allows you to personalize your routine (have breakfast at your favorite bakery instead of preparing it at home, buy a car instead of riding the bus, work as a writer instead of any boring job…).

In short, money increases your autonomy.

The greater your independence over your daily activities, the greater your control over your routine.
For this reason, autonomy is the basis for your happiness.
Increasing productivity can increase your happiness.

Let’s now imagine the following:

Suppose Jordan needs to work eight hours a day to earn enough money to maintain your family’s standard of living (housing, food, clothing, entertainment…).

Now suppose that, after increasing his productivity, he needs to work only six hours a day to earn the same amount of money.

What happens to these two extra hours?

Jordan will do whatever he wants with them.
But that is the point. And that is the value of wealth.
Those hours can be spent in any way he sees fit.
He no longer needs to work during these hours to maintain his standard of living.
He can even do this, in order to earn more and increase his standard of living, if that is his choice.
But he can also use these hours to find other kinds of rewards: playing with his children, watching a movie, being with his wife, writing, reading, running, painting.
He can even dedicate himself to another kind of work that he finds more rewarding (either by taking a course, studying on his own, or even sending resumes to other companies).
He can do whatever he thinks is most important for his happiness.
Some of the time that he previously had to “pay” to live (working to secure a certain standard of living) is now freed up.

In this case, more money means more time. And more time to dedicate to your well-being allows you to live happier.

Becoming more productive increases your options. It allows you to earn more or buy more if you choose to do so, but it also allows you to earn the same thing by working less.

The power of money to expand our options is its great contribution to happiness.

A certain individual may prefer to spend his life as a painter but not be able to maintain an acceptable standard of living with his paintings. More money — and the time it can buy — makes this goal possible.

An academic may prefer to spend his time researching rather than teaching; more money increases this possibility.

A person may prefer to spend more time with his children while they are still young; more money increases this possibility.

Each of these examples makes it clear that money is important not only for meeting physical or material needs. It is also very important for the achievement of many spiritual values.

Money is not just for buying things. It enables the achievement of both spiritual and material values.

Will Work Always Have To Be Boring?

It is important to make it clear that I am not underestimating the value of work or the time spent working.

Your job doesn’t necessarily have to be something that is boring and only serves to pay your bills at the end of the month.

Many things that we value can be earned as a result of our work, for example.
Work itself can be one of the most rewarding things for many people.

In addition, a lot of value can be created while you work, developing products or services that really change the lives of the people who use them.

You can design and build bridges; treat diseases; teach financial education; direct a movie; write a book.

A variety of jobs can be very rewarding.

No wonder so many people who achieve wealth continue to work. Warren Buffett, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos are just a few examples.

Money buys the material possessions that are pre-requisites for happiness, and money buys the time to go after whatever spiritual goal a person believes is essential for happiness.

Money allows anyone to achieve his or her core values. And the achievement of these values is the path to happiness.

Final Thoughts

The wealth that anyone acquires is only a tool. To achieve happiness, you need to use this tool wisely.

In the end, money can buy happiness, but it doesn’t guarantee happiness because some people can waste both money and time.

Can a middle-class person be happy? Of course! And a rich person can be unhappy. However, none of these situations rule out my thesis.

After all, happiness does not come from money alone, nor does money guarantee happiness.
But money is time and (directly or indirectly) can, yes, buy happiness.