How to Buy Time and Live Happier Without Feeling Guilty

Crush these two self-imposed feelings of guilt holding you back from a happier life

Photo by Maria Lupan on Unsplash

Buying time is not just smart; it’s essential for happiness.

Study after study has shown that using money to buy back time is one of the best uses of money to increase happiness.

However, many people who can afford time-saving services like home cleaning, landscaping, or tax filing often hesitate to use them.

Why do people avoid paying for time-saving services?

In a word: Guilt.

1. Guilt that you are not being “frugal.”
2. The guilt of hiring someone to do a task that society says you ‘should’ do yourself.

Both of these feelings of guilt are self-imposed.

If you are time-strapped and have disposable income, you must squash these guilt feelings to live a fuller, happier life.

It’s good to be frugal, but don’t be a cheapskate

The Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) movement preaches ‘frugalness,’ but the result is ‘cheapness.’

I’ve always viewed frugalness to mean avoiding spending money on things that…