I used to think that saving money was a smart way to handle my money. I felt like I had won if I walked ten extra blocks to avoid paying for delivery or spent hours looking for the cheapest version of something online. Every dollar I saved felt like a medal. I was proud to be thrifty. I wore it like it was me.
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But one day, I was stuck in traffic after taking the longer, free route across town. I had to sit in traffic for an extra forty-five minutes to save three dollars. I was hungry, stressed, and running late for something important. I checked the time, and all of a sudden, the maths didn't make sense. At that moment, I realised I wasn't saving.
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I was giving up time that I could never get back for small amounts of money that I could make again. That idea scared me. Money was always the most important thing to me. The thing I had to protect, stretch, grow, and defend at all costs. But I had been ignoring the one thing I could never get more of: my time. I began to think about how often I made choices based on money without thinking about time.
How I would spend all day Saturday changing the oil in my car myself to avoid paying $40, even though I hated it and felt tired afterward. How I would say no to help and do everything myself because it was "free." But it wasn't free. It was taking away my energy, my focus, and my weekends. Of course, money is still important.
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It's important to be smart about how you spend your money. But I realised that I had become too frugal, which is bad for me. I agreed to everything that cost less money, even if it took a lot of time. I was stuck in a way of thinking that saving a dollar was always a good thing, even if it ruined my day, my mood, or my creativity.
That realisation made me think differently about the choices I made every day. I stopped thinking of time as something I could always use. I began to ask better questions. Not only "How much does this cost?" but also "How much time will this take?" and "Is the effort worth the reward?" I started to hire people to do things I didn't want to do, as long as the price was right.
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I took the faster routes, even if they cost me money. I chose quality over looking for the best deal all the time. And something strange happened. I didn't get lazy or wasteful. I really did become more intentional. I began to choose how I wanted to spend my time.
I used the hours I saved to work on side jobs, get enough sleep, call friends, read, and make things. I finally got a better idea of what "spending time" means. I could waste it, invest it, or let it go without even noticing, just like money. The funny thing is that when I started to value my time more, I made more money. I felt more energetic. I was less worried. I had time to think things through and make better choices. I didn't always chase after pennies. I was making space for dollars.
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This doesn't mean I agree to every convenience. I still look for value and compare prices. But now I ask myself, "Is this worth my time?" to keep things in balance. Yes, sometimes. It's not always yes. But the most important thing is that I see both money and time as resources I need to use wisely.
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We often talk about how to budget our money. But making a plan for your time is just as important. The hours you spend running around to save small amounts can quietly drain your life in ways that never show up in your bank statement.
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