Time vs. Money: Why Time Reigns Supreme (and How Money Can Serve It)

While time is undeniably more important, money isn’t useless—it’s a tool. In my view it has its uses in saving time. Here's my thoughts on Time vs Money.

Feb 28, 2025

I had a discussion recently on why I thought time was worth more than money, and how money can buy you more time. Well thats not quite true is it. Time is finite. Once an hour is gone its gone, you don’t get it back, no matter how hard you beg and plead it’s gone…forever.

Money on the other hand, you can always earn more, get a second job, save it, if your a government you can literally print it, man if you're really handy you can even grow it …figuratively.

This was where my argument kicked in, and it was to do with grocery shopping. I hate grocery shopping! Mainly because if I go, i’ll end up buying something I don’t need, and it will usually be an unhealthy option. I use my laziness streak to avoid going to the supermarket, at all cots as I really can’t be bothered. A handy little trick to stop me buying crap.

When it comes to grocery shopping I’m a firm believer in spending the extra $10-$15 to have it delivered after an online shop. Then there’s the argument what a waste of money! You could save the $$ and go yourself and buy what you want and not have any issues. Well in my experience the $15 is well spent.

I’d just order the same items each period. I’d have it down to a T that I order what I need on a regular basis. Yer yer there’s the argument that you don’t need toothpaste every shop, or long life shelf items, but thats just a matter of planning. Id argue you should just create 2 x online lists. One for monthly items and one for weekly each on repeat. The money in my view is well spent. $15 is only 30mins if you look at the average wage. 30mins saved, plus id wouldn’t have to spend fuel to go to the supermarket, find a park, fight Judith for the shopping trolley, negotiate the carters that cant steer straight, oh don’t even mention when you get a rogue wheel that won’t go straight, and makes you angry! Find the elusive items in store….Nestle Reduced Cream and Maggie Onion soup which always seem to be no where near each other, pack and unpack the trolley numerous times as you add and contract what you want to buy so it doesn’t crush the tomatoes / eggs, then to finally make your way to the counter and stand around watching incompetent people unpack their trolley. To have it repacked again, then there’s the fumbling around for the loose change, or elusive card in your wallet. Then where’s that damn rewards card, oh it’s on my phone in an app, make idle unwanted chit chat with some random spotty teenager or retired person filling in their day. Or whats worse, hey come over here and scan your own items, for no discount or reduction in cost. Oh you didn’t bring your own bag, hey we will charge you for one, and you guessed it another damn bag to add the the collection!

What a waste of money and TIME!

We spend too much time as it is chasing that elusive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, convinced that it’s the key to fulfilling life. The hope you finally make it and have an abundance of money at your disposal to enjoy in your retirement? Most of us will make it only a few years in and won’t be able to enjoy what savings we did have for the golden 20-30 years we imagined. My argument is id rather spend some money, not all of it, to enjoy it whilst I can. Yes make some smart decisions in investments, like property, stocks/ bonds, or a side hustle, though enjoy a portion of it, and leverage what cash you do have to save more time to enjoy life a little.

But let’s hit pause and take a step back. What’s really more valuable: the hours ticking away or the dollars stacking up? Spoiler alert: it’s time. Hands down. Here’s why time trumps money every day of the week—and how, ironically, money can still play a supporting role in giving you more of that precious time to live life on your terms.

Time: The One Resource You Can’t Make More Of

Think about it. Money comes and goes. Time? Not so much. We’re all handed the same 24 hours a day, no exceptions, no refunds. You can’t negotiate for an extra hour or bribe the universe to slow down the clock. That finite nature is what makes time the ultimate VIP in the resource game.

Consider this: a billionaire and a barista both have the same number of minutes to spend today. Sure, the billionaire can buy a private jet, but they can’t buy a 25th hour. Time doesn’t care whats in your bank account—Time is the great equalizer. And because it’s so limited, how we choose to spend it defines our lives more than any paycheck ever could.

Why Time Matters More

Money can buy a lot—A flash car, a big house, exotic vacations—but it can’t buy meaning. Time, on the other hand, is where meaning lives. It’s in the quiet mornings with a cup of coffee reflecting on the day ahead, the laugh with friends, the moments of focus on a project. These are the things that stick with us, that stick with me, the experiences that shape who we are. No amount of cash can replace the feeling of being fully present in a moment that matters.

We’ve all heard the phrase “time is money,” but the reverse isn’t true. You can’t always convert money back into time. Take the classic grind of a high-paying job: long hours, stress, and burnout might fatten your wallet, but they rob you of evenings with family or weekends to recharge. Ive come to learn this at a stage in my life that Money isn’t as important as my time. Over time, you might look back and come to realise you traded something irreplaceable for something replaceable. That’s the trap—money’s renewable, but time isn’t.

Money as a Tool to Buy Time

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. While time is undeniably more important, money isn’t useless—it’s a tool. In my view it has its uses in saving time. Used wisely, it can actually give you more time to do what you love. The trick is shifting your mindset from accumulating wealth for its own sake to leveraging it as a time-liberating superpower.

Imagine this: you hire someone to mow your lawn or clean your house. Suddenly, those hours you’d have spent on chores are yours again—to read, to hike, to binge that show everyone’s talking about, or in our case spend more time with our kids. We invested in a cleaner just once a fortnight, but its 2 hrs we clawed back to do the things we love. Or maybe you invest in a business or side hustle that, over time, generates passive income. Im working on my own side hustles in a vein attempt to generate a little bit extra to supplement my hobbies. My Dad runs an Air BnB as a side hustle that supplements his retirement. I’d argue that he’s happier in his retirement leveraging his money to do the things that he loves to do, travelling being one of them. He worked long hours for years teaching and cooking, to let his family enjoy a good life. Though whilst he’s living a pretty comfortable life now, seemingly not worrying about money, and enjoying what time he has left, I wish he had the opportunity to experience life and freedom earlier. Im proud of my Dad and his accomplishments, and thank full for there life he gave us kids and my late mother, though my dream is that I can enjoy my retirement earlier than he did.

My hope is that it could mean working fewer hours down the road, freeing up time to chase a dream or just soak in life’s simple pleasures. Even small moves, like paying for a faster commute or outsourcing a tedious task, can hand you back chunks of your day.

The wealthy often get this somewhat intuitively. They don’t just hoard money—they use it to buy freedom. Leveraging money to have private chefs, personal assistants, and automated systems aren’t just luxuries; they’re time machines in disguise. You don’t need a billionaire’s budget to adopt this principle, though, Iit’s about prioritising spending that maximises your time over spending on items that just fill up your garage.

The Balancing Act

Of course, it’s not black and white. You need money to survive—bills don’t pay themselves, and groceries don’t magically appear. Well they do if you take my angle and shop online. Knock knock! The danger lies in letting money become the boss instead of the employee. When you chase it endlessly, you’re not living—you’re just feeding the machine, and wasting your precious time. The goal should be to earn enough to secure your basics and then some, to live comfortably, so you can redirect your energy toward what time unlocks: connection, creativity, and happiness.

So, next time you’re faced with a choice—say, an extra shift at work versus an afternoon with someone you care about—ask yourself: what’s the real cost? A little less money might mean a lot more life. And when you do have money, think of it as a ticket to buy back time, not just stuff.

The Bottom Line

Time is the currency of existence; money is just a means to spend it well. You’ll never lie on your deathbed wishing you’d made more cash, but id bet you’d wish you savoured more sunsets, or time with family. I implore you to prioritise time—it’s the one thing you can’t get back. Then, let money do its job: clear the runway so you can take off and live the life you actually want.

What do you think—how do you balance the two? Let me know in the comments.

The Wrap

And that’s it for this week!

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