Yep, It's True- Money Can Buy Some Happiness
Greetings from Australia!
The other day, I had the TV on for some background noise as I was working from home. I heard the report on The Today Show, "Yes, You Can Buy Happiness — If You Spend Money to Save Time". It validated something I've always believed in and live by. Just because a person may be rich financially, it doesn't mean that he or she is happy. However, money can make life easier, more rewarding and can lead to more happy feelings.
Over the years, I've found that using some of my funds on services that save me time and from having to do things that I don't particularly enjoy doing, frees me up for the stuff I do enjoy doing- that makes me happy and that helps reduce life's daily stress.
Chores like washing and ironing dress shirts, lawn mowing and garden mulching, some home improvement projects (e.g. patio construction), I pay others to do for me. They receive income and it allows me to devote that time to other more enjoyable things, like bike riding and hiking in the outdoors.
There are some projects however, that I do enjoy doing and depending on the extent of the project and my schedule, I will either do it myself or pay someone else to do it. These are things like landscaping, gardening and painting.
As far as having a cleaning person, I don't find the need to have one (yet), as I work from home and am always cleaning a little bit at a time. I know how to not let the house become dirty to require massive cleanups.
On the flip side, there is one thing that I always do myself- I cut my own hair. It saves me the time of having to go out to a salon and have it done. I trim the sides of my hair every week and am constantly primping the top of it. It would take precious time away from my day to go to a salon every week to get it done. Plus the money that I'm saving by cutting my own hair, I can apply to more amazing experiences in life and more fun vacations.
So, if you truly enjoy doing the chores you have, continue to do them yourself. However, if don't enjoy them or they're taking away a lot of time from activities that would bring you more joy, pay someone to do it for you- that is if you can afford it.
Before closing, I'll share how I've made it onto the opposite side of this discussion lately- being paid for something someone else doesn't have time to do. A few people have noticed my joy for cooking and have enjoyed some of my delicacies. They asked if they can purchase various quantities of my food, being that don't have much time to cook with their busy schedules. They love my cooking so I said, Sure! So it is really working out for them and for me! It's a win win.
So whichever side you are on- the giving end or the receiving end, it is a a new sharing and service oriented world.
Be sure to leave comments on which ways you choose to spend money in order to free up more time for other things.