Treating Time as Money The old adage that states “time is money” has been proven right time and time again. But one’s time is not simply a resource to make money; it is the allotment of available space within which one can place life’s multitude of experiences. Time, therefore, should be used for more than hours in a paycheck, but also for the living of life. This becomes more difficult as life develops into a structured list of responsibilities. The modern adult life is stuffed with priorities that all clamor for attention. Work and career, family, service, ecclesiastical obligations, and other duties all equally place a demand on one’s time. So while it is important to remember that time and money may not be one and the same item, there are similarities between the two that can help a person to make better use of both. With this in mind, treating time as one would treat money can be extremely helpful for those with stressors pushing against both.
Budgeting Time as Money The most effective way that a person can draw similarities between time and money is by using the principle of budgeting for both. Creating a budget for a family’s money has long been a standard practice of mature and responsible adults. Budgeting the home’s finances allows for all necessary expenses to be paid and will even help the family to save money for future use. Smart spending done right and with the use of a budget to guide the daily, monthly, and yearly expenses is the best way for a family to ensure their financial success no matter what their income level. In a similar way, budgeting one’s time effectively and with purpose will help that individual to not only provide the necessary time to accomplish priorities, but may also enable a person to schedule in excess time to be saved for future use, i.e. a vacation. Creating a budget for one’s time is a responsible action to take for those who find themselves being less productive than they need to be to accomplish all of their life’s tasks. One example of those who would benefit from creating a time budget are those adults that are choosing to return to school to receive their education and degrees is various fields such as computer science, programing, and information systems. The returning student especially will need to consider creating a workable budget of their time to ensure that the added obligations and demands of school do not over burden their available time.