Time Is Money, But Money Can’t Buy Time

Money is only a means to an end.

If you're conflicted about why and when you earn, this post by The Physician Philosopher brings together the wisdom of Ben Franklin and a personal resolve to help create clarity.

Today’s Classic is republished from The Physician Philosopher. You can see the original here.

Enjoy!

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“This broken water heater is going to set us back.  If it costs $2,000 to replace, that’s an extra two weeks of payments towards our student loans.”  

Please, tell me I am not the only one who thinks like this.  

For a while, my monetary mindset revolved around our biggest financial goal: Paying off our refinanced student loans. Time is money, and I didn’t have the time for costs that slowed our financial progress down.

It is important to realize, though, that money is a means to an end. It is not the end itself.

This is a common concept that many struggles within medicine, particularly if you work in private practice or you work in a shift work specialty.

Time is Money

The first person to use the phrase “Time is Money” was Benjamin Franklin in his book “Advice to a Young Tradesman, Written by an Old One”.

The original quote is actually the following:

Remember that Time is Money. He that can earn Ten Shillings a Day by his Labour, and goes abroad, or sits idle one half of that Day, tho’ he spends but Sixpence during his Diversion or Idleness, ought not to reckon that the only Expence; he has really spent or rather thrown away Five Shillings besides. ~Benajamin Franklin

The point that Benjamin Franklin was trying to make is that for every moment that you do not work, this will cost you money.  Of course, this is only true if there is a job that would pay you during times that choose not to work.

Shift Work and The Problems it Entails

For those of us that do shift work, this idea hits close to home.  For example, I know that if I get sick and cannot go to work that is going to cost me what my shift normally pays.  As a physician who earns a lot of money, getting sick just got expensive!

Or what about that week of vacation you want to take to the beach?  That week, for me, is five days of missed work. So, that beach trip costs more than just renting the house, buying the gas to drive the cars, and the cost of food.

It is also missed opportunity cost from not working.  Most of the time our beach trip costs more than twice what we paid for it.

Speaking of vacation, I know that in many private practice groups people will have to pay others to get a day off.  All of this costs money.

Money is a Means to an End

As we contemplate all of our decisions and the opportunity cost involved, I want to encourage you to think differently than Benjamin Franklin.

What’s the purpose of money?  Many of us work for money in order to buy something else.  It’s not like we cherish the feeling of cotton (or plastic) in our pockets.

We use the money on college degrees, weddings, vacations, and essential items (food, water, housing, etc).  All of these things have intrinsic value. Your time has a certain value, too.

The point is that you can work your whole life to make money just to find that you missed all of the life opportunities to spend time with family and friends.  Money is not the end all, be all.

Trust me when I say no one on their deathbed wishes that they had worked more, made more money, or spent more time away from their family.

How do we decide about time off?

This begs an important question.  How do we decide whether to say yes or no to something? Remember, It’s not all about benjamin (I guess Benjamin got it wrong twice).

For me, it has to do with being valued.  In my mind, this means being valued with money (being paid more), time (off), or recognition.

If I am not getting one of those three things, then whatever opportunity I am considering is usually not worth it to me to be away from my family or hobbies.

Enter here my Hell Yes Policy where I say no to everything unless it is something that makes me say, “Hell Yes!”  Anything that doesn’t meet that criteria, including extra work shifts, isn’t likely worth my time.

Take Home: Time is Money

When you are deciding whether to pick up that extra shift, don’t forget why you are trying to make money in the first place.  Or, if you are considering the opportunity cost of missing work for vacation, just remember the point of obtaining money in the first place.  It’s just a resource.

Time is money, but money can’t buy time. Time is precious. And you only get so much of it in this life.  So, use it wisely and spend it well.

Do you have a shift work mentality? Do you tally up the money lost when you don’t pick up a shift (or miss one)?  How do you view time and money? Leave a comment below.

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