Harvard professor says we all ignore easy way to be happier - because of money

Most of us are overlooking an easy way to be at our happiest - and it's largely down to money, says a Harvard professor.

Speaking during a podcast with the Harvard Business Review, Professor Ashley Whillans said we are too scared to spend more money because it makes us feel guilty.

But he thinks ditching stressful activities to free up more time for family and friends, including paying someone to do your laundry or food shopping, won't set you back as much as you think.

And it'll make you happier in the long-term.

Essentially, parting with cash to stamp out the stresses in our day, or as Professor Whillians puts it: "using money to buy ourselves out of negative experiences", reports Business Insider .

Getting someone else to do your grocery shopping is the key to happiness says Harvard boffin (Getty Images)

But by paying more to live closer to work, or for someone to do out washing or cleaning, we are "buying time", her studies have found.

"I find in my studies that people feel really guilty about outsourcing even though they're giving up money to have more time that they've earned," Whillans said.

We feel like a burden and as if we can't do things for ourself if we out source our chores, she continued.

A man delivers groceries to a homeowner (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

But simply "thinking about giving up money to have more free time" allows us to plan our time more efficiently and leads to a greater feeling of fulfilment, while counteracting any guilt.

This is all because when we part with our hard earned cash "to have this free time" then we are more likely to ensure we really enjoy it, argues Professor Whillans.

Every time we consider handing over any money, she says we should be considering how it will change the way we spend our time, she added.