For people trying to get better with money, one mindset shift can make a big difference: stop thinking of purchases in dollars and start thinking of them in hours of your life.
This idea recently gained traction on Reddit after a person shared how earning $18 an hour changed the way they look at spending. "When I see something that costs $20 like a candy or some small thing I ask myself: ‘Does this mean I'm giving up an hour of my life for it?'" they wrote. "And that thought stops me every time."
From Dollars To Decisions
That simple shift from thinking “$20 isn’t much” to “this cost me an hour of my life” struck a nerve with others. Many said this mindset has helped them stop impulse spending and prioritize what really matters.
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“Every dollar you save is another minute of freedom you get back,” one person wrote.
Another added, “I dropped $40 into a slot machine, pulled the handle and it said: ‘You Lose.’ I just poured 2 hours of my life into that machine. This sucks. I never gambled again.”
Some took it even further, linking money to freedom and control over time. "That's what wealth is, the ability to buy time," one user said. "Money is the closest thing we have to a store of time."
Others pointed out that time doesn't always have to equal money. “It might mean an hour of my job, which seems like a lot,” one person noted. But if it makes the rest of their day better, it could be worth it to them.
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Mindful Spending, Not Miserable Budgeting
While this idea can help people be more conscious about money, people warned it shouldn’t become a joy-killing habit. “Sometimes it’s nice to make yourself happy. Just don’t let that be an excuse for everything,” one commenter advised.
Some offered a helpful twist: focus on the experience, not just the cost. “If that candy cost 20 bucks, you better do everything in your power to get the best experience you can for that candy,” one person wrote. “Make the experience worth the twenty bucks, NOT the purchase.”
Some also pointed to the book “Your Money or Your Life,” by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez, which lays out this exact framework. Several people said it changed their lives.
In the end, many agreed on one thing: seeing purchases as chunks of your life can help you pause, think, and spend more intentionally. It's a simple but powerful way to align your spending with what actually matters to you.
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Image: Shutterstock
