While we are struggling to make ends meet, our daily decisions often involve spending time or money. For example, we could cook breakfast instead of buying on our way to work. But we often choose the latter so we could spend more time in bed. We could choose to take a plane to get to a destination, but it would be more expensive than going by bus, which takes longer.
People struggling with a small family business usually try to devote more funds to building capital. So much so that some home needs are sacrificed. We list here some major decisions we usually encounter at home. You can decide whether it’s worth saving money, or it’s easier to see your expense as an investment for the long term.
Using smart systems for appliances
To have your house already lighted and pre-warmed before you get home is a great comfort after a hard day at work. You could also conveniently control all of your appliances with just a flick of a switch. Moreover, some companies provide efficient security measures to your home. EZ Switch, for example, provides security services that include fire alarms and anti-burglary systems. A smart home can conveniently deal with possible threats against you and your family.
Having this smart home, however, would not come cheap. But when you think about the benefits, you will get your money’s worth. You can rest without worries. Without investing in this technology, you might be saving money, but you will have those days when you go about your work the entire day worried that you haven’t switched off your stove or wondering if a robber had gotten into your home because you forgot to lock the backdoor.
Hiring a cleaner
This expense is the most often sacrificed in a family’s budget. After all, it’s very easy to tidy things up, wash the dishes, and occasionally vacuum the house. If there are more family members, then the tasks could even be distributed. These little chores could even be done in-between other jobs.
On the other hand, hiring someone else to maintain your home is convenient, especially if you’re not up to scrubbing the toilet. Additionally, it can give you some free time. So, in this case, you will have to decide on a case-to-case basis. When at times, you get too loaded with work and taking time off to do your household cleaning would only delay your projects and cost your business to lose, use your money to get you the time you need. But at times when you don’t have a lot of things to do, you could use some of your energy by squeezing in some household work.
Using mass transportation
To commute to and from work instead of using a car is sometimes mistaken to be a choice of saving money but wasting time. But this is not always the occasion. It depends on where you are and how efficient the transportation system is there.
In some major cities, the train and bus systems are on the dot and could take you faster to your destination than a car or a cab would. It may not be as convenient as a cab because you will have to share space with other people. On the other hand, there are cities where mass transportation is unreliable. The unpredictability might cause you to miss an appointment or be late for work.
Driving a car also has its inconveniences. You need to find a place to park, and you have to pay for most parking spaces. Second, driving through a traffic jam could be hell. It will make you lose both your patience and time.
Eating out or cooking
Fast food has become ingrained into most of us because of the excuse of saving time. But it is not only about time. The bigger issue here is your health. While there are salads you can grab to go, they would still be mass-produced, so the ingredients are not the healthiest. Those that are prepared by nutrition companies will cost more than your usual meal.
Preparing food every day, however, is very laborious. For fifteen to twenty minutes of eating, you need to spend a minimum of thirty minutes for preparation. But cooking at home has several nutritional benefits. So consider the trade-off well. Maybe on weekends, you could prepare your meals. And when eating out, make sure you are still getting what your body needs.
There are other instances when we would need to choose between money or time. But often, these are not the only factors that we need to consider when deciding. And for a final reminder, money can be earned again, but time wasted could no longer be recovered. So choose well.
