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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you rather have more money or more free time?

109 replies

chompin · 28/04/2022 20:14

Heard something recently about two groups of women who lived in poverty. One group were given more money, the other more free time. Whilst both experienced increased levels of happiness, the group given more free time had higher levels of happiness. After some thought I think I would probably prefer more free time when initially I would've thought it would be more money

OP posts:
stuntbubbles · 28/04/2022 20:45

Time. I’ve got no time and it’s all I think about. Time costs money, though.

Carlswhite29x · 28/04/2022 20:49

As someone who works part time and has little money, I would still say more time. Money can buy a lot of things but one thing it can't buy is time.

I understand why people would choose more money though, especially in this day and age but free time for me all the way.

WalkerWalking · 28/04/2022 20:50

As things stand, I can pay my bills, but I can't contemplate holidays or upgrading the car etc (I can't even upgrade my phone!) I would choose more free time over more money right now. Like actual, no responsibilities, FREE time. Sounds almost priceless.

Camomila · 28/04/2022 20:53

Those saying more money as they already have enough free time, do you work FT and have children?

I work full time and have 2DC, I'd still pick more money, I think it'd benefit our lives more overall.

devildeepbluesea · 28/04/2022 20:53

I need both even though I earn well. So more time for me.

If I earned half what I currently do it’d be more
loney.

ssd · 28/04/2022 20:54

Time is priceless

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 28/04/2022 20:54

Money!!!’

Birkenshock · 28/04/2022 20:55

I'm a single parent on UC, of 3 very small kids who are in paid childcare for 42 hours a week because I work full time, so you can trust me when I say I have neither time NOR money right now 😂

I'd still choose money.

Time would give me time to spend with my kids, but I still couldn't sign them up for football classes like their friends do, or afford to take them to the farm, or buy the sparkly jelly shoes the 3yr old is desperate for. It would just be more time spent, sitting in our mouldy gross 2 bed flat, thinking about how poor we are.

So I choose money. I could afford takeaways so I wouldn't have to cook. Our weekends could be breaks to the seaside instead of going to the park. I could afford the hobbies they want to do, which would make them happier. Money, every time, for sure.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 28/04/2022 20:55

chompin · 28/04/2022 20:21

Those saying more money as they already have enough free time, do you work FT and have children?

Yep to both- more money I could get a bigger house, a cleaner, work less, have better holidays!!

doitwithlove · 28/04/2022 20:56

Money, money, money please

TruthHertz · 28/04/2022 20:58

Although I probs value free time more in general, I'm saying money because usually one would have to sacrifice lots of time to make money/progress in a career. If I can keep my free time as it is now and have loads more money then that's a winner.

sst1234 · 28/04/2022 21:28

More time doesn’t necessarily buy you more money to live on and enjoy the time you have. More money will always allow you to free up more time. More money allows you to outsource what is often referred to as the drudgery of daily life on MN.

Hesma · 28/04/2022 21:32

Id rather have more free time. I just get by money wise so ideally both but if I have to choose it would be time

Hoplesscynic · 28/04/2022 21:36

Time.

Cuppaand2biscuits · 28/04/2022 21:42

I work part time in a role where I can regularly choose to pick up extra hours. I don't pick up many extra hours because I'd rather have the time than the money.
That's time to myself or time with the kids, in holidays, being able to pick them up from school.

Sofielou · 28/04/2022 21:46

Money without a doubt. Because then I'd go part time (maybe 2 days a week), and this would give me more free time. 😀

BlimBosh · 28/04/2022 21:49

I'm currently in the fortunate stage where I work 36 hours a week, but all my DC are adults, so have plenty of free time. Being my age means I'm on a decent wage.

As a young mum I would have wanted money. As a 30 year old I would have wanted more time.

CorsicaDreaming · 28/04/2022 21:50

chompin · 28/04/2022 20:21

Those saying more money as they already have enough free time, do you work FT and have children?

I think if you add "at home" after the word children... then everyone's answer to that question would have to be a "no"!

3luckystars · 28/04/2022 21:52

Time.

Furrybutts · 28/04/2022 21:52

I would choose to have more money, because if I had more time to myself, I would want to indulge in my hobby which is expensive. Catch 22

rookiemere · 28/04/2022 21:55

It really depends what your starting point is.

I suppose for me time must be more important as I do a slightly reduced hours work week so I can work 4 days a week rather than 5.
I also have deliberately not gone up another grade as the time demands would be too much for me.

However I do earn enough to have a decent standard of living and am building up a reasonable pension, so I suppose the answer is both time and money are important to me.

ImInStealthMode · 28/04/2022 21:56

More free time. In the early part of the pandemic I took a 33% hours and pay cut for the best part of a year to help my employer survive.

Having initially thought it would be awful, it was actually wonderful. Thankfully my circumstances meant I obviously had to tighten my belt but could still get by. The extra free time I had was priceless though.

Dexy007 · 28/04/2022 22:05

More money! I work long hours already and I’m paid really, really well but I live in a very expensive city and what I’d really love is a gorgeous home with a huge kitchen (food is passion) and room for two groodles to potter around my feet 🥰

I don’t want an Audi or a Gucci bag or anything, just a 4 bed house with a home office.

Im lucky that I don’t normally work on the weekends. If I worked less during the week sure I’d watch more tv but I can’t think what else I would do!

BustPipes · 28/04/2022 22:08

Grateful if you could link to this 'thing' that you 'heard' OP. Because it sounds like a massive pile of shite to me, and I'd be really interested in their methodology.

Particularly re the 'giving more time' Vs 'giving more money' thing - sounds like this study has blown up everything we thought we knew about physics - v exciting!

Testina · 28/04/2022 22:15

Anecdata… almost every person I know who has chosen to work part time, is a woman who has a full time working husband. So they’ve chosen time if you like - but only because as a unit they’ve chosen enough money first.

It isn’t time vs money, it’s enough money + time vs more money.