Money comes and goes. That’s what it does best. But time? Time only goes. It doesn’t loop back. It doesn’t restock. When you lose time, it’s gone.
We often talk about prices as if they’re just numbers—$20 for a shirt, $4.99 for a latte, $250 for a new phone. But what if we asked a better question: how many hours of my life did this cost me?
Let’s say you earn $25 an hour. That shirt didn’t just cost you $20. It cost you nearly an hour of your life. Not your money—your energy, your presence, your stress, your one precious life hour.
Would you still buy it if you realized how much of your life you’re going to give up for it?
This isn’t about guilt-tripping yourself every time you spend. It’s about bringing mindfulness into money. It’s a quiet nudge from your inner self, asking: Do I want this enough to trade a piece of my day for it?
Self-love means more than spa days or bubble baths. It also means protecting your time. It means spending with intention, not compulsion. It means recognizing that “treating yourself” doesn’t always mean buying something. Sometimes it means not buying it and keeping your time for yourself.
Try this experiment: for a week, before each purchase, pause and calculate how many hours of your life you’re about to spend. Write it down if you like. Reflect on how it makes you feel.
You might be surprised by what you choose to keep—and what you quietly, lovingly, let go of.
If you want a mantra to use for when you feel like spending ‘just because’, check out this design product on Creative Fabrica entitled “Thrift is My Superpower”. Paste this URL on your destination tab, or just click the link. https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/thrift-is-my-superpower-design/ref/2135193/
