How often does deciding what’s for dinner and getting it on the table lead to a disagreement with your partner? At the end of a long day at work, sometimes the last thing we want to do when we get home is clean up or cook, and when we have to do it anyway, it can leave us cranky and lead to bickering. But new research from Harvard suggests that spending a little money so we don’t have to do that work could give our love lives a boost.
According to the research, couples who pay for time-saving services, like hiring a house cleaner, ordering takeout or getting a dog walker, are more satisfied with their relationships. Sure, skipping those chores is nice, but the thing that really helps is reclaiming your time and using it to connect as a couple. Ashley Whillians, a behavioral scientist and Harvard Business School professor, studies the tradeoffs people make between time and money and says, “When you spend money to save time — hiring an accountant, a babysitter, a cleaner — you feel more control over your life.”
In one six-week Harvard study, couples who made “time-saving purchases” on a given day reported being happier and more satisfied with their relationships. Of course, not everyone can afford to splurge on outsourcing those household tasks, but Whillians points out that even a little can make a difference, as small changes can help reclaim valuable time. “People underestimate how much these choices matter,” she explains. “It’s not about luxury — it’s about freeing up time to connect.” But hiring someone else to do the work isn’t a magic fix for relationships. Buying back time can give you peace, but only if you’re intentional and use it to spend quality time together.
Source: Los Angeles Times
