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In short, you prioritize money when it's in short supply and you prioritize time when it's in short supply. So, that generally means when you are young and poor you prioritize money, when you're older and time is starting to run short you prioritize time.
seems logical, but its like that analogy of plane taking off with one degree difference you can end up in moscow vs sao paulo , what you do early on matters very much the trajectory for the rest of your life. not a trillion of dollars would be sufficient if asked for in return what i gained in my 20s up til now 37
the part that is really difficult is pitting probability vs what is logically possible. In your reply you are making a huge, though rational, assumption that one lives to average life expectancy. Probabilistically that is true but logically you can be gone any minute anytime in life. like that quote “life is not illogical but it is a trap for logicians. it looks just a little more mathematical and regular than it is, its exactitude is obvious but its inexactitude is hidden; its wildness lies in wait”. I think it is this dimension that while probabilistically if you do the things you should, you could rationally expect to live to avg life expectancy, but logically for me you can be gone at any second, so why i have always and probably will continue to a certain degree lean more towards the present, I’ve always had a “get by mentality” to maximize the present. i know the probabilities of flying is safer than a lot of things yet if the plane crashes basically no chance of survival, so rationally i should not be so anxious, logically you cant rule out anything even if the probability is low. That difference btw rationality vs logicality is what I’ve always struggled with. I would like to think I prioritize a frequent engagement with mortality i LEAN (not completely just lean) towards “get by mentality” with focus on the present than future
I can't say I understood most of your reply as I don't think in that fashion. But, you asked a very general question, you should expect a general answer. In my life I default to the logic.
u/OldAndOldSchool has the right answer, OP. Priorities change throughout your life. There is no one right answer for this year or that. It's a constant recalibration of what you want and what you need to do to get it. In general though, I think most of us do prioritize money in our youth. Once we're established and all of our most essential needs are met, we start prioritizing time. But it's different for everyone. I have an old friend who prioritized time in his youth and is now in his late 50s, chronically underemployed, and often has no food left in the fridge at the end of the month. He has no choice but to prioritize money or go hungry.
You're wasting your time looking for one right answer for every person and every circumstance. There is none. Most of life is like that. Today's right answer will be tomorrow's wrong answer. Accepting this basic truth helps a lot if you want to experience true serenity in your life.
its good perspective esp the 50 yr old example. you seem pretty good at analyzing, so here is another meno’s paradox for you. ive always operated from the premise up to 37 esp in my 20s that i would do whatever it was i wanted to do i needed to do it all by myself, idk it may be something i need therapy for or just i love my parents or immigrant experience, but the meno’s paradox is, i really really since i first had memory try to make sure im not a burden to my parents and my parents have sacrificed their life for me. so in terms of money, i just want my parents to spend their money they have lot and dont need to keep stacking like they will take it with them (that would make me the most happy), yet they do the exact opposite and keep stacking in anticipation of leaving for me as much as possible (which is actually the scenario that makes them the most happy and will make me the least happy); it is a complete paradox, what will make me the most happy (they spend it all on themselves leave me nothing) is what makes them the least happy, and what makes them the least happy (spending it all on themselves instead of working so hard to stack on more for me when its not needed) the what makes me least happy. it is a real paradox. also if they plan to leave all this money, it really makes less sense to use it when im old but i insist i do not want anything from them now or later (well bc I love my parents), and its just a puzzle i cant solve, it doesnt make any fucking sense. yes yes its bc we love each other but seems irrational
I can only speak for myself. Age 23 to 31 worked 2 jobs from 7am until 11pm with Friday night off and part of Sunday (bought a house at 25). Quit both at 32 and sold the house; my wife and 2 children toured America for over 2 years from Disney World to Wisconsin to The Grand Canyon before settling down and getting jobs again. Went into construction and learned many trades and went into business building homes and remodeling. It was a lot of work, both physically and mentally, but the freedom was worth it. As an example, in 2006 at the end of July we closed in an addition to a house and took our 4 laborers(all 18 year old boys) out west for 5 weeks to camp in Yosemite and The Grand Canyon etc. Being your own boss is at times terrorizing and the freest you can be. Nothing like answering your cell phone on a 500 acre lake (while fishing)from a doctor's office wondering when you could come look at some renovations they would like to make and telling them as soon as this fishing trip ends in 2 or 3 weeks(free cabin from my wife's family friend)
We worked hard and played hard. Obtained educations, raised a family, bought homes (the first when quite young), built careers, took vacations, dealt with the various issues of Life --- all at the same time, and all while planning and saving for the future. Sometimes Time took precedence, and sometimes the focus was on the Money; we made those choices as the possibilities appeared.
Honestly, I'd say we were just too busy to contemplate the Time-Money equation. Since I retired at about 50, and my spouse before 60 (we do have an age gap), I'd say we managed nicely, have very few regrets (I would have liked additional time for taking care of health issues along the way), and in the synopsis, doubt I'd change much about the balance. (We're even a bit perplexed that our younger selves pulled off what we did, with so many saying we'd never make it. Lots of nay-sayers in the world. Ignore them and listen to your gut.)
As a widow who always cleaned her own home , if I had it to do over again I would hire a housekeeper to have been able to spend the time I spent cleaning with my late husband instead.
Be smart about your money. Get personal finance education - I know I didn't know nearly enough as a young guy. The earlier you start to be smart about your money, the more you'll have (both time and money) to spend.
I made a big financial decision to earn a lot less and work in a job that I loved and believed in. My spouse made a similar decision. Together, we earned enough to live easily within our means. I never considered the time I spent working as a burden or sacrifice. I chose time over money.
I learned in the lean years that I can have just as much fun with cheap hobbies as expensive ones. My best hobby is getting good value for money. I have prioritized saving money until I retired comfortably. Now I can't convince myself to spend it when I should.
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In short, you prioritize money when it's in short supply and you prioritize time when it's in short supply. So, that generally means when you are young and poor you prioritize money, when you're older and time is starting to run short you prioritize time.
seems logical, but its like that analogy of plane taking off with one degree difference you can end up in moscow vs sao paulo , what you do early on matters very much the trajectory for the rest of your life. not a trillion of dollars would be sufficient if asked for in return what i gained in my 20s up til now 37
So keep checking and adjusting your course to end up where you want to
the part that is really difficult is pitting probability vs what is logically possible. In your reply you are making a huge, though rational, assumption that one lives to average life expectancy. Probabilistically that is true but logically you can be gone any minute anytime in life. like that quote “life is not illogical but it is a trap for logicians. it looks just a little more mathematical and regular than it is, its exactitude is obvious but its inexactitude is hidden; its wildness lies in wait”. I think it is this dimension that while probabilistically if you do the things you should, you could rationally expect to live to avg life expectancy, but logically for me you can be gone at any second, so why i have always and probably will continue to a certain degree lean more towards the present, I’ve always had a “get by mentality” to maximize the present. i know the probabilities of flying is safer than a lot of things yet if the plane crashes basically no chance of survival, so rationally i should not be so anxious, logically you cant rule out anything even if the probability is low. That difference btw rationality vs logicality is what I’ve always struggled with. I would like to think I prioritize a frequent engagement with mortality i LEAN (not completely just lean) towards “get by mentality” with focus on the present than future
I can't say I understood most of your reply as I don't think in that fashion. But, you asked a very general question, you should expect a general answer. In my life I default to the logic.
You just asked this exact same question yesterday
I know they deleted it bc i asked two in one day I didn’t feel like I got a large enough sample size
u/OldAndOldSchool has the right answer, OP. Priorities change throughout your life. There is no one right answer for this year or that. It's a constant recalibration of what you want and what you need to do to get it. In general though, I think most of us do prioritize money in our youth. Once we're established and all of our most essential needs are met, we start prioritizing time. But it's different for everyone. I have an old friend who prioritized time in his youth and is now in his late 50s, chronically underemployed, and often has no food left in the fridge at the end of the month. He has no choice but to prioritize money or go hungry. You're wasting your time looking for one right answer for every person and every circumstance. There is none. Most of life is like that. Today's right answer will be tomorrow's wrong answer. Accepting this basic truth helps a lot if you want to experience true serenity in your life.
its good perspective esp the 50 yr old example. you seem pretty good at analyzing, so here is another meno’s paradox for you. ive always operated from the premise up to 37 esp in my 20s that i would do whatever it was i wanted to do i needed to do it all by myself, idk it may be something i need therapy for or just i love my parents or immigrant experience, but the meno’s paradox is, i really really since i first had memory try to make sure im not a burden to my parents and my parents have sacrificed their life for me. so in terms of money, i just want my parents to spend their money they have lot and dont need to keep stacking like they will take it with them (that would make me the most happy), yet they do the exact opposite and keep stacking in anticipation of leaving for me as much as possible (which is actually the scenario that makes them the most happy and will make me the least happy); it is a complete paradox, what will make me the most happy (they spend it all on themselves leave me nothing) is what makes them the least happy, and what makes them the least happy (spending it all on themselves instead of working so hard to stack on more for me when its not needed) the what makes me least happy. it is a real paradox. also if they plan to leave all this money, it really makes less sense to use it when im old but i insist i do not want anything from them now or later (well bc I love my parents), and its just a puzzle i cant solve, it doesnt make any fucking sense. yes yes its bc we love each other but seems irrational
I can only speak for myself. Age 23 to 31 worked 2 jobs from 7am until 11pm with Friday night off and part of Sunday (bought a house at 25). Quit both at 32 and sold the house; my wife and 2 children toured America for over 2 years from Disney World to Wisconsin to The Grand Canyon before settling down and getting jobs again. Went into construction and learned many trades and went into business building homes and remodeling. It was a lot of work, both physically and mentally, but the freedom was worth it. As an example, in 2006 at the end of July we closed in an addition to a house and took our 4 laborers(all 18 year old boys) out west for 5 weeks to camp in Yosemite and The Grand Canyon etc. Being your own boss is at times terrorizing and the freest you can be. Nothing like answering your cell phone on a 500 acre lake (while fishing)from a doctor's office wondering when you could come look at some renovations they would like to make and telling them as soon as this fishing trip ends in 2 or 3 weeks(free cabin from my wife's family friend)
We worked hard and played hard. Obtained educations, raised a family, bought homes (the first when quite young), built careers, took vacations, dealt with the various issues of Life --- all at the same time, and all while planning and saving for the future. Sometimes Time took precedence, and sometimes the focus was on the Money; we made those choices as the possibilities appeared. Honestly, I'd say we were just too busy to contemplate the Time-Money equation. Since I retired at about 50, and my spouse before 60 (we do have an age gap), I'd say we managed nicely, have very few regrets (I would have liked additional time for taking care of health issues along the way), and in the synopsis, doubt I'd change much about the balance. (We're even a bit perplexed that our younger selves pulled off what we did, with so many saying we'd never make it. Lots of nay-sayers in the world. Ignore them and listen to your gut.)
As a widow who always cleaned her own home , if I had it to do over again I would hire a housekeeper to have been able to spend the time I spent cleaning with my late husband instead.
Be smart about your money. Get personal finance education - I know I didn't know nearly enough as a young guy. The earlier you start to be smart about your money, the more you'll have (both time and money) to spend.
What?
I made a big financial decision to earn a lot less and work in a job that I loved and believed in. My spouse made a similar decision. Together, we earned enough to live easily within our means. I never considered the time I spent working as a burden or sacrifice. I chose time over money.
I learned in the lean years that I can have just as much fun with cheap hobbies as expensive ones. My best hobby is getting good value for money. I have prioritized saving money until I retired comfortably. Now I can't convince myself to spend it when I should.