How much is your time worth?

**Broken Arrow** · 05-30-2006, 10:03 AM

Re: How much is your time worth?

Well, this is a very interesting question. It's one I've pondered about, and I've decided to take on a more rhetorical view.

I think my time is priceless. Yes, it can be "converted" to money and that dollar value can fluctuate depending on circumstances. However, once that time is gone, it is gone for good.

Therefore, the most important question to me is, "What will I do with my time, here and now?" On an everyday level, it is fairly obvious as I have a certain routine I must follow (such as work). However, sometimes, when faced with choices, I hope that I will pick the appropriate one; one that is most meaningful to me.

**Crystallas** · 05-30-2006, 11:28 AM

Re: How much is your time worth?

Time at your form of employment = $rate of salary
If your doing something that you like but accomplish responsibilities time= 0.5 $rate of salary
If your doing something that you dont like(general) time=1.5 $rate of salary
If your doing something that is required t maintain health(including relaxing/sleep) time= -0.10 $rate of salary
If your doing something that is required to maintain security time= -0.5 $rate of salary
If your doing something that you dont like as a favor, but you owe them a debt time=1.5*value of aquaintences time value

??????????I dont know.. This is my best answer for a short period of thought. Maybe it can be expanded on?

**markio26** · 05-30-2006, 11:29 AM

Re: How much is your time worth?

my spouse's friends already researched this.. they used to all work overtime.. they decided that 50 hours a week at work is all they are gonna do.. the taxes cancel out the income.. their free time left over is for pursing other interests, whether profitable or not.

**PrincessPerky** · 05-30-2006, 12:17 PM

Re: How much is your time worth?

For me no one pays me no matter what I do, it is all 'volunteer' but that doesn't mean I don't think about it. Some things I find rewarding in addition to a cost saving (shredding carrots vs buying pre shredded) I could be wroing, but I find it a simple thing no big time consuming so I do it. cheese on the other hand is cheaper pre shredded (brand depending) so I buy it that way. Some things I hate doing so even though they would save me money I dont' find the stress worth it....Making breadsticks I like, making buscuits, or muffins is cool, making whole wheat bread is a royal PIA! (and I only do it right 1 out of 3 times!)

On non money saving things..teaching kids, church, puzzles, internet time, whatever I love doing it, so I do. My time, so long as the 'work' (dishes laundry, ect) is done I can use any old way I like

(I love my job!)

For DH, he works overtime, but he has a limit on the time of day, he isn't going to be working for all of the kids waking hours...so if you want him to work over an hour after is cool, and hour early is cool, but working till 8 (the kids bedtime) is not. So long as the billls are getting paid..if we were short of real money (not money for burgers, but money for real food) we would be willing for him to work later...and I would be willing to pick up some other money saving things that I avoid.

But I never worked out a price on any of it..all hours are not created equal...An hour in bed isn't worth as much as an hour with my little girl in my lap! (or boys)

...an hour to put in contacts and gussy up is only worth a little most of the time, but daily an hour to wash three kids and gussy them up is priceless

**shengmei** · 05-30-2006, 12:25 PM

Re: How much is your time worth?

About $3 an hour.

At least that's the formula I use to determine whether or not I would donate my money or donate my time. I usually prefer to donate my time rather than money.

**Ima saver** · 05-30-2006, 01:07 PM

Re: How much is your time worth?

Since I have never made over minimum wage, that is what an hour of work time is worth to me.

**getforfree** · 05-30-2006, 06:49 PM

Re: How much is your time worth?

It depends what kind of work I have to do and if it counts as my income and if taxable. Sometimes working overtime gets eaten by taxes, and I don't want to work for free.

Work, taxable: has to be at least $12/ hr if while doing that work I can't do anything else (like talking on my cell, going thru weekly adds, read a book) but work only.

Work for cash: $1/ hr would be enough plus the expences paid.

Housework: if doing that work saves me at least 50c/hr compared to paying somebody to do it, I will do it myself.

That's why I cook everything from scratch and rather shred and cut my vegetables than buy precut ones.
I think, growing garden pays less than $1/hr compare to all the time you put in (or maybe I spend too much time on it pulling every little pice of weed).
I dry my laundry outside even if it saves me only 30c to put up and take of each load, takes almost 20min if I have lots of socks and other small items.
Whe the pants zipper broke, I spend almost an hour replacing it (I don't have sewing machine) and $1 on a pack of 5 zippers, but it saved me ($18 if new on clearance, or $5 in current condition) by working an hour.

**abowers** · 05-30-2006, 07:04 PM

Re: How much is your time worth?

Well, as a preschool teacher my time is apparently worth $10.25/hour, to be solely responsible for 10 kids, but to potentially be in a room of 20 kids with 1 other teacher. For this reason, I don't mind taking an extra shift for overtime once every couple weeks for a nice $15.37/hr. Can't do this too often, or it's at the expense of my sanity. However, Thursday is my last day at preschool before I start my assistantship on Monday.

My graduate assistantship is apparently only worth $8.50/hour... I'll be 40 hours/wk over the summer and 20 hours a week over the fall semester-- BUT they'll also be giving me $3500 toward grad tuition in the fall and spring semesters (when you take into account the number of hours i'll work this summer and fall, that fall tuition amounts to an extra $4.50-something per hour)

Babysitting, I make $12/hour, which is definitely worth my time, to watch two awesome, well-behaved kids.

When I make my knitted bags (see link in signature) after taking the cost of materials into account, I could be making anywhere from $4/hr to $8-9/hr depending on which bag it is, and how fast I'm knitting. This is still worth it to me because I like to knit and would knit anyway, so it's a nice bonus to get money for my hobby when my bags sell!

I'll pretty much take whatever hours I can between work and babysitting, and squeezing in some knitting on the side because living expenses are high here, and I'm not yet in my desired job (3 years to go). I'll take whatever I can get to pay my bills, pay down my debt, and try to scrape together something extra every week for my savings account.

**jodi** · 05-31-2006, 04:19 AM

Re: How much is your time worth?

$18/hr in my current job, which is not a job I love, although I would technically work for less than this at it. I really am surprised that this position pays what it does!
$5/hr at a previous job that I really enjoyed - working in a greenhouse. It was very relaxed and I worked with family, so there was a lot of time to catch up with everyone.
I will do various things around the house to save small amounts of money because I like to think that the little things really pay off in the long run. For that reason, I might (and I have, twice in this past week) spend an hour on the phone disputing an incorrect charge, or a few minutes getting the last bit of something out of the bottle, etc. Hard to put a value on these things, but generally I would want to aim for a savings of $5/hr for it to be worth my time (i.e. in something takes 5 minutes, but saves $.50, then that would be a savings of $6/hr). Any devotees of Amy Dacyzyn might recognize this formula

**eisor** · 05-31-2006, 11:57 AM

Re: How much is your time worth?

Well at my one job, my time is worth $14/hour. It's worth it because I'm good at what I do and I like the people I work with. I personally think my time is worth a little more, but unfortunately, my age factors into it (not just my experience).

At my other job my time is only worth $10/hour. I pretty much do the same thing at both jobs, but the second one is for my dad's company. He's just getting started and this is all he can afford. Plus, I'm considered self employed here, so my taxes are higher. But, I'm more so working to help my dad out. He wouldn't be able to afford anyone else.

I personallly think my time is worth lots because I'm a hard and fast worker. I can get a lot done in a short amount of time, but it will all be done accurately. Sometimes I feel that because of this, my time should be worth more.

**PRICEPLUS** · 05-31-2006, 12:29 PM

Re: How much is your time worth?

Priceless but I'll settle for less!

**StressLess** · 06-01-2006, 11:47 AM

Re: How much is your time worth?

I've been thinking about this myself lately. Right now I'm waiting to be called to work on Election Day. It would pay $200, but it's a 14-15 hour day with a one hour dinner break. In addition, someone (could be me) has to go get the supplies on the previous day. I've already spent 3+ hours trying to get signed up and going to a training class.

I'm not sure whether I want to get the call or not. $200 sounds good, but it's sounding like a harder $200 than I'd thought. When you can get $100 just for taking a few minutes to apply for a credit card, 15 hours work for $200 doesn't sound so good!

**Snoopy2645** · 06-01-2006, 07:47 PM

Re: How much is your time worth?

Its wierd cause I was just thinking this today I am making an average of $18 an hr this is more than I have made in my lifetime per hour & more than my dh who by the way has the degree not I but ok whatever I think my time is priceless because no one can pay me enough to not spend as much fun time & quality & educational time with my kids NO ONE!!! Why do I work because we have 3 kids who need to eat so I have no choice so I take only high paying jobs!! To make it worth it to go be away from home & the kids for certain amounts of time.

**Bluezy** · 06-01-2006, 10:57 PM

Re: How much is your time worth?

Our firm charges $135 per hour for paralegal assistance. It takes us less time to research an issue than the attorney at $300 per hour. Therefore as paralegals we offer cost-effective alternatives for legal needs while still under the supervision of attorneys.

It took some training to get to this point, but it is the most I've ever earned in my lifetime, nor ever dreamed of earning.

How much is your time worth?