Did you know that the phrase “Time is Money” came from Ben Franklin back in 1748?
Ben’s full remarks in the short essay “Advice to a Young Tradesman” were a bit less catchy:
Remember that time is money. He that can earn ten shillings a day by his labor, and sits idle one half of that day, tho’ he spends but sixpence during his diversion or idleness, ought not to reckon that the only expense; he has really spent or rather thrown away five shillings besides.
The first time I read that, I fell into stage-5 REM sleep. Upon waking, I realized that the beloved founding father’s point was that smart people avoid wasting time or money.
Saving time allows you to spend more of it with friends, family, and ‘making it rain’ in the club (hello, 2006). More money can save time by allowing you to outsource tedious work. Yep, time and money go together like Sriracha and everything else on the planet.
But what are some ways you can save both time, and your precious shillings? I asked everyone that I could annoy with a survey to recommend small things that save time and money. Here are 19 of the best responses:
1. All-in-One Cookers (Instant Pot, Ninja, etc.)
The average American household spends around $3,000 a year dining out (BLS). Everyone knows they can save time and money by eating at home, most of all those annoying food bloggers. But baking can be a hassle – I cleaning the pots, pans, and water bongs. The Ninja Foodi replace many appliances; it can bake, roast, and broil. It can slow cook while you’re listening to slow jams, or you can prep meals, and it will reheat them in a flash (if you see a flash, check your warranty.) My favorite part? Delicious fried food without any oil.
2. Home Massagers
Many of us are working from home, sitting for long hours in chairs that leave your muscles tight and sore. As of this writing, massage therapists and spas are still closed in much of the U.S. Even once they reopen, massages can cost as much as $175. Home massagers like the Resteck are a great alternative. The Resteck is one of the most popular options on Amazon – it provides deep tissue kneading with heat and vibration. It can be used throughout the body and taken anywhere. If you’re looking for a more targeted relief, massage guns are a great option.
3. Cold Brew or Aeropress
A 2017 study by investing app Acorns found that the average American spends about $1,100 per year on coffee. Not only is that a lot of money, but it’s also time-consuming to go to a cafe, wait in line to order, wait for your coffee, etc. Instead, you could make a week’s worth of delicious cold brew coffee in a few minutes. If you prefer hot coffee, I recommend the Aeropress for its great taste, speed, and easy cleanup. If you like traditional iced coffee, consider pairing a coffee maker (i.e., Keurig) with a rapid chiller.
4. Home workout gear
The average cost of gym membership in the U.S. is $58 per month or $696 per year. Here in San Francisco, they can exceed $100 per month. The quarantine forced me to workout at home, and I may never go back to a gym. Home workouts are also a time saver because you don’t need to drive to a gym, find parking, check-in, etc. My home gym consists of an inexpensive exercise bike, a kettlebell or dumbells, a yoga mat, a foam roller, and a doorframe-mounted pull-up bar. Throw in some bodyweight exercisers and outdoor runs, and you have a full-body strength and cardio routine.
If you’re looking for an exercise guide / routine, check this out.
5. Tile and Valet Trays
One of the biggest time wasters is misplacing keys, wallets, and so forth. It could take hours to find them, or even worse, they’re lost, and you have to pay the replacement cost. Bluetooth trackers like Tile can help you find these items faster. You can trigger a sound from the smartphone or locate them on a map. While these aren’t perfect (the map location can be out of date), they can still be useful. Another useful item is a valet tray, sort of a stash box for your pocket change and keys. Many valet trays double as charge stations, so you’re less apt to be stuck with a dead battery.
6. Password Managers
On the topic of forgetfulness – what was I talking about again? Oh right, how often I lose track of the hundred billion passwords I have. I’m resetting passwords like it was a part time job. Getting a password manager was a huge time saver. It’s an encrypted digital vault that stores all your usernames and passwords. It provides strong passwords, so you’re less vulnerable to hackers, and you only need to remember one. There are many options out there; LastPass, Keeper, and 1Password are some of the most popular.
7. High-powered Kitchen Blender
Fruit and veggie smoothies are the meal replacement of choice in my house. They’re great as a quick morning meal or afternoon snack. But some kitchen blenders aren’t underpowered and tedious to clean. I use the Nutri Ninja, which is compact, powerful, and easy to clean. You can press a button to blend while you walk away, and the portable cups make it easy to drink your shake on the go. The one downside is the loud noise, so I wouldn’t recommend frozen margaritas at 1 am (unless you invite your neighbors.)
8. Durable phone cases
According to Statista, the average price of a smartphone was $528 in 2019. Some models like the iPhone 11 Pro can cost up to $1000! Insurance is handy if your phone breaks, but you have to wait for the replacement and pay a hefty deductible. A durable phone case like an Otterbox, paired with a screen protector, can prevent a lot of pain. Cases with a credit card slot or pouch have become popular, and are great if you want to travel a bit lighter. The main downer to the heavy-duty cases is that they can be bulky, so find one that fits your need.
9. Filtered water bottle
According to The Water Project, Americans spend over $100 per year on bottled water. While that’s a small expense for many, the impact on the environment is enormous. U.S. landfills are overflowing with more than 2 million tons of discarded water bottles. Filtered water bottle helps you reduce the plastic waste and avoid the hassle of a separate filtration system. Some are even self-cleaning. Prefer carbonated water? The soda stream system makes sparkling water with the touch of a button. Add a squeeze a citrus or fruit ice cubes for more flavor and vitamin C.
10. Smart Travel Accessories
I spent six months traveling the world and found a few items that save time and money bigly. A travel backpack like an Osprey, paired with packing cubes, is excellent for long trips. Luggage with a unique color or design makes it easier to spot on the conveyor belt. Luggage tags make it easier for people to contact you if it’s lost. A digital luggage scale can help prevent the cost of overweight bag fees or the stress of having to reshuffle items last-minute. Last, services like TSA pre-check and Global Entry (for U.S. Citizens) make customs and security a breeze.
11. Digital Subscriptions that are Worth It
There’s a limitless supply of streaming content online. I get most of my entertainment, news, and tutorials on YouTube. Pandora is always on whether I’m relaxing or working out. These services are available for free but come loaded with ads and limitations. If you value your time, the premium versions are a bargain at around $10. You can also download yoru most-watched videos or playlists on Wi-Fi, instead of expensive 4G data. If I want to learn something new, I’ll often turn to e-books. Kindle Unlimited gives you access to over a million of them, also for around $10.
12. Sleep Accessories
Few people doubt the importance of sleep. Better sleep means more energy and can reduce weight gain, stress, risk of heart disease. There are many natural ways to improve your sleep, like unplugging before bed or setting a consistent sleep schedule. I also recommend earplugs to block out noise, and an eye mask to block out light. These are cheaper alternatives than blackout curtains and a white noise machine. A bedside dimmer lamp can help taper nighttime light exposure, triggering melatonin production. If your mattress is uncomfortable, consider adding an inexpensive topper before replacing it.
13. Fast Boil Kettle
A rapid boil kettle can save you a ton of time if you drink tea or coffee. And you should! Tea is full of antioxidants and can reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Even if you aren’t a tea drinker – fast boil kettles can save you time when using a coffee press or cooking pasta. Fill with water, flick a switch, and you have boiling hot water within a couple of minutes.
14. Smarter Home
The suggestions so far have centered in the kitchen and bedroom, but there are ample ways to save time and money elsewhere. If your utility bill is bankrupting you, consider a Nest Thermostat. These smart thermostats have been very popular since their release in 2011. Nest optimizes heating and cooling times based on your schedule and time of day. According to Nest, users saved an average of $131-$145 a year, paying for itself in less than two years. Have a lot of space and looking to save time? Try a robot vacuum like a Roomba to avoid the monotony of vacuuming. Smart speakers like Amazon Echo can save time by getting weather, news, or music with a voice command.
15. Skip The Re-order
An often overlooked time-sink is restocking household supplies and everyday items. If you’re like, you do as much of your shopping as possible online. But sometimes you forget the brand or name of the item to be restocked. Tracking that down and placing a reorder can be time-consuming, especially when you’re doing it for dozens of articles per month. Amazon’s Subscribe and Save can save up to 15% and reduce the reordering hassle. If you don’t want to commit to a subscription, Dash Buttons make it super quick and easy to reorder.
16. Subscription Box Services
There seems to be a million different monthly subscription box services these days. For every category: groceries, makeup, coffee, and more. I can’t speak to the services I haven’t tried, but there are a few that I am a fan of. Meal services like Blue Apron are convenient ways for a busy person to cook at home. You skip the time spent finding recipes and grocery shopping. They tend to be inexpensive, easy to prepare, and offer healthy options. Fashion is another popular category in this space. As a guy that prefers to spend minimal effort on how to dress, Stitchfix and Trunkclub are great options. Try a few of these out and see which ones have the best ROI and time savings for you.
17. Social Media Manager
If you’ve read a few of my blog posts, you know that I’m no social media fanatic. While it can be a helpful way to connect with distant friends and family, it can become a time drain. I try to limit it to a) Keeping in-touch with friends B) Marketing your business. For the latter, I love a tool called Buffer, which allows you to manage several social networks from one dashboard. I use it to schedule posts for the week, and then I’ll spend 10-15 minutes per day (at most) responding to comments, etc.
18. Video Speed Controller
A 2018 study by Nielsen found that U.S. adults spend almost 6 hours per day watching videos. Some of these videos, like informational or tutorials, can be painfully slow to watch. A couple of years ago, I downloaded a video speed controller Chrome Extension. This allows me to speed up, slow down, advance, and rewind audio and video. You could easily save hours per week by playing videos at 1.1x or 1.2x speeds.
19. Universal Battery Charger
Just like it sounds, Universal Battery Chargers regenerate nearly all household batteries, up 90% of their original capacity. Not only does this save you the time and money spent buying new ones, it saves you the trips to e-recycle locations to dispose of the hazardous waste.
What are your favorite things that save time and money? Contact us or let me know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this article, then you might find my other writing on performance and human behavior useful. Each week, I share self-improvement tips based on proven scientific research through my free email newsletter.
And hey, thanks for being here. I appreciate it…and you.
