Work = Time spent Remainder Money

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This is a simple equation I came up with one day while sitting at work, thinking about how we trade our time for money. It’s a helpful way to visualize just how much of your life you're exchanging for your wage and what that really means in the long term.

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Let’s break it down.

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Say you work a 40-hour week and take home £2,000 a month.

That gives us:

Time spent at work = 40 hours → Remainder  £2,000

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In other words, those 40 hours are being converted directly into money. Try plugging in your own hours and wage, it gives you a clear picture of how much of your time you're trading and for how much cash.

Now let’s add inflation to the mix to get a more realistic sense of value.

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Time spent at work = 40 hours → Remainder (£2,000 – 3.5% inflation) £1,930

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Even if your salary stays the same, inflation chips away at what that money can buy. If your pay rises don’t match inflation, you’re effectively earning less over time, working the same hours for reduced value.

So… What Can We Do About It?

This is where the equation splits into two paths, two choices you have for every pound you earn.

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Part A
Money Invested = Power → Remainder Future Time Saved

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Invest your money, whether in a savings account, a pension, or stocks and shares, and it grows over time. The longer you stick with it, the more power you build. That power gives you options: like retiring early or working fewer hours on your own terms.

In this path, your money is a tool for buying back your future time.

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Part B
Money Spent = Loss → Remainder Future Time Spent

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Spend your money now on things that don’t grow in value, like finance on a new car instead of saving into a pension and that money’s gone. Which means, when the future comes, you’ll need to work more hours to make up for it. You're spending your future time today.

Let’s Look at the Full Equation in Action

Part A: Investing
Time at Work = 40 hours → Remainder (£2,000 – 3.5% inflation) £1,930
£1,930 invested (e.g. in an S&P 500 ETF averaging 10% annual returns) = Power → Remainder Retire 5 years early

 

In this example, you consistently invest a portion of your income into a fund that grows over time. Eventually, this gives you the financial freedom to retire earlier and live life on your terms.

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Part B: Spending
Time at Work = 40 hours → Remainder  (£2,000 – 3.5% inflation) £1,930
£1,930 spent = £0 Remainder Future Time Spent

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Here, the money is spent right away, no returns, no growth. When the time comes, you’ll have to put in more work hours to earn more, just to stay afloat.

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The Takeaway
These examples are simplified, but they show a deeper truth: money isn’t just money, it’s time you’ve already spent. When you invest it, you’re buying back time in the future. When you spend it, you might be borrowing time from your future self.

I’m not saying don’t spend at all, we all need things, and we all deserve to enjoy life. But hopefully, this idea helps you become more intentional with how you use your money… and your time.