Money comes with a return policy. Hours don’t. Spend them like they’re final sale.

Almost everything financial is recoverable in some form, which makes money feel more serious than it is. Time has no equivalent mechanism, no refund and no second attempt at a particular afternoon, and yet it is routinely treated as the flexible one. The two sit the wrong way round in most people’s heads.

When you are weighing a decision, ask what it costs in hours rather than only in money. Sometimes paying more to get an afternoon back is the better trade. Be as careful with your evenings as you are with your account.