Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 26 July 2017

Yes, you can buy happiness - if you spend it to save time

By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Yes,
you can buy happiness
— especially if the money
saves you time.
People who dole out cash
to save time on things like
housekeeping, delivery ser-
vices and taxis are a little
bit happier than those who
don’t, new research finds.
Researchers surveyed
more than 6,000 people in
four countries and also ran
an experiment, giving peo-
ple $40 for two weeks. One
week, they had to buy
something material, like a
shirt. The next week, they
paid to save themselves
time. People said they felt
happier after saving time
than buying stuff.
“Money can buy happi-
ness if you spend it right,”
said University of British
Columbia psychology pro-
fessor Elizabeth Dunn, co-
author of a study in Mon-
day’s Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sci- In this Oct. 6, 2014 file photo, an example of a home delivered meal from Blue Apron seen in Concord, N.H. Associated Press
ences.
The right way is paying
someone else to do the Lynda Jones, a retired buy back time.” reports. In general, buying thing, the data suggested
time-consuming drudge critical care nurse in India- Earlier research found that time increases Americans that people with less mon-
work that you don’t like, napolis, has been hiring a using money to help others happiness about 0.77 on a ey were able to get a big-
said study lead author Ash- housekeeper since she got or have good experiences 10-point scale, with similar ger happiness boost from
ley Whillans at the Harvard out of college and said it’s — like a spa day or travel — increases in the other coun- time-saving purchases than
Business School. When the one thing that kept her also make people happier tries, Dunn said. That may those with more, she said.
people do that, they re- from burning out in the high than buying things, Dunn not seem like much but it Yet, only 28 percent of the
port feeling greater life stress job. Now she also has and Whillans said. is statistically significant, people surveyed spent
satisfaction in general and a grocery delivery service. The survey was done in the Whillans said. money to save time, an av-
happier that day. But when “It’s really not that expen- United States, Canada, Income doesn’t matter. erage of $148 per month.
they buy material objects, sive when you think about Denmark and the Nether- Rich or poor, spending In the $40 experiment, the
it tends not to bring people what my time costs,” Jones lands. Except for the U.S., money to save time seems researchers picked 60 peo-
the happiness they expect, said Monday. “You can al- the countries rank near the to make people happier, ple at a Canadian science
she said. ways get money. You can’t top of global happiness Whillans said. And if any- museum. q