Witty Financial Advice for Your Calendar
- Cynthia Dano
- Aug 1
- 5 min read
by Cynthia Dano
The Time Value of Time (and the Money Value of Time Too)
We’ve all been told that time is money. But let’s be honest—most of us treat money with way more respect than time.
We budget our dollars. We save and invest. We track spending. We even research which oat milk will save us 23 cents per serving over the course of a year. But our time? We give it away like it’s on clearance. We waste it. We lose track of it. We hand it over to meetings that could’ve been emails and to emails that could’ve been… not sent.
But if you’ve ever whispered “I wish I had more time”—whether at the bedside of someone you love, in the quiet ache of a missed opportunity, or during one of those sobering “how did another year go by?” moments—then you already know: time isn’t just a resource. It’s sacred. I learned this firsthand in a big way after getting cancer, twice.
Welcome to the heart of The No Regrets Philosophy—where we stop treating time like loose change and start honoring it as the currency of a meaningful life.
The Time Value of Money (aka Why Financial Planners Love Today More Than Tomorrow)
The time value of money is simple: a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow, because it has the power to grow. You can invest it. Stack it. Compound it. (And if you’re like me, you might spend it on a latte and a moment of joy, which is a different kind of ROI.)
It’s a foundational truth in finance. But rarely do we apply that same wisdom to our most finite resource—time.
The Time Value of Time (aka Why Now Beats Later)
Maybe you've heard the saying, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." Well. the same goes for time. Time today is worth more than time tomorrow. Not just because we’re alive now (although yes, that’s a biggie). But because our current energy, focus, health, and relationships are in play now. Today’s time has momentum. It can be invested in things that ripple outward—skills, memories, healing, joy, impact. It’s high-value, high-return, and highly perishable.
Tomorrow’s time? It’s uncertain. It might be booked. It might be distracted. It might be taken up with a plumbing emergency or a mood swing or a mild existential crisis. Time doesn’t just pass—it expires. And you can’t roll it over like vacation days. Think of today’s time as a perfectly ripe avocado. If you don’t use it now, it’ll either be mush or mold by the time you get back to it.
This is where the No Regrets mindset taps you on the shoulder and whispers: Don’t wait for life to feel less chaotic. Don’t wait for permission. The time you have now is the most valuable it will ever be. Spend it on what matters.
The Money Value of Time (aka Why You’re Not Saving Money by Doing Everything Yourself)
There’s a major fallacy baked into how we think about time and money. Say you earn $40/hour doing work you love. Then you spend four hours cleaning the garage, editing a video, or trying to fix a leaky faucet to avoid paying someone $50/hour. You think, I’m saving money!
But are you?
You're actually losing time you could’ve spent making $160 doing something you enjoy—or even better, using that time to rest, reconnect, or do something meaningful. When we ignore the value of our time, we become our own cheapest labor and harshest boss.
This is the moment to ask: are you truly being “thrifty,” or are you undervaluing your own worth?
Spoiler alert: It’s not noble to suffer through a DIY project you hate just because it saves $40. That’s not strategy. That’s spiritual shortchanging. And when we look back at how we spent our hours—not just our dollars—those choices can quietly stack into a pile of regrets. Not because we made mistakes, but because we never questioned what those moments were actually worth.
Funny Math, Real Consequences
Let’s break this down with some playful examples:
You spend two hours comparing flights to save $20. That’s $10/hour. Do you really want your brain doing overtime for that rate?
You say yes to a meeting you know is pointless, but it feels “nice.” That’s 60 minutes of your life you’ll never get back, donated to the black hole of Zoom.
You “multi-task” by folding laundry while on a call with your mom, your client, or your therapist. You end up giving none of them your full attention—including yourself.
On paper, it looks like you're just saving money. But off paper? You're spending your most precious asset on things that don't align with your purpose, your joy, or your values.
What If We Budgeted Time Like We Budget Money?
Imagine opening your calendar and asking, “What’s the return on investment for this hour?”
Is it creating connection?
Is it helping me grow?
Is it bringing beauty, healing, or fun into my day?
Is it rest that recharges me or distraction that drains me?
If not, then you might be paying premium time prices for bargain-bin experiences.
When we budget time with intention, we stop treating our days like junk drawers and start treating them like portfolios. We invest in what matters. We cut the time-thieves. And we don’t feel guilty paying someone else to do the stuff we hate, because we’re reclaiming time to live.
This is where Timefulness—mindfulness applied to time—comes in. It's about quality over quantity, depth over breadth. It's not about filling your calendar with color-coded productivity. It's about asking: Am I spending my time in ways that I won’t regret later?
Witty Financial Advice for the Soul: Spend Like You Mean It
So here’s your cheeky-yet-sincere financial advice for your calendar:
Treat your hours like hundred-dollar bills.
Fire the inner accountant who thinks time spent resting is “wasted.”
Calculate your true hourly value—emotional ROI included.
Swap money for time when you can. It’s not lazy. It’s legacy (and sanity.)
Remember that busyness is not the same as richness or fulfillment. And hustle without intention is just debt in disguise.
When you spend money recklessly, you can usually recover. When you spend time unconsciously, you create regret. But here’s the good news: you get to make different choices starting today. You can realign your time with your values, your vision, and your version of a life well-lived. You can prioritize moments that matter. You can build a life portfolio so rich with meaning that when you look back, you smile and say: I’m glad I spent it that way.
Because in the end, the goal isn’t to have it all—it’s to have no regrets.
Ready to Recalculate Your Route?
If you’re tired of treating your life like a to-do list and you’re craving something richer, deeper, and far more meaningful—I’ve got an invitation for you:
Check out The Road Map to No Regrets Guided Trip—a one-on-one coaching/mentoring/guiding experience designed to help you make sense of your current crossroads, clarify your direction, and live with fewer “what-ifs” and a whole lot more “hell yes.” No group calls. No fluff. Just you, me, and the open road ahead.
Explore more at www.cynthiadano.com or www.TheNoRegretsProject.com
I am a two-time ovarian cancer survivor, mom, wife, entrepreneur, and proud GG to seven grandkids. I love road trips and National Parks. I mentor women with cancer and am a No Regrets guide for midlife women in a life transition or a life standstill to reclaim themselves and their time and move down the road with no regrets..
I have never, ever even considered saving and investing time like money. What a valuable and thought provokong eye opener! Now, to do something about it.