Save money by giving yourself a break

It can be very tempting to try to maximize every moment in your day, bringing in more money to pay off debt, build an emergency fund or save for a goal. Keep in mind, however, that slowing down and giving yourself some time off can actually save you money.

The dollar costs of always working

Financially, always working can be a stress. When you spend time always working, you could end up spending quite a bit of money. You will spend money on food that you may need to purchase, instead of make for yourself. You will spend more time and money traveling. You will likely spend money to advertise your business, spend money to fulfill orders, and spend money to manage your business. You will also likely spend money on coffee, snacks for business meetings and other little everyday things.

The health costs of always working

Beyond the financial costs, always working can mean you might be putting your health at risk. Not getting enough sleep, eating lower-quality food and having a high-stress daily life have all been connected to deteriorating health. This could be chronic health conditions or a single acute condition that is more difficult to get over. Even a cold can be expensive if it takes you weeks or months to get over it. Always working leaves you less downtime, and less downtime means less time for your body to rest, recover and repair.

[If you are working extra to pay extra bills, then a personal loan can help stretch out those payments.]

Balancing work and life

Finding the balance of work and personal time that is best for you means knowing yourself. Some people do very well with 40 hours a week of work, and the rest of their time for personal life. Other people always need and relish a challenge, and consider a 40-hour work week to be a minimum. Sit down and consider very carefully what kind of a work-life balance makes you the happiest. Try to keep yourself close to the kind of balance that makes you happy, and make a very careful decision if you are going to go over that personal limit.

Limit yourself

Making a decision to go over your personal work-life balance should include consideration of the financial, personal and health risks. It can be tempting to always say “yes” when someone wants to pay you for something, but keep in mind that limiting your customers can also help create a more exclusive brand and exclusive price for your product, if you treat the customers you do have even better. Quality will always win out over quantity when it comes to customer service, so do things right first, so you can keep doing them.

Sources

American Journal of Health Promotion
Financial Job Bank
BankRate