I was struck with a thought six hours out of eight and three trips to the parts store out of five—"is this worth it?" I had been in need of some crucial repairs to my 17 year-old copper (or a pinkish hue in certain lights) Escort. All I needed was a vehicle to go to and from my job every day, but this thing needs a repair or replacement of something almost every month. Tires, tie rod ends, battery, air filter, oil filter, oil, light bulbs, transmission fluid, cooling fan and radiator cap have been replaced so far. At this rate I will have an entirely new car in about three years, but I digress.
The point is to figure out what is the more important thing to save; time or money? Furthermore, it must also be asked if there is something more important than either?
I do feel as though I am a mouse chasing my own tail. I spend my life working to get money. I take that money and spend it on taking care of myself and my family.
Funny, not even this story is "new under the sun".
I think the question posed in the title can best be answered when considering a few thoughts.
1. Time and money, at times, can represent two sides of the same coin. Trade one for the other and back again.
2. The bigger question alluded to earlier is the "chief end". Why do we toil and what is the point?
3. Maybe all becomes moot when we consider the question of what is time or money well spent.
I could have invested my time into making more money to pay for repairs so that I could spend my time doing something else.
On the other hand, there is something demystifying and incredibly satisfying about fixing my own...anything! Same thing happened when I cleaned and tuned my hvac. I poured over library materials and then worked up the gumption to just do it. No, I hate the grime, cuts and abrasions, but there is an intangible knowledge of exceeding a previous limitation I thought I had.
I will probably just pay someone next time.
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