Buy Happiness with Concierge

The saying “You can’t buy happiness” is frequently thrown around, as if it’s the impossible. However, according to a study by the Harvard Business School, this is not exactly true. A group of researchers have found that paying for services that save time, can bring greater feelings of life satisfaction than buying material goods.

That said, in the UK today there are people earning modest salaries who have a cleaner. Some who have a slightly higher income may have a cleaner, a gardener, a dog walker and ironing services. We are certainly identifying and adapting to the “outsourced” lifestyle, but maybe not as much as we should be.

The researchers at Harvard Business School surveyed more than 6,000 people from the USA, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands to rate their overall satisfaction with life and to estimate how much money they spend each month to outsource unenjoyable daily chores.

As a result, they found that the respondents who willingly spent money on creating free time, reported that they felt more content, regardless of their income or how many hours they worked each week.

Furthermore, the researchers then conducted a smaller experiment, where they gave $40 to each volunteer to buy something for themselves. The same volunteers also got another $40, where they were told to spend it on something that would save them time. Having rated their expenditures, the volunteers reported more satisfaction gained from the money spent on saving time. The researchers further concluded that the purchase of time is more likely to elevate moods and alleviate anxiety.

So, in order to get greater feelings of life satisfaction, why not outsource those mundane chores that take up precious time and cause you headaches to Otium Partners? Our affordable, expert concierge service is at your fingertips for a happier life.