Spending Time versus Spending Money

Abstract

We find systematic differences in the way that people spend time versus money. Ex post, people are able to more easily accommodate negative outcomes by adjusting the value of their temporal inputs. Ex ante, people are willing to spend more time for higher risk, higher return options whereas when spending money the pattern is reversed and the more standard pattern of increasing risk aversion is observed. Although accurate assessment of the opportunity costs of time is key to making good decisions, ambiguity in the value of time promotes accommodation and rationalization.