{"id":3126,"date":"2025-10-17T11:31:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T11:31:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/igorsplayground.com\/appcheckr\/spending-money-to-save-time-is-the-best-use-of-funds\/"},"modified":"2025-10-17T11:31:50","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T11:31:50","slug":"spending-money-to-save-time-is-the-best-use-of-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/igorsplayground.com\/appcheckr\/spending-money-to-save-time-is-the-best-use-of-funds\/","title":{"rendered":"Spending Money to Save Time Is the Best Use of Funds"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If time is truly more precious than money, then spending money to buy back your time is the wisest trade of all. Here’s an example of overcoming my frugality to live a better life.<\/p>\n

Initially, I hesitated to go on a family vacation to LegoLand and SeaWorld due to the hefty price tag\u2014around $5,000 for just three days. As someone who enjoys investing more than spending<\/a>, it felt uncomfortable to part with that amount, especially when I already feel like I\u2019m on vacation at home as a semi-retiree.<\/p>\n

However, since turning 45 in 2022, I’ve been actively trying to spend more money on experiences. I thought, let\u2019s give this trip a go<\/em>. Spending money on family is much easier than spending on myself\u2014baby steps toward decumulation<\/a>!<\/p>\n

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Spending Money On Saving Time Is The Best<\/h2>\n

Visiting LegoLand in Carlsbad for the first time, we were unsure what to expect. We consulted other parents and newsletter readers<\/a> about whether to purchase fast passes for $99 per person to skip long lines.<\/p>\n

About 75% advised against it, suggesting that our visit on an off-peak Thursday in October would be manageable. Taking their advice, we decided to hold off on the fast passes, thinking we could buy them later if needed.<\/p>\n

However, upon arriving at the Coastersaurus ride at 10:10 a.m., we were met with an absurdly long<\/em> line! One of the ushers suggested we head toward the back of the park, where rides were still relatively empty.<\/p>\n

Probably Didn\u2019t Need The Most Expensive Fast Pass<\/h2>\n

Now that we\u2019ve been to LegoLand once, I realize there\u2019s no need to splurge on the $99-per-person Ultimate<\/strong> fast pass again during off-peak season. The Deluxe<\/strong> or even Regular<\/strong> fast pass would have sufficed, as every ride only has two lines: the regular line and the fast pass line. The ushers don\u2019t seem to differentiate between which tier you bought.<\/p>\n

We also discovered that a couple of rides\u2014Ninjago and Lost Kingdom Adventure\u2014had no wait times at all. By the end of the day, I almost wished the lines were longer just to feel like we got more value from the upgrade.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll chalk up that extra $196 to inexperience<\/em>. At the time, we were worried about getting nickel-and-dimed by the park if we didn\u2019t buy the top-tier pass. At least now we know, and now thousands of you who’ve never been know too.<\/p>\n

\"LegoLand
The Deluxe or Regular passes are good enough to save plenty of time<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spending On Ubers Instead Of A Rental Car Was Great<\/h2>\n

Another time-saving decision was to use Ubers instead of renting a car. An Uber ride from our house to SFO costs about $30 one way, while long-term parking costs $25 per day, and we\u2019d be gone for three days. Plus, it takes an extra 20 minutes to get from the parking lot to security. So taking an Uber was a no-brainer for both time and cost savings. We picked up our kids from school at 3:50 p.m. on Wednesday to catch a 5:30 p.m. flight.<\/p>\n

We could have rented a midsize car in San Diego for about $70 per day ($210 total), but I wanted to avoid the hassle of pickup, parking, and drop-off. In total, we spent about $300 on Uber rides, which felt totally worth it<\/em>, especially compared to the $396 we spent on fast passes.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also something freeing about not being responsible for a large, expensive asset that could get dinged up or stolen. That mental relief alone made the vacation feel lighter. When you factor in the value of time and reduced stress, spending on rideshare services over rentals starts to look like a solid tradeoff.<\/p>\n

\"Spending
No fancy Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons for us! Sonesta ES Suites were great value for a two-bedroom suite<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

No Time Saved Flying Business Or First, So We Didn’t<\/h2>\n

I still can\u2019t justify paying a 50%\u2013200% premium for Business or First Class on short domestic flights, especially when everyone arrives at the same time. If I was going to Hawaii by myself, then maybe.<\/p>\n

At 5\u201910\u201d and ~168 pounds, I can still fit comfortably in Economy seats. My wife and kids fit easily, too, since they are much smaller. If we get to sit together in a row of four, or two and two, then even better. My economy seat effectively expands by 25%\u201350% when I can snuggle next to my loved ones.<\/p>\n

Our flight had a 3-and-3 configuration, so I drew the short straw and sat next to strangers both ways. The flight down was fine, but on the way back, I sat beside a fidgety 14-year-old who kept bumping me and waving his arm in front of my face to point out the window. Still, no big deal. I typed up my free weekly newsletter<\/a> on the short 70-minute flight.<\/p>\n

When we landed, our first Uber kept delaying pickup, so I canceled and called a Lyft, which arrived in two minutes. It felt great not having to wait for an airport shuttle or hunt down our car in long-term parking. Time saved once again.<\/p>\n

Still Doesn\u2019t Feel Great Spending $5,000<\/h2>\n

The investor in me still winces at the thought of spending $5,000 on pleasure instead of investing it in the S&P 500 or a venture fund for my kids. I can\u2019t help but run the numbers:<\/p>\n