04-014 · EVIDENCE B · LOW-RISK READING
Use your own hourly wage to decide which chores to outsource
用自己的时薪决定哪些家务外包
Outsourcing chores comes at a cost, which varies depending on the service chosen. You’ll also need to spend some time upfront calculating your own hourly wage.
On average, Chinese residents spend 1 hour and 17 minutes each day doing household chores. Among those who actually do them, the average time spent is 1 hour and 59 minutes. People who pay to save time tend to report higher life satisfaction. For the same amount of money, spending it on time rather than goods brings greater immediate happiness.
B
Move “Use your own hourly wage to decide which chores to outsource” to Future Me's calendar
The excuse
There is no immediate alarm, so the sensible choice can wait for a less busy week.
What feels good now
Today I keep a little money, a few minutes and avoid interrupting my default routine.
What the source says
The source summarizes the return this way: “On average, Chinese residents spend 1 hour and 17 minutes each day doing household chores. Among those who actually do them, the average time spent is 1 hour and 59 minutes. People who pay to save time tend to report higher life satisfaction. For the same amount of money, spending it on time rather than goods brings greater immediate happiness.” Evidence grade B. The original states the population, caveats, and sources; this is not a personal forecast.
Open the original entry, check who the evidence applies to, then pick one small step that fits.
THE ENGLISH EDITION
Original recommendation and evidence
14. Use your own hourly wage to decide which chores to outsource
Cost: Outsourcing chores comes at a cost, which varies depending on the service chosen. You’ll also need to spend some time upfront calculating your own hourly wage.
In plain terms: On average, Chinese residents spend 1 hour and 17 minutes each day doing household chores. Among those who actually do them, the average time spent is 1 hour and 59 minutes. People who pay to save time tend to report higher life satisfaction. For the same amount of money, spending it on time rather than goods brings greater immediate happiness.
Benefit: According to a 2024 survey covering 38,500 households and 107,000 individuals, Chinese residents spend an average of 1 hour and 17 minutes daily on household chores; for those who actually perform them, the average rises to 1 hour and 59 minutes. Another study involving 6,271 participants from four countries found that people who purchase time report higher life satisfaction. Researchers also conducted real-world experiments showing that spending the same sum on time rather than physical goods results in greater immediate well-being.
Evidence grade: B
Sources: Whillans, A. V., Dunn, E. W., Smeets, P., Bekkers, R., & Norton, M. I. (2017). Buying time promotes happiness. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. <https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1706541114>; National Bureau of Statistics of China (2024). The Third National Time Use Survey Bulletin (No. 2). <https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202410/t20241031_1957216.html>
Notes: First, calculate your hourly wage by dividing your monthly after-tax income by the total number of hours you actually work each month. Then determine how much it would cost to outsource a particular chore. If the outsourcing fee is lower than your hourly wage and you truly plan to use the saved time for earning money or resting, then outsourcing makes sense. This guide provides a method rather than a definitive recommendation, since everyone’s hourly wage and outsourcing costs differ. Additionally, Whillans’ research measures how happy people feel after buying time, not how many hours they ultimately save.
Read the complete Chinese source and notes
14. 用自己的时薪决定哪些家务外包
成本: 要花一笔外包的钱，多少看你买的是什么服务。另外要先花一次时间，把自己的时薪算清楚。
说人话: 中国人平均每天花 1 小时 17 分做家务。当天真动手做的那部分人，花 1 小时 59 分。花钱买时间的人，生活满意度更高。同样一笔钱，花在买时间上比买东西，当下更让人开心。
收益: 中国居民做家务每天平均 1 小时 17 分钟。只算做了家务的人，平均 1 小时 59 分钟。这是 2024 年的调查，覆盖 3.85 万户、10.7 万人。另一项研究取了四个国家 6271 人的样本，花钱买时间的人生活满意度更高。研究者还在真实生活里做了实验：同一笔钱，花在买时间上比买实物带来更高的当下幸福感。
证据等级: B
来源: Whillans, A. V., Dunn, E. W., Smeets, P., Bekkers, R., & Norton, M. I. (2017). Buying time promotes happiness. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. <https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1706541114>；国家统计局 (2024). 第三次全国时间利用调查公报（第二号）. <https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202410/t20241031_1957216.html>
备注: 先算时薪，算法是一个月税后收入 ÷ 一个月实际工作小时。再看这项家务外包要多少钱。外包单价低于你的时薪，而且省下的时间你确实会用在挣钱或者休息上，就外包。每个人的时薪和外包价都不同，结论要自己算。另外，Whillans 测的是花钱买时间之后人开不开心，不是省下了多少小时。
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