Blog Minx

I’ve moved to New York for a few months, so have naturally been doing loads of sightseeing. Much of it is on the steep side. Museum? $20. Tour bus? $40. Concert? $50. Etc. This is money I’m willing to part with, for now, because New York is full of experiences not to be missed and I’ve come a long way to be here (New Zealand, to be precise, many hours of flying). Plus I’d saved my money for this trip, so it’s not going on my credit card.

Yesterday I went to the taping of a TV show. It was free – all they wanted from me was my applause. Not having to pay was a nice change, I thought, until I found myself queuing for two hours. I got frustrated. I’d booked online; should long queues still be necessary these days, if you’re organised and plan ahead?

I started thinking I would’ve paid to skip the queues. With those few hours back in my possession I could have done some computer work, maybe made some money. Or at least been more comfortable. I might’ve paid $50 for that time back. Does that mean my time is worth (to me) $25 an hour? It’s what I used to get paid in my day job so is that now my fixed worth, in my mind, until I get a better-paying job?

How do you determine what your time’s worth – by what someone pays you, or by some intangible sense of self-respect?