Not fancy dinners or date night. Harvard psychologists find a shortcut that can make couples significantly happier after studying 40,000 people

When couples think about strengthening their relationship, they often picture romantic dinners, weekend getaways or thoughtful gifts. But what if one of the most effective ways to feel happier together has nothing to do with grand gestures? According to research led by a Harvard Business School professor, spending money to free up time from everyday chores may have a bigger impact on relationship satisfaction than many people realise. The findings suggest that buying time, not just things, could be one of the smartest investments couples make.

So, instead of taking your dog out to walk, or doing the dishes, or cleaning the garden, you can hire someone to do it for you. This takes off the mental load from the person, making more time for relaxation and unwinding with each other, while spending quality time. Research by Ashley Whillans, a professor at Harvard Business School, suggests that outsourcing time-consuming household tasks can significantly improve relationship satisfaction, particularly for busy couples balancing work and home responsibilities.

Why buying time can improve relationships

Whillans explained that people usually think of exchanging time for money by working longer hours. However, she argued that the opposite approach can also be valuable. She noted that while many people trade time for money through additional work, it is equally possible to use money to save time by reducing the burden of household chores.


Her research found that couples who spent money on time-saving services, such as housekeeping or meal deliveries, reported greater happiness in their relationships than those who did not. The positive effects became even stronger among dual-income couples experiencing higher levels of stress.

Chores are one of the biggest sources of conflict

According to the research, outsourcing unpleasant household responsibilities helps reduce the pressure many working couples face while trying to balance careers, family life and domestic responsibilities. The study points out that work and family commitments often limit the amount of quality time couples can spend together, while everyday chores frequently become a source of tension.

Previous research has also shown that discussions about household duties are the most common cause of conflict among couples living together. By reducing these routine responsibilities, couples may have more opportunities to spend meaningful time together instead of arguing over unfinished tasks.

Large study examined nearly 40,000 participants

Whillans co-authored the paper, Buying (Quality) Time Predicts Relationship Satisfaction, alongside Jessica Pow, a former Harvard Business School research associate, and Joe Gladstone, a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. The study was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

To understand the impact of buying time, researchers analysed data from seven separate studies involving nearly 40,000 participants. The analysis drew from multiple sources, including the 11-year UK Household Longitudinal Study, daily diary entries tracking purchases and time use, and surveys involving people in committed relationships.

Across the studies, researchers identified three major findings:
- Buying time appears to reduce stress, especially when couples already feel overwhelmed.
- Time-saving purchases become more valuable when partners use the extra time together.
- The benefits may accumulate over time, gradually improving relationship satisfaction.
- Buying time may also increase overall happiness

The findings are supported by another study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), which examined how purchasing free time influences overall well-being.
The study analysed responses from more than 6,000 participants across the United States, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands, including Dutch millionaires.

Regardless of income level, individuals who spent money on time-saving services consistently reported higher life satisfaction.

Time-saving purchases may reduce the pressure of busy lives

One of the strongest findings from the PNAS research involved what researchers described as the buffering effect of buying time. People who did not purchase time-saving services experienced a much stronger connection between time stress and lower life satisfaction.

By contrast, those who regularly outsourced unpleasant tasks experienced a much weaker relationship between time pressure and reduced happiness, suggesting that buying time helped protect them from what researchers called a "time famine."

Experimental study found measurable emotional benefits

The PNAS research also included a two-week experiment designed to test whether time-saving purchases directly influence well-being. Working adults received $40 to spend on two different weekends. On one weekend, participants purchased a time-saving service. On the other, they bought a material item of similar value.

Researchers found that participants experienced significantly greater positive emotions, lower negative emotions and reduced feelings of time pressure on the days they spent money saving time rather than buying material possessions.

Taken together, both studies suggest that while material purchases may provide temporary enjoyment, reducing the burden of everyday chores can create more time, reduce stress and strengthen both personal well-being and relationship satisfaction.