Tip of the Month: Buy Back Your Time

What would you do with an extra five hours each week?

Spend more time with family? Travel? Exercise? Read a book? Take up a hobby you've been putting off?

Many of us spend a surprising amount of time on tasks that need to get done but don't necessarily bring us joy. Things like mowing the lawn, landscaping, cleaning the house, meal prepping, or other routine chores that can quietly consume hours each week.

This month's tip is simple: consider buying back some of your time.

Try This Exercise

For the next week or two or even three, use a whiteboard, notepad, or notes app to keep a running list of tasks that you do not enjoy doing.

Once you have your list, ask yourself:

• Does this task need to be done by me?

• Could I hire someone to help?

• Would the cost be worth the time I get back?

Not every task should be outsourced, but you may find a few that are worth delegating.

Why It Matters

Money is a tool, and one of the most valuable things it can buy is time.

By outsourcing tasks you dislike, you may gain more time to focus on the people, activities, and experiences that matter most to you. As an added benefit, you're often supporting local small businesses and members of your community.

Connecting It to Our Values

One of Bluestem's core values is Purposeful Improvement. While we often think about improving our finances, purposeful improvement can also mean improving how we spend our time.

Sometimes the best use of a dollar isn't saving it. Sometimes it's using it intentionally to create more time for the things that bring meaning, fulfillment, and enjoyment to your life. For more reading on using your money to live well, check out our Money and Happiness blog series.

From Filing to Feeling: What Comes After Tax Season

It’s May, and here at Bluestem we are coming up for air after the busyness of tax season, and the energy of the office has shifted.

Those of you working in higher education may be feeling this as well. Classes are wrapping up, campus energy shifts, and there’s a natural pause before summer really begins.

It’s one of the few times in the year where things feel just a little less compressed, and that creates space.

A Different Kind of Planning

Tax season asks you to think with your head. It’s about accuracy, compliance, and making smart, informed decisions.

But what comes next? That’s where your heart gets a voice again.

This is the season when we check in with clients to review their portfolios and cash needs, but it’s also when we have conversations about the year ahead, considering such questions as:

• What do I want my money to do?

• What big life events or plans are coming up this year?

• Where do I want to make a difference?

• What would feel meaningful to support this year?

Those questions may be shaped by the work you do every day, supporting students, contributing to research, and being part of something bigger than yourself. Or they could be shaped by recent life experiences, family dynamics, or passions outside of your vocation.

Let It Simmer

Here’s the good news. You don’t have to answer any of those questions today. In fact, we’d argue you shouldn’t.

This is a season for letting ideas sit in the background. Paying attention to what resonates. Noticing the organizations, causes, and conversations that stick with you over the next couple of months. Sometimes the best financial decisions aren’t the fastest ones, they’re the ones we’ve given time to take shape.

A Practical Layer to Keep in Mind

As you’re thinking about all of this, there are also tools that can help you be intentional when the time comes.

One example here in Illinois is the Illinois Gives program. It allows you to receive a state income tax credit for certain charitable contributions made to qualified endowments. In other words, it can be a way to support causes you care about, including many tied to education and community impact, while also being thoughtful about the tax side of things.

If you want to explore how it works, check out our article about the program.

It’s not something you need to act on right now. But it’s worth keeping in mind as you think about your giving for the year.

Where This Fits In

At Bluestem, we spend a lot of time helping people make smart decisions with their money. That part matters. But just as important is making sure those decisions line up with the life you’re trying to build, both on campus and at home. This stretch of the year, right after tax season and heading into summer, is one of the best times to reconnect those dots.

So, take a breath.

Enjoy the shift in pace.

And when you’re ready, we can help you turn those “someday” ideas into a plan that reflects both what you’ve built and what matters most to you.

Want some further reading about using your money in meaningful ways? Check out our Money and Happiness series.