A couple stands on a jetty as the sun rises over the Atlantic Ocean in Bal Harbour, Fla., Sept. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)2026-01-03T06:01:20Z It turns out, love may benefit from a little less labor.Couples who spend money on time-saving services like getting takeout, hiring a housecleaner or calling a dog walker report greater relationship satisfaction, especially during stressful periods, says Ashley Whillans, a behavioral scientist and professor at Harvard Business School.Whillans studies the tradeoffs people make between time and money.When you spend money to save time hiring an accountant, a babysitter, a cleaner you feel more control over your life, she said. That sense of autonomy boosts well-being.Not everyone can afford to outsource bigger household chores. But Whillans says even a little bit can help. She advises couples to take a time audit examining how they spend their hours and what small changes could reclaim even a few moments.People underestimate how much these choices matter, she said. Its not about luxury its about freeing up time to connect.Whillans team tracked busy, dual-income couples partners working full-time who often report feeling time-starved and found consistent patterns. In one six-week diary study, couples who made time-saving purchases on a given day were happier and more satisfied with their relationships. Use that saved time for connectingSimply outsourcing chores isnt a magic fix, however.Its about being intentional with the time you get back using it to spend quality time together, to reconnect, Whillans said.Think of that half hour not as an opportunity to send more emails, but as a chance to spend time with your partner.Targol Hasankhani, a Chicago-based marriage and family therapist, stressed that while outsourcing domestic labor can ease daily stress, it doesnt replace communication. Juggling careers and kids takes a toll on families, and housework is often freighted with resentments over who is doing it.If conflict around chores is rooted in something deeper like inequity or not feeling heard hiring a cleaner wont solve that, she said. Couples must dig deeper to address problems with many layers.It opens up time and space, but couples still have to know how to show up for each other in that space, Hasankhani said.Casey Mulligan Walsh, 71, a former speech pathologist and author in upstate New York, said the best part about hiring a housecleaner once a week was that it freed up time for her and her husband to spend together.My favorite day of the week was coming home to a clean house, she said. Wed go get coffee together instead of arguing about who should vacuum.A Valentines Day gift that stuckGetting started on delegating household tasks isnt easy for some couples, Whillans said. Besides the cost, it takes time to find someone and coordinate but the long-term payoff is real.And making such decisions together can deepen trust and a sense of teamwork.For one Colorado couple, outsourcing started as an act of love.When I started dating, my now-husband noticed how hard I was working at my job, at home and as a single mom, said Melissa Jones, a 45-year-old teacher in Pueblo. His Valentines Day gift? A deep housecleaning.It was truly amazing, Jones said. After that, I kept it up on my own for years. When my husband and I moved in together, we decided to continue.Were able to make memories with each other, our kids and our families instead of spending weekends scrubbing floors, she said.Dinnertime can be a stress pointIn Miami, Elizabeth Willard, 59, runs The Pickled Beet, a culinary service preparing customized meals. Most of the people I cook for are trying to invest in their health but dont have the time, she said, noting that families often juggle mixed dietary needs. Sometimes the husbands a carnivore and the wifes vegetarian, one childs celiac. Theyre exhausted trying to make everyone happy.Her clients, often families with children and two working parents, are not fighting over whats for dinner. Its one less daily decision.Whether ordering a pizza, paying a teenager to mow the lawn, or calling a car service to save 20 minutes, the outcome can be the same: Buying back time can buy peace. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site