It turns out money actually CAN buy you happiness (science says so)

Thought money couldn't buy you happiness?

Well, to be honest, we've always had our reservations about this bold statement and it now looks like we were right all along. 

An international team of researchers have proved that money really can make you happier – that is, if you use it to pay other people to do your chores.

Now, that's not to say you should rush out and hire a cleaner, a gardener and a personal chef, because let's be real, who has got the cash for that?

But, trading your money for time every now and again could prove hugely beneficial to your mental health and well-being. 

The researchers, led by Ashley Whillans, began with survey data from nearly 4,500 people from the United States, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Participants were asked whether they paid other people to do “unenjoyable daily tasks” in order to “increase their free time”, to which 28% answered, yes. 

In fact, these people spent an average of €126.59 per month, buying extra time. 

And while they may have been left a little out of pocket, what they lost in cash, they made up for in happiness. 

Results suggested that people who traded their money for time were more satisfied with life than those who didn't.

“Deconstructing this interaction, time stress was associated with lower life satisfaction among respondents who did not spend money on time-saving purchases," the authors wrote in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

“For respondents who spent money on time-saving purchases, the negative effect of time pressure on life satisfaction was not significant.”

So, next time you feel like indulging in a bit of retail therapy, you might want to consider trading your money for minutes rather than material items.