1.3 Time = Money? The Hidden Cost of the Work Trap
The tireless taskmaster that steals your most valuable asset
Missed last week? Read it here, or see the full escape map here
Perpetual Motion Machines: An Impossible Dream
The video above shows a classic idea: a perpetual motion machine.
It looks like a miracle — a device that runs forever, needing no fuel, no input. Just pure, endless energy.
If it worked, it would solve everything: free, clean power, forever.
But there’s one problem: they don’t exist. Not in the real world.
Even if the machine appears to be running perfectly, the ball looping back into the funnel continuously — friction always wins.
Eventually, the ball will lose just enough energy through friction and air resistance that it won’t make it back to the funnel. The whole system eventually breaks down.
That’s why perpetual motion is just a concept.
It looks elegant. Efficient. Infinite.
But it isn’t.
And neither is your job.
Why Your Job Isn't a Perpetual Income Machine
Most of us rely on one income stream: our job.
We work, we earn. We stop, we don’t. Simple — and risky.
The trap?
We’ve tied our entire wealth to our time, energy and health.
Work is noble. It gives us meaning and purpose. It fuels human progress.
But as a wealth-building tool, it’s brutally inefficient:
Work more hours → earn more
Work less → earn less
Stop → earn nothing
And on top of that — it’s taxed the most.
Employment income is hit hardest - passive income is taxed less. Here are the UK tax rates on income, savings and investments, as of 2024-25:
So not only are you working harder — you’re keeping less of what you earn.
The Triple Trap: Time, Tax, and Inflation
This is what makes the Work Trap so deadly: it’s never just one trap.
You’re not just relying on your job, you’re also:
Losing value to inflation
Giving away larger chunks in tax
Exchanging the one thing you can’t get back: your time
The cost of living rises. Your time vanishes.
And you’re still grinding — hoping the machine doesn’t stop.
The Ultimate Cost: Trading Your Time for Money
The most precious thing you have isn’t money — it’s time.
Time. The most valuable thing we have.
We can’t earn it. We can’t save it.
And once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Time we could have spent with our families, our passions, or just living on our own terms.
In order to fund our ever expanding needs and desires, we work more hours, or take on a second job.
On the surface this makes sense - our income grows. We feel like we might be gaining more freedom.
But we’re further from escaping then we ever were. That money costs us even more of our time.
We don’t work just to earn — we work to live. But what if earning stops us from living?
And the cruel irony?
Time — our most precious asset — is taxed more than anything else.
At some point, something else has to work for us — so we don’t have to.
The First Three Money Traps
Our money is caught in three traps:
The Inflation Trap: Our wealth is losing its value
The Tax Trap: Our wealth is being taxed almost every time we do anything
The Work Trap: Our wealth is tied to our work and time
Escaping the Money Trap: From Earning to Owning
The way out begins with a mindset shift:
The wealthy don’t just earn — they own things.
You don’t need to be wealthy to start - anyone can start owning and eventually become wealthier.
That’s how we begin to escape the money trap.
Recap
Your job isn’t a perpetual income machine — it stops when you stop.
Most people’s income is tied directly to their time and energy.
Employment is taxed the most — passive income is often taxed less.
Up next: Build Your Escape Route: Why Assets, Not Income, Matter
And how a school caretaker became a multimillionaire - without a lottery win in sight..
Looking Ahead
How long could you live if your income stopped tomorrow?
Try this 3-step mini-check:
Look at your monthly expenses
Check your emergency fund (savings, cash)
Divide savings by expenses — how many months could you last?
If the answer is less than 3 months, you could be walking a tightrope.
Even a small emergency fund of something like 3 months living expenses gives you time — to think, breathe, plan, pivot.
This is step one in breaking free from the work trap:
Start building a cushion that lets you control the timeline — not your employer. It doesn’t have to be 3 months, think about an amount which you would be comfortable with, which would allow you to cope with an unexpected expense:
A broken boiler
Losing your job suddenly
Car trouble
Do you feel trapped by the hamster wheel of the work trap?
How would you break the link between your job and your income?
Comment below! I’d love to hear what you think and what you are doing to escape the work trap. I read every one, and would love to hear from you
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Tools & Resources
Explore all tools here: Tools & Resources — calculators, mappers, and guides to help you escape the money trap.”
Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute personal financial advice. Everyone’s situation is different — if in doubt, speak to a qualified, regulated financial adviser.
Very true. The rich get richer by Investment, in Real Estate and in Equities, denied to the poor by Government taxation of Income. Worse, the Government will return taxes to the poor, a loan with out interest. SICK.