I started working longer hours after 2 promotions. Now I spend $300 a month on salon blowouts to buy back free time.
Attorney Maddie Johnson explains her decision to outsource personal grooming tasks, such as hair washing, to save time for her demanding career and fitness goals. She views the $300 monthly expense as a strategic investment in her productivity and mental well-being.
Why it matters
This reflects a growing trend among high-earning professionals to commodify time-consuming domestic tasks to manage 'time poverty' in high-pressure careers.
Maddie Johnson gets her weekly blowout at Drybar. Maddie Johnson Maddie Johnson is a 30-year-old attorney and business affairs executive. She gets professional blowouts twice weekly to avoid washing and styling her hair at home each day. She says the routine helps her save time, feel more confident, and be more productive overall. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Maddie Johnson, a 30-year-old attorney and business affairs executive who's based in Los Angeles. It's been edited for length and clarity. Last year, I was entering a new phase of life . I got promoted twice very quickly, and with that came a lot of responsibility and long hours . I was grappling with the question: How could I possibly have time for everything? I was trying to be a good employee, fiancée, friend, and family member.
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