Everything you choose to eat, drink, think, or do is an “exchange” for chunks of your life. When people talk about “spending your life” they really are talking about SPENDING. Not only is this the fundamental premise for the 2011 Justin Timberlake “thriller,” In Time, but also a fundamental rule of existence that you must learn to embrace. For those of you new to this concept, here’s a quick cheat sheet for how much time you need to spend to redeem cool prizes from life’s Cool Prize Counter.

10,000 hours => Mastery of a skill
20,000 hours => Mastery of THREE skills (cheaper if you buy in bulk!)
30,000 hours => A Tootsie Roll (fruity or chocolate)
45,000 hours => Windup chattering teeth!
60,000 hours => Small squirt gun
65,000 hours => BIG squirt gun
80,000 hours => SUPER BIG squirt gun (parental supervision required)
100,000 hours => A lava lamp!
200,000 hours => A brand new Playstation 2!

So here’s a tip that will save you years of your life: master a skill like making Lava Lamps. You’ll earn so much time you won’t know what to do with it all! Maybe play your Playstation 2!

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