For most people time is like money. They could do with more of both. But the conventions of society dictate a nexus between time and money. When we get more of one we accept less of the other. If we devote more time to work to make more money we are left with less time for ourselves, family and friends. If we devote less time to work in order to have more for ourselves we can expect to have less money. Time management has become a life skill in its own right that is not necessarily interdependent with money. Advice on how to master it abounds as much as that on money management. In 'Signposts' on page C8 today, for example, there is advice for stay-at-home mothers on how to find quality time for themselves and advice for working mothers on how to have it all and do it all. There was a time when most people expected the link between time and money to be broken only by retirement. Nowadays, however, time management is becoming more of a lifestyle choice, subject of course to its nexus with money management - and the exception of people with enough money to do as they please. This is reflected in the latest government statistics that show 530,800 people now work fewer than 35 hours a week, 80,000 more than last year and more than 130,000 up on 2005. People are choosing to spend more time with their families, or to further their education, or just to get a better balance in their lives. Many are to be found in service or cyclical businesses, but the practice is growing in information technology and staff training. That is a good thing. We are an ageing population, but many of the older working generation have already established financial security through hard work. People in their 40s onwards may not want or need to work full time. Rather than losing their expertise, society should promote family-friendly policies through part-time work, flexitime, job sharing and working from home. Part-time work also offers younger people the opportunity to study and upgrade their qualifications. It is a matter of working smarter, not harder. If that ethic takes hold, the nexus between time and money can be bent, if not broken.