When you exchange money for goods, you do not care how much work went into them. The fact that they are a product of work does not enter into the decision. You give money in exchange for goods because of what the goods can do for you in the future. If you were to create the goods yourself, you would not do it because of the work it took; you would also do it because of what the goods can do for you in the future. The reason you earn money making goods you don't want and buying things you want with the money is that people can produce more when they specialize and trade. That does not mean that money is a representation of work. Money is a good that is used as a medium of exchange, not a representation of work. The value of money is what will be offered for it, not the work you did to get it. You can get money by winning the lottery. That is not work. You can get money by speculating on the market. That is not work. You can earn money by owning property and renting it. That is not work. There are many ways of earning money that are not work. How you got it does not make any difference as long as it was honest and legal. The reason other people want it has nothing to do with any work you did to earn it. You can buy the same things with it regardless.