Do you believe that money can buy happiness?

[nuprin001]

Correlation is not causation.

The right lifestyle can make you happy. But it depends on the lifestyle you seek. I know plenty of broke people who think if they had more money their lives would be better. It wouldn't. A broken billionaire family is miserable, too. The money helps hide the misery, the money buys little moments of forgetfulness, but the fundamental unhappiness is still there. That's the most valuable result of shows like The Kardashians: you see that really rich disaster families are disasters. If you have an SO that watches that show and really thinks "wow, it sure would be nice to be one of them", run. Far, and fast.

If you live a "right" lifestyle, you can have a great deal of happiness in your life. There are even "right" lifestyles that allow you to accumulate a fair amount of wealth.

It's the Chris Rock line about the difference between rich and wealthy. Rich can go away really fast. Wealthy doesn't. Wealth isn't about a number in the bank account (though it is usually fairly large), but it's about habits, actions, and ways of thought. I'm a lot "richer" today than I was 6 years ago, but I'm much less "wealthy." My personal net worth is greater, but my underlying economic stability was much greater back then.

For many people, they can quickly become rich through a stroke of luck or a moment of brilliance, but wealth is the result of long term habits and engrained actions. It's the millionaire who still drives the same (good, solid, not particularly flashy) car he's been driving for the last 5 years because buying a new car every couple of years is a stupid waste of money. Rich is the person who spends thousands on a new wardrobe every year, and then thinks they're "saving" money by selling last year's fashions at pennies on the dollar at a consignment shop so they can buy another new wardrobe.

It's about training yourself not to treat spending money as a fun thing, but as a necessary thing. And the funny thing is, you end up with a lot more money that way and people then think you're happy because you have all that money.

 

[KDThunderUP15]

 

[rhuarc29]

I think money provides the opportunity for happiness, but doesn't intrinsically provide it itself.

 

[dirkd101]

Yes.

 

[SinnamonFairbanks]

I think money does buy happiness. You just have to do what you love with it. I set goals for myself and my money. When I achieve those goals it makes me feel really good. I like to invest it into different things that bring me joy or pleasure out of using. It's mostly DIY stuff and things that keep me busy adn when I'm done I have a finished product or a new skill. I like buying things that could potentially make me more money. But I've never really had so much money I didn't know what to do with it. so maybe there is an entirely different set of issues when a person has "too much money"

I think everyone is going to have a different answer but in my experience I use the money for those things and I am a pretty happy person. I would disagree with anyone that says money doesn't buy you happiness.

 

[FlorenceYi]

I suppose it depends where you place your happiness. For example, I loooovveee shopping. If my ability to shop was to go away, I would be unhappy.
More seriously, I truly enjoy how money gives you more choices, and allows you to face more decisions in life. (i.e.: the option of investing in various avenues, the option of supporting family members, the option of taking a date to a nicer place once in a while - whether you do it or not is your prerogative). Having control of your life in a very concrete way is very satisfying. But I've always been a very concrete person.

 

[thirdcup]

If you don't think money can buy happiness, try poverty.

Also, we live in a world where media is relentlessly telling us that we're not happy, or we could be more happy if only we spent our money to buy brand X widget. That's what makes the world go round.

Years ago I heard about an interesting experiment Coke did in one of their markets. They reasoned that since Coke is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, is it really necessary to spend money on advertising? They chose a certain geographic area and stopped advertising there for a period of time. They assumed that consumption would not change much and they would save a whack of dough. That's not what happened. Their sales went down, significantly.

Steve Jobs also said, famously, that Apply didn't do market research because consumers don't know what they want. Maybe he was on to something.

Things that make you happy can and do change over the course your life. As you get older and begin to slow down, the pursuit of happiness gives way to finding contentment.
It's interesting that the holy grail of consumers are those in the 18-34 age group, but studies have shown that folks in their 80s are most happy, probably because at that point they don't feel pressure to achieve, and they don't care if people judge them.

Remember the old couple from one of the Atlantic provinces who won a $10m 649? They gave it all away except for 200k that went to their rainy day account. I'm sure they weren't multimillionaires before they won.

I myself can't wait to go outside wearing a hot pink sport jacket with paisley pants. And I will insist that the woman in my life has blue or purple hair, and gaudy jewelry.

 

[eldoguy]

I knew this wealthy schmuck walked around Holt Renfrew too pick up dames! I said too him, there just gold-diggers. His reply as long as they are 10 s + I don't care. Likes giving away homes.

 

[gdurham]

while I have never been poor I know that having no money sucks. I spent a lot of time in school and while I usually had a few bucks to go out and party it wasn't that much fun being a student and not having much.

worked hard and have been promoted several times over the years. every time I get a raise it is great for a little while until the overhead expands and the cash flow is reduced.

I strongly believe in what is said above - that money buys you control over your time and also eliminates a lot of stress. those things right there go a long way to attaining happiness.

 

[userz]

Not being crippled by debt or poverty or living paycheque to paycheque is surely a factor in contentment but there's no shortage of alcoholics, substance abusers, and suicides who are well off financially so no money doesn't buy happiness. To be happy you need to feel like you're contributing to something and you absolutely must feel needed be it by other persons/animals or something esoteric.

 

[piano8950]

I had a great deal of fun in my life when I was piss poor. I was going through university, and I knew it was at most a temporary situation. The experiences I had, I wouldn't trade it for any amount. But being in my late teens, early 20s, and poor isn't hard when you have no responsibilities other then to get through school.

I'm probably much younger then the average client here, so I can't speak of great life experiences and what not, but after I graduated, I wanted money fast. Money when you're young isn't important. I'm not much older then my university self, but I know that there are many restrictions in life by not having enough. I love to travel, good suits, and obviously hobby. I also get a sense of satisfaction supporting my parents. They've done so much, it's my chance to return the favour.

Money is important, it may not buy happiness just by having a lot of it. It's what I do with it that makes me happy.

 

[spiderman]

Money can't buy happiness, just make you feel comfortable. It all depends on how you define happiness. Some here do not know the difference between comfort and happiness. To me happiness is a feeling. Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have. The happiest people are those who know how to make the best out of what they have. You will never find happiness if you are attached to material things. I walked away from my ex and my wealth 7 yrs ago from affluent neighborhood of Cachet Estates. I live a moderate life now but much happier, playing golf every day and hobbying 3-4 times a week. Keep fit, live happy. bearing in mind Health is Wealth.

A good example money can't buy happiness is princess Diana.

 

[Aardvark154]

Being unable to afford what one would like even if simple things is of course the opposite of happiness. On the other hand being able to satisfy every whim doesn't mean that you will be happy merely that you will have lots of "things." In the larger picture it depends upon the subjective and personal definition of concepts such as happiness.