What's more important? Money or happiness? (Phoenix: health insurance, buy, private schools)

[JMadison]

I think it depends on who you ask. All I can say is that money is an unparalleled tool for finding happiness, during peace time anyway.

[Chinolala]

I think money is more important. Money allows one to experience more things. It allows one to pursue interests that bring them joy and happiness. Having money also alleviates the stress of worrying about finances. If you have money, you can travel, go to the theater, concerts, take weekend trips, give to charity, take up a hobby like music lessons, woodworking, art classes...whatever it is that makes one happy. You can also have genuine friends and a good relationship. You can also afford better health care if the need arises. People without much money can also have genuine friends and a good relationship. But most everything else takes money. I think the 2 main things to a less stressful life are good health and not having to constantly worry about ones finances. Being able to lose a job and not lose ones house, for instance. Living check to check stinks; especially in this economy.

[Captain Bill]

I have a friend, a snowbird, who is very rich; and he is very happy. He earned his money over many years in real estate. He owns 4 hotels, (two of them are at an airport), several businesses, and several real estate development projects which he has on hold.

He owns a home across the lake from me and spends 4 months of the year in that home. He also comes here about once per month to check on the houses. He owns a smaller home not too far from here. He has relatives visit him when he's here, and he allows certain relatives to use both of the homes when he is not here.

He's around 75 years of age and probably physically around 50 years. He does not do any of the day to day managing of his businesses. That is all done by managers.

He travels extensively with a long time friend and business associate. (His wife doesn't like to go on long trips) Last year he traveled to Africa and to Dubai, and took a cruise to Anartica.

When he is in town he visits friends and participates in community affairs and socializes with friends and neighbors.

He has a long term project of upgrading his home here that he paid $1.2mil cash for. He's spent about 200k already. It's not to keep up with the Jones; it's just to make the house the way he wants it. He loves doing that.

He is rich but very frugal. To fill his library shelves he found a thrift store that sells hard back books for $0.80 each. The books are there for decoration, and for his guests to read.

At his primary residence in the north west, he has a home on the water; a 90 foot boat with a helicopter pad; and he had scaled down from a 110 foot boat. Recently he took in a partner for the boat who loves to work on the boat. So the boat gets more use and costs less now to maintain.

This man is very happy because he is doing what he loves to do in his work. He loves financing big business deals with the partner doing the managing. He loves to travel, and does that extensively.

When he is at home, he is at his office about 50% of the time. When he's in Phoenix it's all play and no work. Same when he travels.

I don't have the money that my friend has, but I am happy with my life.





Here's what makes me happy:

• Having our basic needs met, such as a comfortable home, and being able to pay for my medical insurance, food, clothing, entertainment,etc. Plus the luxury of having a nice house on a lake with a view. We enjoy waking up every morning hearing the ducks; watching for the new baby ducks, and seeing which birds are coming back for the summer.
• Training our new 12 week old Yorkie puppy and watching her as she explores new experiences every day. We had another Yorkie for 14 years who died a few months ago. We love that breed because of their independent but lovable temperament.
• Having the means to do some travel; enjoy cultural events; and eating out once or twice a week.
• Being able to spend time with my family, children and grandchildren
• Being able to spend time with my friends
• Being able to choose whether I want to work or not; and to choose the type of work that I want to do.
• I had a long career as an airline pilot and retired quite a few years ago. The beauty of retirement is having the freedom to do what you want to do. I love to work hard at doing things I enjoy. Now I enjoy a successful career in real estate investing (one that I started in the 70's but put on hold to concentrate on my airline career and family.) I love what I do, and can't envision the day when I'll stop.

So to me, happiness is having enough money to live comfortably in the twilight years; being close to family and friends; and being able to do the things I want to do.

[Howard Roark]

See that's why I think earning wealth as honestly as possible and as fast as possible is very important. I have been a fitness freak since I was 17. I'm turning 50 this month and can still run, although I have to take very good care about my shoe selection, my gait, stretching, and resting. I love swimming for fitness too. And of course, bicycling.

If you can do all this and be sure to let your muscles recover, and lift light weights to keep your bones tough, you can prolong your youth.

I met several guys in their 70s who also had the fitness of men in their late 40s or early 50s. All were active in fitness - mountain biking, swim competition in masters, etc. They are retired.

I'm a proponent of the theory that too much work can be stressful and lead to opportune diseases. Ironically, you have to be financially secure enough to say money does not matter.

- Howard

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

I have a friend, a snowbird, ...

He's around 75 years of age and probably physically around 50 years. .

[movin'on]

Well, what a bunch of interesting perspectives. My question was really posed to those who might not prefer to live here, yet do so for financial reasons, when there might be a better place to live. I am still in the category that our economy is very uncertain and that I am very fortunate to have what I do. Nonetheless, I MIGHT be happier elsewhere, but then I'd have to give up what I do have. Hence, the conundrum and my not having enough money to do it all.

[twiggy]

Originally Posted by movin'on

Well, what a bunch of interesting perspectives. My question was really posed to those who might not prefer to live here, yet do so for financial reasons, when there might be a better place to live. I am still in the category that our economy is very uncertain and that I am very fortunate to have what I do. Nonetheless, I MIGHT be happier elsewhere, but then I'd have to give up what I do have. Hence, the conundrum and my not having enough money to do it all.

$ is exactly why I live here, or lack of it to move securely with my family. Slowly saving up money to move back east. But in these times it's going a little slower. lol
It is no secret that it's harder to move out of AZ than it is to move into it. That being said, it can be done, just the long way. lol Unless of course I was that gentleman that won the 150,000. Then, I would be typing this from Cape Cod, MA. lol

[artyst]

yes there have been studies done regarding this and i believe the findings were that the threshold is $50,000. people at or above $50,000 a year are apparently similarly happy while people below $50,000 are more unhappy. i agree with others that money could buy me happiness insomuch as it would help me get out of az!

[Master Shake]

Looks like many people here have the same overall idea.

Money is good and it definitely can buy happiness -- up to a point, at least. Money can also buy off unhappiness, again, up to a point. However, money can easily be addictive. Like drugs, money often only gives you a temporary high which is very difficult to maintain -- without providing even more money later on. Listen to the lyrics of Notorious BIG, "Mo Money Mo Problems".

Why does money make most of us happy? I think money allows you to do what you want to do. Without enough money, you usually have to do a lot more of what you don't want to do in order to do a little of what you want to do. Having enough money shifts the proportion to being able to do more of what you want to do.

As to the poster who said something to the tune of, "What would you do with $1M?" -- unfortunately, most of us would end up sending the IRS about 55% of that...

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

artyst,

Does depend where you call home though. One of the reasons I did not take a job in Arizona and still work in California is because no one was offering what I make. I would have settled for a job in the $70,000 range, but that didn't work out too well. We do love our home in Surprise, but it is becoming more of a second home now. In California the range is more like $80,000. Those that make more than that are happy and those that make less than that struggle. Everything is relative to where you live I guess enforcing the point of the OP, would you move to another area if you had more money?

[Bob's Burgers]

Consumerism does not make one happy. Since the USA has been using credit cards (late 1960's) and moms started working , people are now in debt, sucide rates have risen, divorce rates have risen, high school dropouts have risen, abortions have risen, alcohol related deaths have risen, pill use has risen, crime rates have risen and so forth. America worships money. The result is a hecktic, anxious filled, over-sexed, self-centered society of people who have become impatient. This is just my perspective.