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But the money greatly reduces the stressors of daily living. No need to worry about bills, car repairs, transportation, housing, etc. And a less stressful life equals a happier life (IMO). The money is probably not going to change your personality, fix your personal demons, or make you an all-around better, more well adjusted person, but it greatly eliminates stress and gives you options and freedom. The world all of a sudden opens up; you are no longer constrained by and stressed out by your lack of financial resources. Put all that together, and you are likely to be a happier person.
That ultimately has nothing to do with happiness however. You are speaking of financial security, not happiness. Happiness is priceless. Some of the most miserable are financially secure. Money has little to do with it.
Money buys freedom, and freedom definitely provides happiness.
Faulty logic. How does money buy freedom when so many people spend so much time trying to make more of it?. If anything people are slaves to money, not free because it exists.
Maybe not happy by your standards but that is subjective and relative. I sure have met lots of miserable people chasing after the almighty dollar in the rat race though.
I never been that crazy about money since I don't need very luxury stuff all the time
^^This assumes all you can do with money is buy stuff, which isn't true.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Professional
Most of the time my leftover money after bills are for dating/friends/family time, some extra hobbies out of work, and any remaining for savings
Money can't buy me love or family
nor can it buy me time
Money can most definitely buy you time. If you have savings and investments that generate income for you, i.e. a mutual fund that invests in stocks and bonds...then once your investment reaches a certain amount, you don't have to work any more. It's all explained here:
When you have money, you have the time to nurture relationships with other people, as well as the time and money to do hobbies and other things you love without having to worry about a paycheck coming in to pay the bills. This can most definitely bring happiness. But you are correct in that once your basic needs are met, buying more stuff (consumerism) brings little happiness, and typically only for a short period of time (before you need to go out and buy more to get that feeling back).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Professional
So i can say it buys me the happiness of paying my bills and extra things I want to do but i sure don't really need to be rich
That's unfortunate for you. You don't seem to understand the point of being rich. The point isn't to buy a bigger house and a nicer car. The point is to buy yourself OPTIONS. Rich people understand their ability to work is limited by time, their ability, and their desire. The more options you can give your self, the more potential you give yourself to be happy. Of course, those options DO have to be used correctly.
Ha right. But that's not what the OP is saying. When I think of the saying "money can't buy you happiness" as the OP said I think they generally mean you don't need to be wealthy to be happy. I would just need enough money to get by and a little extra.
Blech. The "just enough to get by plus a little extra" money mindset leaves people dependent on long commutes to jobs they don't really like for 40 years....if they don't lose decent paying employment before those 40 years are up, as many do.
Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for - in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it. --Ellen Goodman
[quote=mysticaltyger;40745590]^^This assumes all you can do with money is buy stuff, which isn't true.
Money can most definitely buy you time. If you have savings and investments that generate income for you, i.e. a mutual fund that invests in stocks and bonds...then once your investment reaches a certain amount, you don't have to work any more. It's all explained here:
When you have money, you have the time to nurture relationships with other people, as well as the time and money to do hobbies and other things you love without having to worry about a paycheck coming in to pay the bills. This can most definitely bring happiness. But you are correct in that once your basic needs are met, buying more stuff (consumerism) brings little happiness, and typically only for a short period of time (before you need to go out and buy more to get that feeling back).
That's unfortunate for you. You don't seem to understand the point of being rich. The point isn't to buy a bigger house and a nicer car. The point is to buy yourself OPTIONS. Rich people understand their ability to work is limited by time, their ability, and their desire. The more options you can give your self, the more potential you give yourself to be happy. Of course, those options DO have to be used correctly.[/QUOTE
Good opinion but having more money than what you need to survive has nothing to do with happiness. Money only buys security and a better chance of survival, has nothing to do with genuine happiness. You have been duped by the corrupt system. There is absolutely no point or purpose to being financially 'rich'. Idiots that care about being rich are usually inconsiderate of the big picture, narcissistic and selfish.
Last edited by Know Nonsense; 08-08-2015 at 02:35 PM..
Money definitely buys happiness and no worries about bills or being able to buy whatever you want. Most of the "unhappy" depressed people are that way due to stress because they can't make ends meets, bills are due, they need/want stuff and cant afford it.
Imagine having money like Bill Gates, you could drive a brand new car of any model you want every week, just arrange for one to be delivered to you every Monday with a full tank of gas, every sunday night it's collected by the dealer and your newer new car is parked in it's place and the "old" one traded in.
A Ferarri one week, a Rolls Royce the next, a Mercedes the week after that.
You'd never even have to stop for gas or get an oil change LOL.
I have always been a very optimistic and happy person even without much income but with the drive to earn more. Fast forward, I'm still a optimistic happy person that never needs to work and never knows day to day how much money I have. I know it's more than I will ever need but still live a somewhat simple lifestyle. I still want to use a coupon or get a two for one deal. It's the way that we have lived and it's very difficult to break this living cheap habit even with millions.
It's crucial to realize that SPENT money buys comfort, enjoyment and the like. Merely accumulated money doesn't buy anything. A person with intensely high net worth, who chooses (perhaps from emotional compulsion) a misery life, will perhaps derive theoretical enjoyment from possessing the money, but not the practical enjoyment of putting the money to work.
Money has gotten me into the finest hotels, many nights per year. But it's done nothing to secure a companion with whom to spend those nights.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88
There are two thins in life that are important: Love, Health and Money. Any two will do, and make up for a shortfall in the other one. So, if you have Love and Health, you won't need money.
Health and love might obviate money, but no amount of love or money can compensate for poor health. And speaking personally, I might have health and money, but lack of love results in a rather miserable life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by statisticsnerd
Money buys freedom, and freedom definitely provides happiness.
Not really. I cluck and fret over my portfolio, wondering about the allocation-mix, risk, currency fluctuations, interest rates, taxes. A few percent here and there would literally equate to decades of living-expenses, so even picayune fluctuations matter. The more money that I accumulate, the more I'm terrified of Puerto Rico defaulting, or Greek debt, or the Scandinavian real-estate bubble, or an oil-glut crashing the price of oil, or what Janet Yellen might do next.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mysticaltyger
When you have money, you have the time to nurture relationships with other people
This is true, to a point. But even more crucial than mere money is the social-skills and creativity necessary for said relationships. A rich man attending a dinner-party might be more readily forgiven for belching at the dinner-table, than a poorer man. But mere wealth won't get one invited to the dinner party in the first place. And money is utterly impotent in getting the rich man a date for the dinner party, even if by some scheme he does get invited.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mysticaltyger
You don't seem to understand the point of being rich. The point isn't to buy a bigger house and a nicer car. The point is to buy yourself OPTIONS. Rich people understand their ability to work is limited by time, their ability, and their desire. The more options you can give your self, the more potential you give yourself to be happy. Of course, those options DO have to be used correctly.
Well said, again. Money accord one potential. But the potential must be realized. Unrealized potential is no better than abject poverty.
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