How to Spend Money So It Makes You Happy

[MasterBlaster]

The debate over whether money can buy happiness just got more complicated. A new paper from two economists suggests that spending money on certain things - namely, leisure activities - does, in fact, improve happiness levels. Spending on more materialistic items, such as cars, food, and clothes, does not.

How to Spend Money So It Makes You Happy - Yahoo! News

 

[kaudrey]

I agree wholeheartedly with this. My SO says I never spend any money on myself - I drive a Saturn, I hate to shop and rarely buy new clothes (and when I do its often at consignment shops or at 50% off), I don't have the latest phone or whatever.

But I counter that with this: we go out for a decent dinner once a week, we meet friends for drinks, we play golf on nice courses, we go on vacation twice a year. To me, that IS spending money on myself. I'd much rather have an experience than a gadget.

Now, we can debate whether the cabin in the woods we just bought is a thing or an experience....

 

[Purron]

Now, we can debate whether the cabin in the woods we just bought is a thing or an experience....

The Berkeley Springs cabin is beautiful. I vote for it being an experience

 

[FUEGO]

When I spend money on something that DW really wants, she stops nagging me, therefore I am happier.

 

[Westernskies]

"Money can't buy happiness, but I'd rather cry in a Ferrari"
~unknown

 

[Helios]

$$$$

Money can't buy happiness, but I believe it can rent it.

 

[RonBoyd]

"Money can't buy happiness, but I'd rather cry in a Ferrari"
~unknown

"Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons" -- Woody Allen

 

[aida2003]

Now, we can debate whether the cabin in the woods we just bought is a thing or an experience....

Definitely an experience unless you do more than basic maintenance on it or you bought it but will not use it.

 

[Koolau]

Once in a while, our kids would rebel because we never bought them the latest video game, the latest computer, or even drinks at a restaurant ("water w/lime, please.") It was always the same. "Well, so-and-so has this and such-and-such has that. Why don't we ever get any of that?"

We'd always ask if so-and-so had gone to Arizona for spring break and if such-and-such had gone to Maui for Christmas break, etc. Dead silence - until they got a little older. Then, the response would be. "No, but we had to go with the family! That doesn't count!!!"

 

[bizlady]

We'd always ask if so-and-so had gone to Arizona for spring break and if such-and-such had gone to Maui for Christmas break, etc. Dead silence - until they got a little older. Then, the response would be. "No, but we had to go with the family! That doesn't count!!!"

LOL- heard the same thing for years. Now our daughter is married and in her late 20's, and finally- she sees the light!

 

[vicente solano]

I am a chain-smoker. A few months ago I had to have prostate surgery that meant a hospital stay of at least 8 days. Knowing a hospital with single bed rooms, with windows to terraces where the staff looked the other way when patients -with no serious problems, obviously- sneaked out to smoke, I jumped for it, instead of going for a completely free hospitalisation with same surgeon.
My inability to go without smoking in a situation like that cost me a lot of money, but I can´t say I regretted the spending.
I am not proud when I confess my absurd behaviour, far from it. But knowing that I could smoke cheered me up, prior and post surgery.
So, money can buy a certain kind of happiness to a certain kind of people!
PS. In September I´ll probably have to undergo Hernya surgery. But this time everything I want and need will covered by my private medical insurance.

Please, do spare me the insults, rebukes, chidings.....

 

[kaudrey]

The Berkeley Springs cabin is beautiful. I vote for it being an experience

Purron - that's how I look at it too - we have gone out there the past 3 weekends and I am absolutely loving it, even though there is hardly any furniture yet! Heading out again tomorrow.

 

[haha]

I am a chain-smoker. A few months ago I had to have prostate surgery that meant a hospital stay of at least 8 days. Knowing a hospital with single bed rooms, with windows to terraces where the staff looked the other way when patients -with no serious problems, obviously- sneaked out to smoke, I jumped for it, instead of going for a completely free hospitalisation with same surgeon.
My inability to go without smoking in a situation like that cost me a lot of money, but I can´t say I regretted the spending.
I am not proud when I confess my absurd behaviour, far from it. But knowing that I could smoke cheered me up, prior and post surgery.
So, money can buy a certain kind of happiness to a certain kind of people!
PS. In September I´ll probably have to undergo Hernya surgery. But this time everything I want and need will covered by my private medical insurance.

Please, do spare me the insults, rebukes, chidings.....

You'll get no lecture from me. But have you ever tried snus for emergency situations where you can't smoke? All you need is snus, and an empty pop can to do a little spitting into.

Ha

 

[TomG]

We have all been spending money our entire lives. If the way we do so does not improve our happiness, we would simply stop spending. Any other approach would be extremely stupid (of course there is always a high probability of that)

 

[NW-Bound]

We have all been spending money our entire lives. If the way we do so does not improve our happiness, we would simply stop spending. Any other approach would be extremely stupid (of course there is always a high probability of that)

For me, just holding on to my money makes me happy already.

So, if I am going to spend it on something, it has to make me happier than that. That raises the bar a bit.

Now, a friend of mine with a spendthrift wife said that his wife believed that a dollar not spent was a dollar wasted. So, she could spend it on anything at all.

 

[traineeinvestor]

I like to spend money on two things most of all - investments and experiences.

It's no accident that all of my "bucket list" items are things to do - not things to buy.

 

[TromboneAl]

Wealth is any income that is at least one hundred dollars a year more than the income of one's wife's sister's husband. – H. L. Mencken

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me. – Emo Philips

 

[John Galt III]

Now, a friend of mine with a spendthrift wife said that his wife believed that a dollar not spent was a dollar wasted. So, she could spend it on anything at all.

I'm getting to be like that. I fear that inflation or taxes or both will ruin my financial future, therefore I "allow" myself to buy very expensive beer from time to time, although my natural tendency is to be very frugal. Party now for tomorrow we ........

 

[MasterBlaster]

Beer Math Fun

I "allow" myself to buy very expensive beer from time to time

You are liquidating your investments, but very slowly.

FIRE Beer Math...

10 beers a day 365 days a year ==> 3650 beers a year

domestic beer in big lots on sale I get it for maybe $0.50/beer ==> $1825/year

So to safely fund my beer consumption I would need portfolio investments of 25X or around $45.6k total to stay perpetually blitzed.

If you drink more than 10 a day or want that imported beer then adjust the numbers for your personal situation

 

[youbet]

So to safely fund my beer consumption I would need portfolio investments of 25X or around $45.6k total to stay perpetually blitzed.

Gosh, when you put it that way, it seems inexpensive to have ten a day! Think I'll go have another right now........

 

[Culture]

I limit my "things" purchase to that which gives me experiences. Two motorcycles that my son and I rode together through the mountains in Colorado, kayaks were use on trips down the local rivers, a small power boat we take fishing, etc.

 

[FIREINDUS]

Spending money on ....that makes me happy:

1. An item, such as a bike that has been on the want-list for a while.
2. Gifting to close family members.
3. Giving a manageable sum of money to the needy and you know that it took care of their health/food/study needs. Such as, feeding the orphans, on a special day.
4. Vacations/parties, when they turn out to be pleasant/memorable.
5. Investments that, per our perception, is worthy.
6. Clothes or things, when you look good in it and tend to use it repeatedly. Meaning, when it has given you the money's worth.
7. Food, only when it is unique and provides a good experience.

 

[W2R]

I have been ridiculously happy since my retirement last year. I am a real little ray of sunshine constantly, if you know what I mean?

I eat out at restaurants a lot, and enjoy being able to afford that. Other than that, I enjoy buying an occasional FRIVOLOUS item. I notice that spending is a lot more fun if money is being spent on something that I want or think is pretty, but that I don't need and couldn't possibly justify. It makes me happy to know that I don't have to justify any affordable expense to anybody.

 

[traineeinvestor]

Gosh, when you put it that way, it seems inexpensive to have ten a day! Think I'll go have another right now........

If you have ten a day, you can probably go with a higher SWR.

 

[Bimmerbill]

I'm trying to spend my money on experiences, but the Playboy bunnies won't return my call.