Money and happiness just how correlated are they...

[SteveNU]

After dealing with back problems for the past few months I can say that having the money to pay for the bills and insurance is buying me some happiness as I don't have to worry about the financial part of the equation.

The nurse at the doctors office yesterday looked at me kinda weird when I told her I was going to get the epidural injection irregardless of whether it was approved by the insurance company or not.

Unfortunately in the end when it comes to medical issues sometimes no amount of money can ultimately buy you happiness though

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[NW-Bound]

Yes, I can attest to that, as 3 years ago I went through some painful surgeries (and literally have scars to show for it).

But I reminded myself how more miserable I would be, if I had no insurance or money to pay for it. Or if I had to drag myself back to work during the treatments.

Money may not buy happiness, but it can reduce your pain.

 

[Music Lover]

Yes. But I maintain that it is still relative, because you see your neighbor driving his car out from his garage without having to scrape ice like you do. There are very few absolute things in life. We always measure our situation with that of surrounding people.

Actually, it's the other way around...I have a garage and my neighbor scrapes windows. But, yes, it's all relative. I had a modest income and have a modest pension...but consider myself to be happy because it's "enough" and I never felt that I was missing out.

 

[RobbieB]

What matters is to do what makes you happy. Buy the toys you want, travel as you will (or not), eat what you want and drink what you want. Live where you want.

More dough just gives you more options to do what you want. Or not.

There is no way that I can see that having more dough would not make me more happy. I just have more options and less worry.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

In another thread, Mulligan summed up in one line the point of one of my favorite happiness books : There's always something to spend money on.

At some point, I think most of us have a saturation point for consumer goods and services and more is not going to make us any happier.

 

[RobbieB]

One of my favorites is that I no longer fear any restaurant. Bring it on. I look at the menu and order whatever I want with no regard as to how much it costs. Yes, I want cocktails and appetizers and a glass of wine with dinner.

Bring it on -

 

[Meadbh]

It depends where you live. I live on the Canadian prairies and almost everyone with a house has garage. Only the foolish fill it with junk and park outside in the winter. All it takes is one winter of scraping the ice off the windows and cleaning snow off in -35 to either build a garage or clean the one you have. Around here, houses without a garage are harder to sell and will go for less.

To keep on topic...having enough money to own a house with a garage ensures happiness for me.

I agree. I used to live in Winnipeg. When it's minus 35 C (minus 45 C with the windchill), not only do you have to plug the car in, but you need to shelter the car from the wind. Otherwise, good luck starting it in the morning!

 

[Danmar]

At some point, I think most of us have a saturation point for consumer goods and services and more is not going to make us any happier.

I think we have general agreement on this, but there are many more things to spend money on, ie healthcare, charity, and family. Being able to spend on these things may make one happier. Also, the saturation point is personal and differs from person to person. So it really depends on the person, one size clearly doesn't fit all. Also, there is certainly no reason to think more money would make us less happy.

 

[Danmar]

It's because the OP started this thread with how happy he was with his considered old car. So, other posters have to chime in to say theirs are even older, and that does not hamper their pursuit of happiness.

This is a much more reasonable response than post number 41. Actually your whole post was pretty reasonable.

 

[mikelish]

Sex, Income and Happiness — Get Data

Summary

Money does appear to increase happiness.

100% of people with an income of $500k are satisfied

 

[RobbieB]

That's what I was thinking!

Show me the money -

 

[NW-Bound]

In another thread, Mulligan summed up in one line the point of one of my favorite happiness books : There's always something to spend money on.

It is not hard to spend money. It does not take much work to drive to a luxury car dealer, point your finger at a showroom model, and say "I want one like this". The problem is what comes after.

My son's Audi S4 refuses to start. It requires that the clutch pedal be fully depressed before the starter can be engaged. The fancy-schmancy Hall-effect sensor at the clutch cylinder failed, and they had to replace the entire thing. It costs him $1K, and a 2-week wait, during which he had to borrow one of my cars.

At this point in life, I do not want to complicate my life further. To make life simpler either takes less money, by owning less stuff, or more money to have others do it all for you. If I were rich and could just call them to bring me a new car to replace the POS that would not start, life could be simple again.

Getting more money is tough and I do not know how, so I have to find ways to achieve happiness by avoiding things that may cause me aggravation. The joy that a fancy car brings me is not enough to offset the problems that I foresee having it. If I were truly rich, then those would be non-problems, but my means are limited.

At some point, I think most of us have a saturation point for consumer goods and services and more is not going to make us any happier.

It does, but requires a lot more money than one thinks. For example, a boat is nice to own, but only if one does not have to service it himself. To get a toy that one can ill afford is a cause for misery, not happiness.

 

[FUEGO]

To keep on topic...having enough money to own a house with a garage ensures happiness for me.

To me, happiness is having enough money to afford a house in a place where I don't need a garage due to intense heat, frequent hail, or excessive ice.

 

[Meadbh]

To me, happiness is having enough money to afford a house in a place where I don't need a garage due to intense heat, frequent hail, or excessive ice.

Well, it's a good thing you were not born in Canada, then!

 

[Music Lover]

To me, happiness is having enough money to afford a house in a place where I don't need a garage due to intense heat, frequent hail, or excessive ice.

You have a point, but I've been here my entire life and all my friends and family are here. To me, those daily/weekly connections are worth putting up with some bad weather. I could easily sell and move somewhere with better weather, but the gain does not exceed the loss...for me. Others make think differently, of course.

 

[NW-Bound]

Is Fuego suggesting that a large number of people on earth would be doomed to a life of misery because they live where it's too hot, or too cold, or too dry, or too wet?

Add to that too many mosquitoes, earthquakes, tornadoes, hail storms, hurricanes and what have you, then the world is full of misery. There is just not enough money in the world to alleviate all this unhappiness. Aye, aye, aye...

 

[UpAnchor]

Sex, Income and Happiness — Get Data

Summary

Money does appear to increase happiness.

100% of people with an income of $500k are satisfied

And if you're "very satisfied" at 30-40k then whatever you do, don't ask for a raise...

 

[FUEGO]

Is Fuego suggesting that a large number of people on earth would be doomed to a life of misery because they live where it's too hot, or too cold, or too dry, or too wet?

Add to that too many mosquitoes, earthquakes, tornadoes, hail storms, hurricanes and what have you, then the world is full of misery. There is just not enough money in the world to alleviate all this unhappiness. Aye, aye, aye...

Heck yeah, none of that stuff makes me happy.

 

[Walt34]

You have a point, but I've been here my entire life and all my friends and family are here. To me, those daily/weekly connections are worth putting up with some bad weather. I could easily sell and move somewhere with better weather, but the gain does not exceed the loss...for me.

That the situation here too. I've seen two relatives move to FL or NC and then move back because of the travel hassles and missing family. So, much as I loathe cold weather, WV is where we are. We may even make it worse and move to southern PA.

In reality though, the worst of the cold only lasts two or three months so I guess I can handle that.

 

[UpAnchor]

At this point in life, I do not want to complicate my life further. To make life simpler either takes less money, by owning less stuff, or more money to have others do it all for you.

And to my mind, you wouldn't be out of the woods yet. Having others do it all for you doesn't come without its own hassles. I can't count the number of times I've been in a discussion along the lines of "If I were rich, I'd own ... blah, blah" where I've responded, "I wouldn't. Wouldn't want to have to store it, service it, insure it or otherwise have to deal with it." And then the other party goes, "You don't understand. If you're rich you can hire people to manage all that." To which I'm forced to counter, "No, YOU don't understand. Then I'd have to manage my managers."

I suppose everyone has their individual sweet spot and as we progress through life I think that sweet spot can vary quite a bit. I know it has for me and I think I'm pretty much there. I have everything I need while being free of what I think I might want.

But I say that having owned too many properties, vehicles, boats, planes, tools, & toys over the years. So maybe I wouldn't have the sense of freedom I have today if I didn't have the experience of being weighed down with stuff in the past. (Although I do have some great memories so there's that.)

 

[Rustic23]

IMHO, Money can buy happiness! More money may not.

 

[RobbieB]

Yup, once you take in a half mill a year that may be enough -

 

[NW-Bound]

It is true that having acquired more stuff, a person can spend more money to manage it, but the complications still add up. The question is whether the extra experience is worth owning more stuff. Perhaps not. If one likes boating, perhaps renting a yacht is the way to go, instead of owning it and having to worry about maintaining it.

And after a certain point, a person usually knows he has "enough". And that set point varies with the individual too. Buffett does not have mansions or expensive yachts like other billionaires who have much less than he does. His set point for happiness is indisputably much lower than that of fellow billionaires, even though he can roast the others with his cash if he wants to.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

It does, but requires a lot more money than one thinks. For example, a boat is nice to own, but only if one does not have to service it himself. To get a toy that one can ill afford is a cause for misery, not happiness.

The only boats I've owned were a kayak and a used canoe and the kayak was inflatable. We stopped using the inflatable after taking it up to a mountain lake at Yosemite and freezing our tushes through the plastic bottom.

Our friends belong to a yacht club and some of the young adults we met there seemed to have a very cost effective hobby - they crew for free for the older members who own the yachts in return for dinner and yacht racing. So they get a lot of the fun without having to buy, dock or maintain the yachts or pay for yacht club membership.

 

[NW-Bound]

I am not rich, but there are toys that I can afford yet do not want. For example, I thought about getting a better camera than the pocket point-and-shoot camera that I have. But then, I realize that I am not into photography, and a DSLR camera would be used much less because I do not want to haul it around.

My son-in-law has a DSLR, and I have yet to see him use it for anything. I guess it must be an expensive model, because he said he had it insured. Still, have not seen a single photo from it.

I still like to have more money though, even if I am not buying anything. More money is better than less.