To think people who say “money doesn’t buy happiness” have never had real money?

“More money,more problems”, they are just different problems, and you would be very naive to think otherwise!

I think the glass half full or empty philosophy also prevails here. Some people can always find a silver lining and be grateful for what they have, however little, and some simply can't.

I have always had money. DH has added to our wealth significantly.

No amount of money would have prevented ds2 from having a congenital heart malformation, incompatible with life which is why he died after a few hours when he was born at 27 weeks.

It was, I imagine, easier to bear because we could afford a proper funeral, and during the next year when I was quickly pregnant again, we could afford an au-pair to help me and for ds, then 2.5 to go to nursery for five sessions a week.

It was a miserable time and a very stressful and high risk pregnancy. It would have been significantly worse if we had had money worries and if I had had no help. I have always been thankful and feel that lucky that dd arrived 51 weeks later.

For most people (in this country) money is not the limiting factor when it comes to treating terminal diseases (although I agree that in some rare situations there might be a new treatment not funded by the NHS which might help someone who can afford to fund it).

Money can make cancer go away. We saw recently how the royal family had access to treatments not available to the public

I think it's a way to self-comfort if people haven't got much money. You see the same sort reaction when someone is envious of another person's lifestyle, or appearance, or house etc. They say 'yes, but you can never tell if they're really happy or not. You don't know what they may be going through.' It's almost hoping that that person is miserable as sin and suffering in some way to satisfy the sense of injustice and unfairness inside themselves.

Often the ones that really matter can’t be offloaded though. Money won’t make the cancer go away or bring a person back from the dead. The unhappiness in those situations cannot be bought off, even if money can make your life practically easier (whilst you work through your illness of your grief).

Well obviously. That doesn’t mean many of them can’t be offloaded.

it is much easier to deal with cancer, serious grief, get through a divorce, or any number of difficulties, if you can throw money at annoying things like keeping the house reasonably clean and finding healthy food.

I grew up very poor and am now much better off. I would say that money doesn't directly buy happiness. Happiness is often somewhat innate and I know many people with a lot of money who are miserable. Money however can remove a lot of the obstacles to happiness it can buy relative comfort, a decent home, decent food, leisure time, security and so on. money becomes a resource just like any other something you can make plans with, in a bad situation money can usually get out out of it.

It might be more apt to say that poverty brings with a lot of stress that goes on to breed unhappiness. Many marriages are burdened with the stresses of poverty or not being able to make ends meet, feeling trapped in substandard accommodation in a bad area, eating bad food and so on.

I think it should be 'money doesn't necessarily buy happiness,' and it's true. Look at the amount of famous people/celebrities who are rich and privileged who end up taking their own life/dying of drug overdoses etc...

That said, of course it's daft to say being poor is better than being financially well off. As pps have said, you could have better housing, better health care, lovely holidays, give some money to your charity(s) of choice, and you could travel, and also help people who need it. You could also give up your job, and do something you enjoy for a living/turn a hobby into a career... Or just not work, and chill out for the rest of your life! (If you had a decent sum of money!)

I (and DH) have been on the bones of our arse, 1000s of £££ in debt, and struggled desperately financially for a number of years. For the last 10 years we have been comfortable, and now have a mid 5-figure sum in the bank in savings.

I know which I prefer.

I think it’s the opposite actually. I think the ones using this phrase are people who have never experienced the true misery of poverty.

I think that most people's problems in life could be improved or solved by throwing money at it.
I think that there is a level of richness that once achieved, it doesnt improve any more though

I think if you truly think the money buys happinesses then you are privileged as you don't have things going on in your life that money won't fix.

If you had loads of money but poor health and no friends or family I'm not sure that would lead to happiness.

In my experience it's the people who have money that claim it doesn't buy you happiness. I've never met someone who was poor that actually believed they'd be no happier if they knew they'd have a nice house for the rest of their lives and the other security wealth brings.

I've heard plenty of wealthy people say it though, as a means to crush aspiration and/or show how "normal" they are. Especially the lightweight Surrey socialist type who consider themselves to be working class despite being worth millions.

Financial security gives options / choices and peace of mind

But doesn't necessarily correlate with good health and happy relationships

I think the phrase tends to mean that if you’re depressed, for example, it won’t cure you.

but generally I agree. Not having to work or being able to quit when you hate a job or boss is a huge happiness factor. That and a spacious house, plenty of heat, food and fun…. Adds to happiness

Scientifically it is untrue, to an extent.

There have been multiple studies that show money does improve happiness up to a point (if I remember off the top of my head it was a US study and the figure was around $120k a year) after that point extra money did not improve happiness.

In short, having enough money that you do not need to worry about rent/mortgage, putting food on the table and other basics, having enough money that you can partake in some leisure activities / eat out / go on holiday does make you happy.

Money doesn't buy happiness but it will stop you being miserable.

It doesn't guarantee happiness, but it definitely makes it easier. Compare a half term going to Spain with the DC the first week, a SAHM in a large house with a playset in the garden and space to invite friends over and money for daytrips and nice food, with a family in a cramped flat and no money to go out and having to be careful on the food shop. you can't guarantee the first will be happy and the second won't, but it's much more likely the first will be having a nicer life than the second scenario.

However if you compare the first scenario to the second, and the first has an abusive dad coming home each night after cheating, the mums depressed because of the relationship so doesn't have energy for the DC, and the second scenario the mum and dad are happy, loving and caring then they may well be happier. So it doesn't guarantee happiness. Just makes it easier.

When I think about aot of my issues, money would help a lot of them if not all. Hate my job, burnout and stress, having to work full time in a low paid job, I have debt, can't buy myself nice things, can't afford to decorate my house my furniture is pretty much falling apart and that makes me miserable, struggle with paying for childcare etc, struggle eating healthy and keeping fit can't afford gym membership, struggle with keeping on top of house and garden again would be lovely to be able to pay for help, I am not saying money would solve all my issues but it would solve a lot and improve them greatly and in turn my mental wellbeing and happiness

The people who say this have presumably never been poor. Any difficult things you have to cope with in life - illness, bereavement, divorce, disability - are even worse if you also have money worries. Working for a living can turn from something you may not enjoy but is a normal part of your routine, to an impossible burden if, for example, you or a family member are seriously ill - if you do not have to work, you will never appreciate how hard it can be sometimes to keep the show on the road.

I have been poor - very and now well off but the things that make me happy have not changed. Love, family support, a good friendship group, access to the outdoors.
Money brings freedom - and security but doesn’t buy happiness

Happiness seems linked to having a sense of purpose…. So ‘making a living’ gives that. There is satisfaction in getting by reasonably comfortably and having a few well earned extras. Being suddenly super rich through a lottery win, for example, would be a difficult transition if eliminates that sense of purpose and replaces it with …. What? Obligation to do good, help others, be happy buying stuff?

I do sort of get it.

How many rich and famous people go off the rails with drink/drugs/depression/severe mental health problems. Absolutely loads.

How many beautiful successful rich women still get cheated on or have multiple failed marriages. Or become estranged from their families or children. Again, loads.

How many rich people completely ruin themselves with ridiculous plastic surgery and damage not only their appearance but also their health.

I think that money can buy you happiness if you are happy and stable anyway and have good people around you.

I think that sometimes the lengths that people have to go to in order to become rich whether that’s fame, or a highly stressful career can ruin a persons life.

It doesn't buy happiness but it buys security, which in a way, is probably better than a nebulous concept like 'happiness'.