Money can buy happiness

[BoviTraci]

It's something people don't like admitting but it's true Just read the Being poor is thread has left me in no doubt that yes money can buy happiness. Not talking vast amounts but enough to take care of daily needs .
Being poor sucks 😔

Money can't buy happiness, but it definitely helps you get there!

A look at how miserable many rich people are and the goldfish bowl type lives rich celebrities have to live indicates money alone cannot buy happiness.

But it's definitely part of the equation or journey there, imo.

Not enough cripples you-it really does-I’ve been there (I wrote on the other thread)

too much and it can do the same but in a different way-it doesn’t buy you happiness at all

my fils half brother is a millionaire-he’s loaded beyond my wildest dreams

hes got a wife who would leave him if he lost it all,adult kids who only bother with him because he pays for them to live the lifestyle they are used to and his grandchildren (the older ones) are the same as their parents-secretly I don’t like any of them-they waft round with the air of never having to worry about anything-but it’s only because daddy pays for everything

He’s the most miserable,tight fisted man I’ve ever met-he could buy whatever he likes but he has nothing of value

i (now) live a life what means I can buy treats,I can buy food and pay my bills-we are not loaded at all

but I have people that love me,I have my job and my friends-in some ways,I have it all

Money gets you security. Food, housing, warmth, health care, self care etc. Which helps with your overall well being.

Doesn't buy love, companionship, self esteem etc... other things which can lead to happiness.

Money makes you happier up to a wage that is higher than the majority of people (can't remember the exact value, possibly £80K). But a billionaire is not necesarily happier than a millionaire.

I think money buys you options, so you have the choice to do things that make you happy.

I've been in the position of going shopping and having to choose between bread and milk, not being able to afford to travel to my job etc and that sort of pressure just relentlessly grinds you down.

Now we're ok (not rich but finally able to pay bills, do some fun stuff and save) and the difference to my happiness is huge.

A friend has moved from being in my current position to being quite wealthy.
For her the difference has been life changing. She's gained access to private medical care and fertility treatments, she spends less time working so she's been able to join groups etc and finally make some friends where she lives. All options she didn't have until she had more money.

Money buys you more choices and more freedom.
It gives you peace of mind.
It gives you the mental freedom to think about other things because when you don't have enough of it, it's all you think about.
Anybody that doesn't think money makes you happier has never been dirt poor.

I've always said, it depends why you're unhappy in the first place. For me right now, it's because we can't afford to do anything and have some debts that need paying off. If I could solve that I would be happier.

Money buys freedom and comfort, if you can't be happy with it then it's probably wasted on you.

I think when people say money can't buy you happiness, they mean being super rich doesn't mean you're super happy.

But clearly being stoney broke is no fun and being able to pay your bills is a lot less stressful

My dad is really well off - has a successful business, owns his house outright. Lots of savings. He is absolutely miserable, depressed and hates life since we lost my little brother aged 29 a couple of years ago. He’s a shadow of himself. Money can’t fix loneliness, bereavement, sickness.

Apparently £50k (ish) is the sweet spot. More than that and people are less happy (working too hard or being sponged off or worrying about losing it) and less than that and you can't afford food and heat and shelter. I'd much rather be on the upper side of the sweet spot than the lower myself as I can't afford a holiday or to get things done to the house that are causing me worries.

As has been said, outlook has a massive impact on your happiness and I think not envying all the celebrities and people you see on social media "supposedly" having a great time helps.

I suffer from depression and money doesn't change that or make me happy.

I won a small amount of money recently – not a huge amount but a nice little bonus.

I was filling the car with petrol a couple of days later and just thinking how nice it was not to be doing the usual mental arithmetic I to do while filling the tank! I'm usually stood there trying to work out how much it will cost, how much is left in the account, how long until payday and any other outgoing I have coming up!

You won't convince me money doesn't bring happiness after that!

Money doesn’t buy you happiness but it buys you the luxury of not having to worry about money which is a huge huge stress and source of anxiety and unhappiness

As my late Mum used to say ‘Money can’t buy you happiness but you can be miserable in comfort’.

I think firstly you need your health and good people around you or all the money in the world wont make you happy. It certainly helps but isn't the main source of happiness.

I don't have good health, still bloody love money.

Money brings out the best and worst in people as it's very often a case of taking the good with the bad. However, the point of money is to be able to pay for things, as seen by lottery wins, vast sums of money in the wrong hands will destroy relationships and rip families apart and vast sums of money in the right hands will grant prosperity and comfort.

It's all about how you manage money and who you give it to. If I came into an amount of fortune, be it by lottery win, inheritance or by working extremely hard, ie bonus, I'd not tell anyone about it.

Money doesn't buy happiness is the line always said by people who have enough of it.

usually to those who don't

Money is an essential tool, just like anything else. If you had a nail to knock in urgently, you would really struggle (and likely fail) to do it if you didn't have a hammer; but you wouldn't really be in a noticeably better position if you had 100 hammers.

We’re fairly comfortable.

My husband has severe depression.

Money doesn’t negate this, but it means we have the means to get him private care when things get really bad, without having to wait months for referrals.

Money can’t make you happy, but can make the in happy times a bit easier.

It certainly buys you peace of mind.

I've recently moved home and I'm in disbelief at how much contentment I get from being outside in my garden, something I couldn't previously afford.

It gives you the financial security to choose the family size you want rather than the number of kids you can afford although I appreciate there are other factors in this.

It takes away that gnawing anxiety that something big/unaffordable could happen and topple the little balance you have - hello £3k leaking roof!

It gives you available funds to pursue your hobbies and interests.

It gives you a cushion to allow you to take risks in your career.

To me though the biggest one is the impact your home has on your mental health a cramped, leaking, noisy, gardenless box with no nice view vs a three bed semi with a sea view. I'm not wording myself very well with the last one but yeah being skint impacts everything and it's really hard to stop yourself getting dragged down by it all.

I never mind that money gets you better cars, clothes, gadgets etc but i rage at how much it gets you better education, better opportunities, better healthcare and easier access to the natural world.

It's made us very happy. We've retired early and can afford nice holidays and we treat our adult dc. It's annoying but we aren't worrying about the cost of living crisis.
Having to penny pinch just to pay the bills and mortgage is shit - it was a long time ago but we have been there.
Inheritance or other people's money seems to bring out the worst in people. Worse are those who control others with money.
The trouble with money is that everyone wants more than they have.

Agree with PP- having money means having more choices. It won't stop you from being unhappy due to non-financial matters (bereavement, ill health etc) but does mean that if you have other problems you have more choice of how to deal with them. Eg. if a rich person suffers a bereavement they can choose to take some unpaid leave from work, have counselling, take their family on a nice holiday etc. Having more money also means not having to worry about paying the bills and being able to buy in expert help with any issues.