to think money does buy you happiness

[poorasachurchmouse]

Whoever came up with the saying "money can't buy you happiness" obviously never lived without any.

I feel so desperate today, I'm currently living on £163 a week for a family of four due to a few changes in circumstances - Weekly income isn't £163 as some of that is paid monthly, usual weekly income is £118.

It's been a bit of a shock to the system but I'm just about managing. This week however the worst has happened.

Not only has dd gone on a residential trip which I had to finish paying for and give spending money for, I've had 2 bills taken out of the bank.

luckily I've probably got enough in the freezer to do meals til Monday(next payday) but no bread or potatoes and no Gas(prepayment meter)

I've just had to walk half an hour to the nearest cashpoint that doesn't charge £1.99, just so that I could have an extra tenner - but had to pay everything I withdrew into my current account to cover the direct debits. I've now no money left in my savings account at all.

I don't know how I'm going to make it through the rest of the week, I feel sick, I feel like crying, I feel totally and utterly desperate. I just want to get into bed, pull the covers over my head and pretend my life doesn't exsist.

I'm afraid money does buy you happiness, or rather lack of it buys you a whole shit load of unhappiness

I think it is not so much that money buys happiness - not sure that is true - but that the lack of it causes great unhappiness.

Being wealthy does not assure your happiness, but it does remove one major cause of unhappiness.

Hope you get through the week OK.

You are right that a severe lack of money can lead to unhappiness, but money does not buy happiness at all. Far from it. It can provide misery in comfort though.

Money provides security and opportunity. That sounds like happiness to me.

Money buys you the ability to not have to worry about something really stressful.

It buys you time - you can get a cleaner in, hand your kids over to a nanny sometimes, take a taxi instead of the bus.

It means you can socialise without worrying about how much it costs.

It means you can shop for food without worrying about the price of every single thing and you can buy stuff that is healthy.

I have been poor living off pasta every day for months and never going out and I have been relatively well-off buying stuff without worrying and yes, I can confidently say, when I was well-off, I maybe wasn't happy, but I didn't have crushing anxiety all the time.

Money definitely does not buy you happiness. I was diagnosed with cancer several years ago and all of a sudden I couldn't give a shiney shite how many zeros (or lack of) were on my bank statement. Ditto when my son was born prematurely and spent 2 months in intensive care and SCBU. I would have given every penny I owned to make him well again.

I think health and the health of your loved ones has a stronger link to happiness.

That said, I grew up in a family where we didn't have 2 pennies to rub together. Our house was repossessed several times and we lived a very hand-to-mouth existence. It was shite and not a way I would want to live now so you have my sympathies OP.

Agree that health and the health of loved ones is far more essential to happiness than money.

Money DOES buy you happiness. It buys things and experiences and fun and all the things that can make you happy.
It doesn't mean that bad things can't happen to you, but even then, money helps.
Rich people are healthier. They can buy health. They can buy good food and better doctors and better treatment.

People with money are unhappy too.They are just unhappy about different things.

YANBU.

A lack of money can cause terrible anxiety and take away all choice and sometimes dignity.

Yes, my children and loved ones are healthy,and that is the most important thing ever, BUT enough money to pay the bills and enough for a teeny treat now and then would really to get rid of the endless anxiety being skint can cause.

Being skint causes massive stress and can end up obsessing you. It's horrible and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

The OP isn't saying it matters above loved ones or anything like that, but the real misery of a lack of money is huge and can ruin whole days, weeks and months.

You have my sympathy OP, hope things work out for you.

What JoanofNark said.

I would love to do a Masters and become an academic. I have the skills, I have the motivation.

I don't have the money though, so it's a pipe dream. Maybe in 5 or 6 or 10 years.

Rich people live longer. So yes, you can buy health, also.

I agree especially about the second part of your op.

Those gas/elec meters eat money and its so depressing when you count your last coins to feed the evil meter.

It buys you choice not necessarily happiness. Choice makes things easier.

Gooey loosely has it. Lack of money can cause unhappiness but it doesn't necessarily mean money will buy you happiness. Plenty of rich people sadly suffer depression or anxiety or any number of other issues and even suicide because of a whole range of mental health or emotional issues that all the money in e world can't eradicate.

Money buys you choices, which may not equate to happiness but tbh I'd rather be better off and unhappy than skint and equally as unhappy.

I have been broke, absolutely impoverished and I have been wealthy so I can speak from experience.

Money gives you security and it eliminates lots of stress which is wonderful.

But having money does not remove unhappiness.
It did not make me immune from depression.
It did not stop my dad dying.
It can't cure my sons disabilities.

Being poor makes it harder to be happy but being rich does not guarantee anything. The idea that money cures all problems is damaging.

It is true that a lack of money can bring stress, but my Mum grew up pooryet tells me her childhood was wonderful and happy.

And although no money can bring stress, it simply doesn't follow that money will bring happiness. You cannot buy health at all, to say that you can is ridiculous. You can but a quicker appointment and treatment in a hospital where you get y our own bathroom, but you can't buy health.

Things and experiences and fun is not happiness. Happiness is an attitude, it is a state of mind. You can have all the material riches in the world, but that won't buy you love , or friendship or companionship, or gratitude, or appreciation, or health. Therefor money cannot buy happiness.

All money can buy is a life free of stress about money.

Money doesn't buy happiness. It can help - but this time last year I was in a well-paying job with a shit boss and stressed to fuck.

This year I have a part-time job at a significantly lower hourly rate. I have a lot less money and am MUCH happier.

BUT - I am not in debt and I have enough to cover my outgoings. Just about. Money doesn't buy happiness, but the lack of money does create problems than can lead to unhappiness. One is not the same as the other.

I've been where you are op and I can honestly say that not knowing how the fuck you are going to get through the week, or having to decide which is more important, heat/hot water or lights, is immensely depressing.

So on that basis alone, having money makes you happier.

Hope things look up for you soon op

I don't think anyone is saying money cures all your problems.

It takes away a huge chunk of them however. It's not about things or stuff, it's about not worrying whether you can eat tonight.

What Pag said.

Not that I have tried being very wealthy, but something nearly happened last week that no money in the world could ever have made good again. I was happier when we were poor.

.

Health first the wealth, god not even wealth but no spare cash is vile.

My dh was unemployed for 2 years, I earned just enough to pay bills and mortgage with nowt left over. This after recent years of good living.

Older kids had to get sat and holiday jobs as necessity( that was very good for them actually) but the stress and worry of the car breaking down or school trips, hearing bills was really dreadful and never have we argued so much.

Eventually dh got a contract in Australia for 6 months and hard as that was as we couldn't afford to visit him it was heaven to have money coming in.

My deep sympathys op, can you go to citizens advice and just check you arnt missing any entitlements???

Of course health is more important than money.

But last week dh had the car and i took 3 buses to go to hospital for my mum. Of course i would prefer that she is healthy. But since she is not i would prefer to be able to take a taxi and to not worry about childcare, loss of income (due to having to look after her), unpaid bills etc on top of worrying about her health. Imo, it does make difference.

I think there are some desperately unhappy rich people. Just look at the celsebs like Michael jackson, or others who check into the priority or some other private mental hospital.

Money buys comfort. I also think that relative poverty is more of an issue than absolute poverty. There are happy people in the third world who live on less than the OP, but they don't feel poor because everyone around them is poor.

If you have no money it can cause unhappiness. But if you have lots of money it does not guarantee you will be happy.