when a rich person says 'money doesnt buy you happiness"

[pingIspom]

aibu to feel like screaming ?

money does buy happiness otherwise they'd give it all away

It's the lack of gratitude that stings really.

I think it's all relative. If you have experienced being poor then if your income goes up you're more likely to not be an entitled prick about it. But if all you've known in life is a nice comfy lifestyle and a nice comfy income then you're likely to see it as normal and not appreciate it at all.

The happiest people statistically are those who have money and do not prioritise having money.

I think it's relative - money can buy happiness is some instances. I'd be insanely happy if I could afford a place in the middle of nowhere so I could get away from my arsehole neighbours. My mother, seriously ill would be happier if she could give up work, instead she's working 'until she dies' (her words) because of the debt my troubled Dad left her in when he committed suicide. In fact it would also make my sister happy if she could afford the private treatment she needs following said suicide.
I understand both sides on this thread, but money can certainly improve some things, which in turn would give that happiness

Money gives you choice and opportunities.
Money affords you to live and work in a nice area.
Money means you can live close to your place of work.
Money means you can send your children to private school.
Money means you can buy lunch at work instead of having to make it.
Money means you can jump in a cab home when it is raining as you can spare £10.
Money means you do not think constantly about money.
Money means your funeral costs are covered.

I grew up in poverty, not extreme (never went without meals) but enough to know we struggled. It was a horrible experience and I vowed never to be in the position where I had to borrow money/food from others.

I have been completely skint, and I am now comfortable, but not rich.

Money definitely doesn’t buy happiness. What it does buy is freedom, security, independence and choices. If you have enough of it, money can free you from the need to work, unless you want to. It also gives you the ability to help others, which can be either very rewarding or make you very cynical about human nature, depending on the character and behaviour of those you help....

It’s about having love, health, family, success in doing what you enjoy, appreciating nature and the outdoors, fostering good relationships and absorbing the riches the world has to offer (art, culture, books). All of which is free

I am sorry to hear about your parents situation. But the comment above demonstrates to some extent the obliviousness of the comfortably off and the frustration that OP feels. Having no money means you cannot afford to invest in things you enjoy, you cannot afford to travel outside of what might be the shithole place you live in to visit the countryside or a cultural centre. Your relationships may be strained due to lack of money. I could go on. Financial poverty impoverishes your whole life.

It makes that aspect of life a lot easier so if you do go through other traumas, it’s one less thing to worry about. It doesn’t bring overall happiness though, of course.

Like others on this thread, I’ve been poor and now I’m not. Money can’t buy happiness in the sense of making sure nothing bad ever happens, but it makes fixing problems much easier and it removes a huge source of stress and anxiety. I work long hours (though not 80 hours per week): having money means I can spend my free time doing things I want to do, and pay other people to do the cleaning and gardening that I don’t want to do. I could easily be working the same hours in a minimum wage job, and I’d be considerably less happy.

My sister had an agonising ovarian cyst: she was in too much pain to work, and if she took enough painkillers to alleviate the pain she couldn’t function. Couldn’t work, couldn’t eat. The NHS was looking at an initial appointment with a gynaecologist in September and maybe surgery at the end of the year. In that time she’d probably have lost her job. I paid for her to have the op privately this week, she should be back at work at the end of the month. Damn right money buys happiness!

Tell that to my poor DM who had to endure the death of my DB when he was 32. Soon after this she died of cancer -grief-
And what is all this slagging off Govan people
www.understandingglasgow.com/profiles/neighbourhood_profiles/2_south_sector/34_greater_govan

Aye, I'm sure someone worrying if they can feed the meter and their kids will take great comfort in looking at a bloody 🌳

Anyway, I'm off to buy a lottery ticket

happiness probably not
but freedom, making life a 100 times easier and smoothing down problems absolutely!

It's still easier to deal with a life-threatening illness when you don't have to worry about finance, paying the bills, supporting your family and your partner taking all the time off they need to support you.
Let alone having access to better - or at least faster - medical treatment.

When someone has to take public transport to and from chemio because they can't afford an alternative, that's pretty shit.

Money = detached house = no neighbours = much less stress for me

But surely happiness and wellbeing are related? Can you have one without the other?

I've made my DH richer, but I'm pretty sure the money hasn't made him happier as it's made his life more complicated, stressful and even busier. Hopefully it will improve. (I must remember to back the fuck off though.)

There are things that happen to almost everyone. Our parents die, we have to deal with illness, we may have to deal with our partner dying, friends dying, dealing with ill relatives. Every one of those things is made slightly easier if you have money. It means you can pay for decent medical and social care for a start.
I visited a housebound friend yesterday who lives in a warden aided complex with carers coming in. If she had money she could pay for much more help than she gets, and stay in a nice private complex instead of the more basic complex she is in.
Money does not bring happiness alone, but it makes life a damn site easier. And anyone reasonably intelligent should realise that.

It can't buy ALL the happiness. It can't cure cancer or buy a soul mate. But fuck me, of course it can buy PLENTY of happiness. It can buy somewhere to live that you love, it can buy holidays and festival tickets and day trips that give you a fun time and memories to look back on. It can buy better healthcare and things that improve your well-being (good food, gym memberships, massages, cleaners, whatever the hell helps! etcetc). It's a fucking joke to say that money doesn't! Of course it can! You can die of cancer when you're poor too you know. At least the rich person may lay on their deathbed without worrying about how their family is going to afford to bury them or pay the mortgage. I guess that's a kind of happiness even in the bleakest of situation.

A family member has run up debts of £15k in my name. I'm a single parent working part time, claiming WTC and I'm losing sleep over this. So yeah a relatively small amount of money would make me a hell of a lot happier.

Imagine dying of cancer knowing that your family will have get into debt for a funeral?
A close relative of mine died of cancer and had enough money to do a bit of a bucket list before they died.
A friend of a friend has cancer and is getting extra drug treatment privately to try and make sure it does not come back. I strongly suspect if you have money you have a higher chance of surviving cancer than if you are poor.
I will consider the idea that money is unimportant when homeless people start saying it. Instead IME it is always well off people who say this.
And yes it is true a newer fancier car really makes no difference to the quality of your life. But it is the choices that do. Being able to live somewhere nice with a lower crime rate and enough space in the house. Enough money for your kids to be able to follow their interests and do hobbies and sports that interest them. Enough money to be able to buy and cook good quality food that means they are more likely to be healthy. All these things have an impact.

Yeah I'd be pretty happy with money..

I have some problems in my life right now that NO amount of money would fix unfortunately It’s true money does not solve everything 😢

It affords you the stability of not having to worry about paying the bills etc, which if dealing with something terrible is bound to make it slightly easier as you don't have that to worry about as well. But material possessions cannot eradicate things that make you sad, you may have artificial happiness or respite for a bit; but not sure how it truly makes you happy.

compared to many people on this planet OP, you are v rich, so presumably you must be v happy?

Of course money buys happiness to an extent (I.e once you’re at a certain level of wealth any extra does not contribute to further happiness)

The pp’s who have mentioned how money can’t get rid of the pain from bereavement, illness, infertility etc...
Well yes that’s true but these things affect everyone
As the recent cancer research advert said “cancer doesn’t care who you are”

Plus someone in a wealthier position could then afford private therapy/counselling etc

broadly speaking money is a necessary but not sufficient condition for happiness