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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think a large sum of money would give you life long happiness we can't even imagine

242 replies

SillyBud · 05/02/2022 16:05

Just pondering on the person who win the 109 million last night and think that yesterday they were just like us-stressed about so many things that could be eased/abolished by money-mortgages, rent, work,health and fitness,appearance...

Can you actually imagine waking up today to discover you are 109 million richer and free from so much the rest of us are prisoner to?

OP posts:
NewbieDivergent · 05/02/2022 16:49

I suffer chronic depression and social anxiety so it wouldn't miraculously cure me but would take aware the insecurity of where money would come from to support my children as a single mum,would probably give the 100 million to charities and keep the 9 million for myself,family and my few friends as wouldn't want our lives to change so drastically.

BrandyAB · 05/02/2022 16:57

I think you are over estimating what gives you life long happiness.

There is a basic level of need e.g. your own home, bills paid, food on the table, clothes etc. Once you have achieved that the increase in your personal level of happiness/ contentment may initially rise but then settle just above what it would have been with less money but needs met.

For example owning your current home outright would make you happy. Owning your dream home would make you happier initially but then it would become your home and contentment sets in.

Money cannot cure cancer or bring loved ones back. So you would still have difficult times.

People who are never satisfied will always feel unsatisfied as that is their personality type.

Mumsnut · 05/02/2022 17:00

If you all chip in a tenner , Mumsnetters, I'll report back ...

Waxonwaxoff0 · 05/02/2022 17:06

It would absolutely improve my life. I love my life and I'm very happy, but I'm single and paying a mortgage on my own and have barely any pension because I have to pay all the bills on my own. If I could pay off my mortgage and know I'd have financial security life would be perfect.

VladmirsPoutine · 05/02/2022 17:06

Most if not all problems can be solved by money. I don't believe people who say 'money doesn't buy you happiness'. Even if true I'd much rather be weeping on a yacht in Cannes than a run down bedsit in a run down area of a decaying town.

Money buys you time, options and security. From that base anything can be fixed to the extent that it can i.e. I might not be able to cure someone's depression or cancer but I can most certainly afford the absolute best care and attention 24/7 for them.

Echobelly · 05/02/2022 17:08

I think vast sums like that bring a degree of trouble, as you need so much advice on how to deal, then managing friends, family and everyone who might make demands on you.

A few years ago I inherited enough to pay off our fairly large mortgage and that was a really nice sum to get - it gets that off our back, meant I could finally put a meaningful amount into my pension and afford to go to theatre etc more often. I think I prefer that to the thought of 109m!

dipdye · 05/02/2022 17:10

Totly agreed.

There's a lot to be said for not worrying about money

TabithaTiger · 05/02/2022 17:11

It would certainly provide a better quality of misery!

Disneyblueeyes · 05/02/2022 17:13

Anyone who thinks a lot of money wouldn't improve their lives are kidding themselves.

Of course it would.

Of course you can be unhappy and rich, but you're far more likely to be unhappy and poor, in my opinion.

MrsTophamHat · 05/02/2022 17:14

I think it would be quite alienating to be honest.

I'm not sure I would tell anyone, but then what's the point?

I'd just love enough to pay the mortgage off and make the major changes to the house I'd like to do. Some lovely holidays and no having to work in a job I didn't like. But I would still want to work.

Cherrysoup · 05/02/2022 17:15

Think it would make me pretty happy! I’d give a lot away because seriously, £109mill is more than I could ever spend.

bindud · 05/02/2022 17:15

Oh, and the biggest impact on life expectancy? Poverty.

Yep, that's why I don't understand the comments that it doesn't make a difference to health. If you have private healthcare & access to regular checkups/screening problems can likely be spotted & treated earlier. Please better nutrition & less stress will make a difference

ChrissyPlummer · 05/02/2022 17:17

“Money doesn’t solve all your problems but I’d rather be miserable in a Mercedes than on a bicycle”.

CurlyMango · 05/02/2022 17:17

I’d definitely manage🥳🥳

WomblingWilma · 05/02/2022 17:21

That sort of money changes the whole trajectory of your family’s life. The benefit can be felt for generations if not all pissed away in one.

Children. grandchildren. and great grand children could live in a parallel universe with massive houses, private schools, holidays, endless opportunities and most of all security where money is not an issue.

They’d be totally different people.

WomblingWilma · 05/02/2022 17:25

I did ponder once if Meghan Markle would have got to where she is today if her father hadn’t won the lottery so was able to send her to private school.

CanofCant · 05/02/2022 17:25

@VladmirsPoutine

Most if not all problems can be solved by money. I don't believe people who say 'money doesn't buy you happiness'. Even if true I'd much rather be weeping on a yacht in Cannes than a run down bedsit in a run down area of a decaying town.

Money buys you time, options and security. From that base anything can be fixed to the extent that it can i.e. I might not be able to cure someone's depression or cancer but I can most certainly afford the absolute best care and attention 24/7 for them.

Exactly this.
NotThisWeekSatan · 05/02/2022 17:27

I think it would make me happy. But mostly because I’m largely happy already. The things that would make me more happy would be not having to work, being able to live at a slower pace, having time to pursue hobbies, having more holidays to places I’ve never been.

But if you don’t have a certain level of contentment already - because of your relationships, mental or physical health worries personally or in the family … money will doubtless make life easier, but it won’t necessarily equal happiness.

irregularegular · 05/02/2022 17:30

I disagree quite strongly. I think for many people, having some more money would make them happier as it would ease some problems. But I absolutely disagree that it would guarantee "lifelong happiness". I think that (and it is backed up by proper empirical evidence, if I could be bothered to look for it..) that beyond a certain level of income, not much above the average, more money makes very little difference to happiness. Happiness depends on your relationships, your health, your sense of self worth etc etc none of which can be guaranteed by any amount of money. There are of very unhappy wealthy celebrities and business people out there! We earn pretty well. I'm pretty happy generally. I don't think that having any more money would make me happier at all - I never ever think "I wish I could afford...". I do think "if wish...." but those wishes have nothing to do with money. And actually, winning many millions would totally stress me out working out the best thing to do with it. I would want to give most of it away, but working out who/what to would be a nightmare!!!!

irregularegular · 05/02/2022 17:31

Sorry about all the errors. I wish there was an edit button. You get the gist!

bindud · 05/02/2022 17:33

I did ponder once if Meghan Markle would have got to where she is today if her father hadn’t won the lottery so was able to send her to private school.

I doubt it same for Kate Middleton.

ihaveonecat · 05/02/2022 17:35

Doesn't buy happiness but it would buy me horses snd enable me to have more rescue cats which is pretty much the same thing Grin
I mean yes I would still have health issues but I would be able to afford not to work which relieves the exhaustion

Chichimcgee · 05/02/2022 17:35

I think it depends on the person. I have a friend who won, not millions but enough to buy a house outright and set her up for life. However she’s someone who is ALWAYS the victim. The day we went for the lotto celebration thing she was moaning that she was having a terrible day because she had to go to a different petrol station.
She bought a big house outright. Life is so difficult because she had to ring a plumber.

irregularegular · 05/02/2022 17:36

*Sorry to hear about your family but it’s not really an accurate comparison.

Ask someone if they’d rather have (say) their dad or a large sue of money and they’d choose their dad.

Tell someone they are going to loose their dad: would they rather be poor or rich.*

But the question was whether being very rich would bring you lifelong happiness. It wouldn't, as you would still be unhappy about eg losing loved ones.

PermanentTemporary · 05/02/2022 17:37

I've thought about it, haven't we all. In the end I'd still have the same personality and a lot of my problems are due to my substandard self. If anything I'd have fewer worthwhile distractions because I can't imagine forcing myself to work every day if I didn't have to. I'd also worry about the effect on my ds because kids who grow up rich are often not very edifying people (there are many honorable exceptions of course).

So obviously I wouldn't turn it down and there would be some really nice things about it, but I doubt I'd be that much happier overall.

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