AIBU to think, can money buy happiness? in some ways, it absolutely can!

[Relaxednhappy]

Before I say anything else, I know and wholeheartedly appreciate that this is a very privileged position to be in. And this is not a stealth boast it is an acknowledgment that I think A LOT of people won’t admit to.
Not everyone gets to make these choices, and I don’t take that lightly.

But I also think we should be honest about the conversation.

I always used to sit on the fence with this question but…”Can money buy happiness?

Since buying my new house, finishing it exactly how I wanted, everything is new and we have added all the modern comforts, I’ve noticed something shift in my life and in my mental health.
Everything is clean and new.
Electric blinds that open with a button.
A robot hoover that keeps the floors clean without me thinking about it.
A Quooker tap that gives instant boiling water-this speeds up cooking time too.
A large washing machine and dryer that actually keep up with life.
A dishwasher that saves hours every week.

None of these things are “life-changing” on their own. But together , they remove friction from my day.
I am less stressed so my performance at work improved, this got me to a position where I could go for a promotion and therefore more money.
I also bought a brand-new car. I no longer worry about breakdowns. My petrol costs are lower. It’s automatic, so driving feels easier and calmer. There’s no constant background stress about “what if something goes wrong?”

What money has really bought me isn’t “stuff.”
It’s:

• Time
• Convenience
• Reliability
• Peace of mind

And that peace of mind has given me something priceless, mental space!! I have more time to relax. Less daily stress. Fewer small frustrations draining my energy. More time to spend quality time with my family. When your environment runs smoothly, your nervous system does too. Of course, money can’t fix everything. It doesn’t replace relationships, purpose, or health. But it can remove many of the daily pressures that chip away at your wellbeing. So no, money doesn’t buy happiness in a fairy-tale sense. But it can absolutely buy comfort. It can buy security. It can buy time. And sometimes, that’s enough to make you happier, healthier, and more at peace.

Anyone else have any similar thoughts and experiences?

Well to be fair, she had worked all her life. The win came after she had retitred.

You can use semantics and sentimental notions as much as you like, but I can guarantee that there's absolutely no happiness in poverty. There's no happiness in hunger or damp and dangerous housing, or living in daily dread that your 18 year old car will stop working. Or worrying daily what the hell will become of your disabled child when you die. The "lots of problems" that money can solve would eliminate all of that. So it depends on your idea of happiness. If you personally could live happily with all of the problems I've cited, then I commend you. Are you in that position?

No, and if you are I sympathise.
But as I said, money can solve lot's of problems, but it can't buy happiness.

I would rather be poor and loved, than rich and lonely.

But you say you aren't poor (although I'm not suggesting you're filthy rich either). Until you are in my position I don't see how you can't really comment. And by the way, I am loved. My son loves me very much.

I have been poor, and I know money helps with lot's of lifes difficulties, but to me that doesn't equate with it buying happiness, it definately buys peace of mind re bills, health issues etc.

I wasn't suggesting you are not loved, I was talking generally.

Yeah I absolutely wouldn't buy a second home if I won the lottery. It's just another millstone round your neck, having to manage it, or make decisions for someone else managing it. Neither would I buy a much bigger house. What's the point? There is only DH and me at home now. As long as it had enough space for family to stay that's fine. Don't need a massive garden. All that is just so high maintenance. For me, money would buy freedom. Freedom to go off on holiday whereverand whenever you like and rent the nicest property you want for as long as you like, or stay in a lovely hotel and have everything done for you.

I used to think a holiday home would be great. But totally changed my mind now I'm a bit older and more financially savvy and seen other people regretting holiday home purchases abroad, or caravans etc.

It doesn’t buy happiness as my mum said but it does buy choice and misery in comfort

What would make me happy is to have so much money that I could give it away to help other people without impinging on my fairly modest lifestyle, see Andrew Carnegie, Warren Buffett and (I hate to say it) Bill Gates, what are Musk and Bezos doing with their billions, absolutely fuck all.

It’s an interesting one for me. I’m not interested in money in terms of buying lots of possessions, I can do without a lot of stuff and I’m naturally thrifty. BUT I do agree that money can enhance choice, convenience and free up valuable time. I’m somebody who values autonomy over my time, so I can see the link with more money improving happiness by giving you more choice over how you spend your time.

Happiness is subjective. Money can buy security, travel and the ability to do interesting things, have a secure home and not worry about paying for the basics.

I'd much rather have money and be miserable than have no money and be miserable. I'm less likely to be happy trapped in a job I can't leave without leaving myself destitute than I am having money and choices.

If the requirements for happiness are things which can be purchased then, yes money can buy happiness.
The questions then raised are:
1-What are the things which give rise to happiness?
and
2-Can those things be bought?

Do you pay for ChatGPT too 😂

Money is essential for happiness. Not having money impacts quality of life in every way, from your stress levels to your supermarket shop.

What money has really bought me isn’t “stuff.”

@Relaxednhappy your post is full of the stuff you've bought, in a frankly vulgar list.

Would agree, we’ve everything breaking at the moment and are trying to get by and fix ourselves also and it sucks! Add in travel, meeting people etc and life would be so much easier!! The idea of a huge washing machine and dryer would be amazing too! Saying that robot hoovers aren’t my thing-all the moving, carrying involved- my dream is a light handheld!

With health it’s patchy, money can buy relief and better appointments but in the end it’s not going to help you.

Money buys you freedom. I don't think that's a new concept though.

But the wealth wasn’t because of her work. I think you know what it means.

Yes it does. It buys you peace of mind. The ability to plan. To indulge yourself.

Those who say it doesn’t buy happiness have probably never been without it and have never faced unpayable bills.

They have donated some of their money, more so Bezos.

Whoop de doop. A few coins to the serfs from Musk, the first person on earth to get a trillion dollar paycheck. Most of it achieved from his privileged birth position of wealth.

Im feeling particularly sick this morning. I was born poor, barely enough food, always hand me down clothes and never enough of them, but was educated among the well-off. I worked through school, worked up a bit, as much as I could knowing myself inferior to those born wealthy, always worked and tried harder than they did for everything: only to watch everything taken away by fucking boomer buy to let landlords. I stupidly then thought I was getting somewhere and could make a bit of space to have kids, bringing more lives into this filthy exploitative world, and had to move to a cheap region to buy a house to try and give them a future. And so I’ve been working hard ever since trying to make a future for them, with my education worthless, my career thrown away, working next to people who never tried because work and skill pays nothing nowadays. I never get enough sleep. The only work I can do has to work around kids and so I’m on 13 hr shift work in hospitals, nights and days mixed, with mostly foreigners because no one else is such a mug. Sick of working for the benefit of those entitled boomers listening to their fortunate lives and complaints about the inadequacy of our service, particularly from the bastard privileged men.

How much easier my life would be if I’d been born into wealth and had been given a house deposit or even a house, like the well off kids I grew up with and watched in my old work: or tbh like the very poorest who never tried and got given it all on the state. I could have stayed where I was living and fought for my old career.

I’ve never really believed in the notion that ‘the universe gives you what you give out’ and this idea of the law of attraction but in your case I would venture to say that if you are walking around all day being so bitter and miserable that you will never be happy.

Yep you’re right. Thank you for the privilege of your fucking insight.

Getting up at 5 am for work, work, work, which is all I’ve ever known, work for pittances that is all my life’s entire work is worth, stress about how to find the time to learn more to be able to do more work work work, watch those who worked for nothing get given it all, be a body slave to those who were just 5 years older than me and so were equipped to actually buy a life with their work, but all I really need is more positive thinking. So I’ve been told by the fucking well off middle classes since forever.

Fuck that and fuck the landlords who stole everything g from me.

Meanwhile I don’t know if my kids are set up for school as I was supposed to go to bed early but had to get up again to get them into bed because my useless self centred prick of a husband can’t sort it, and I can’t divorce him because he pays for the house. But yes. Positive thinking solves everything. If you’re born rich.

What kind of world is this for my beautiful bright eyed baby daughter who is now a depressed teen asking me why and how it’s worth it.

Shes working hard at school too, doing GCSEs, going to get a handful, WHY? Whats in it for her? What was there ever in it for me?

No shit Sherlock