How much money do you need to be happy?

Conrad

bendix wrote: »

Yes, it's awful when people are successful isn't it? I personally think we should aim for a cult of mediocrity where everyone is the same as everyone else. That would teach those rich 'uns.

Here's a thought. Perhaps they are building wealth not just for themselves, but to secure and embellish the lives of their kids and their kids' kids ad infinitium.

Isn't that one of the most basic of all human desires?

Nothing wrong with sucess and building revenue streams, it's the self hoarding I dislike.

My whole focus is on building enough for a comfortable retirment (not to sit about, too work in charity, hobies etc) and pass on say a couple of million to the children, but ensnaring more than this for my family is obscene when so many have so little and the planet needs so much to survice (for example I recently bought a share in some rainforest)

moggylover

JayScottGreenspan wrote: »

It seems to have given us a pretty unbelievably fantastic standard of living.

NOPE! The vast majority of the Country DO NOT have an unbelievably fantastic standard of living! The vast majority of the Country appear to have loads of unsustainable debt caused by "chasing the dream" of having that unbelievably fantastic standard of living, and a large part of the Country has people struggling on wages that are an insult (I consider the minimum wage to be EXACTLY that in view of the cost of living) because there are others who see themselves as somehow "worth more".

Whilst I totally agree that it would be difficult to set a "top" income across the board I do not see the only reason to work hard and to have goals as being "income" and would certainly see no reason to work for some of the "goals" suggested on here! I would, however, be very well motivated to work for the betterment of society in general. I would, furthermore, be motivated to work hard for the betterment of life for those less able to achieve than myself. Indeed, in both those aspects I have been motivated to work hard in the past - and the money I earnt in doing so was far second to the satisfaction and happiness when something that I felt I needed to achieve for others was achieved.

Not because I am a bleeding heart, but because there are fundamentals that I believe we need to instill in ourselves and others that will create a more stable and HAPPIER environment for ALL of us - at the bottom and the top of society.

Were I to be able to re-introduce certain industries to the Country and give jobs to those that want them (i.e. steel industry, and car industry and even mining) then I would work my @rse off for that:D and the results would not need personal wealth and junk in order to make it worthwhile or to make me happy with what I had achieved:o .

I would, however, given any voice at all, make sure that no worthless piece of carp with no morals or ethics could ever inveigle himself into a £4M per year job with a lot of power over other peoples lives, screw it up and take others down with him: and still come out of it with an awful lot of completely gullible idiots actually admiring him and a massive pension out of their pocket.

I would also, make sure that anyone who worked for a living actually GOT a living because it would make me a lot happier to know that there was work out there for those that wanted it, and that even if that work were menial, boring and bloody awful then at least they were paid enough for it that their home/family/social life was good enough to make it worth it.

I would also make sure that there was enough social housing available to those who wanted to rent to make it impossible for some sharp little fly boy to get others to pay for him to own lots of properties whilst they were paying a mortgage amount in rent but were unable to obtain a mortgage themselves;) .

None of these are political theories particularly, nor are they taken from trying to have a "moral high-ground": they are just what I actually FEEL and come more from my gut than from anything I have ever "learnt" or been indoctrinated with.

What was the old saying about the first million being for need: the rest just for show:D - I'm afraid I find "show" to be indicative of a person who is shallow and thus someone I have no wish to associate with .

Conrad

tara747 wrote: »

Nooooooo

I earn a fair bit more than the average wage and am totally into bargain hunting, I get a thrill out of getting something cheap!

A couple on £12k each would struggle to keep themselves, never mind a child imho.

I know what you mean, but I also think about the fact others somewhere have to earn less for me too greedily ensnare a bargain. As long as bargain hunters expect a pay cut to ehh:p

moggylover

mitchaa wrote: »

The people who are saying £25-30k. Are you in receipt of state benefits or living in council/social housing?

Any family with a sizeable mortgage would struggle on the above or certainly have to be frugal with spending i would say.

It would depend on the area of the Country really what would be needed for housing costs - but I could certainly live on that very comfortably now that I have paid off my mortgage and was living on a lot less than that even whilst paying one:D

Conrad

moggylover wrote: »

I'm afraid I find "show" to be indicative of a person who is shallow and thus someone I have no wish to associate with .

Spot on. I don't let off those that divert our attention from thier hoarding either.

Shirley Williams is quite often on Question Time and always draws appreciation for her high morals, yet she lives near me and is very much a wealth hoarder. THESE PEOPLE ARE WORSE THAN FATCAT BANKERS. At least the Bankers dont pretend to be saints. Ben Elton and Rory Bremnar also come to mind - socialists, ha!

moggylover

Conrad wrote: »

Nothing wrong with sucess and building revenue streams, it's the self hoarding I dislike.

My whole focus is on building enough for a comfortable retirment (not to sit about, too work in charity, hobies etc) and pass on say a couple of million to the children, but ensnaring more than this for my family is obscene when so many have so little and the planet needs so much to survice (for example I recently bought a share in some rainforest)

I would have liked to say thank you to that one, but not sure one needs to pass on a couple of million to ones kids:o . Mine will probably get a SMALL property each from their inheritance from me or a good deposit on a larger one - the rest I would prefer they earn for themselves: I think we have seen the none too pleasant affects of vast inherited wealth upon those inheriting it for long enough now to know that it is seldom a blessing:o . Better to have time in ones life for teaching children the value of love and committment to each other and such old fashioned values as consideration and kindness IMO:o

Conrad

Bendix,

Does it bother you so many in the world have so little?
In Manilla I saw tots living without parents in boxes in the motorway central reservation.
For me there is a profound link between my hoarding and others going without.

moggylover

Conrad wrote: »

Spot on. I don't let off those that divert our attention from thier hoarding either.

Shirley Williams is quite often on Question Time and always draws appreciation for her high morals, yet she lives near me and is very much a wealth hoarder. THESE PEOPLE ARE WORSE THAN FATCAT BANKERS. At least the Bankers dont pretend to be saints. Ben Elton and Rory Bremnar also come to mind - socialists, ha!

Whilst I do agree that these people are less "saintly" than they would like to think: I couldn't possibly agree that they are actually any "worse" than those who take obscene amounts for themselves for the job of managing "our" money and who have a great deal of power to assist or cripple the economy and yet allow their personal greed to water down their already watery morals and ethics to the degree that we have seen recently:D .

Conrad

moggylover wrote: »

I would have liked to say thank you to that one, but not sure one needs to pass on a couple of million to ones kids:o . Mine will probably get a SMALL property each from their inheritance from me or a good deposit on a larger one - the rest I would prefer they earn for themselves: I think we have seen the none too pleasant affects of vast inherited wealth upon those inheriting it for long enough now to know that it is seldom a blessing:o . Better to have time in ones life for teaching children the value of love and committment to each other and such old fashioned values as consideration and kindness IMO:o

Why is it society shows great respect for those that are good at money ticket accumulation, yet ignores the Dutch chap who has single handedly come to the rescue of sea Turtles in Indonesia without reward, and at great cost to himself?

Why do we routinely knight so many Civil Servants for just doing a good job, yet many who dedicate thier lives quietly to others are not sought out for attention particularly?

kabayiri

I put forward the suggestion that many people can't answer the OP's question.

I personally would like to use income I have to create a home with low running costs (and thus environmentally responsible).

I'd like to use wise purchase selection to gain best value out of goods and service. This means I can spread modest income further.

I'd like a background environment where I can plan by relying on strong fundamentals; things like modest increments in inflation costs etc.

The reality is......I can't !!

I have seen my council tax double over a decade. Even in recessionary times the increase is 4.25%, way over inflation. If I extrapolate these costs into the future it leaves me with a severe headache.

I know there will be significant tax rises on the horizon, as a result of the recent financial market speculation costing us all dear.

I suspect there will be highish inflation over the next few years, which will push up the costs I need to pay to replace goods.

I expect to have to pay more for dwindling energy stocks such as gas, oil etc in the future.

How anyone 'on the margins' can plan is difficult to imagine.