How much money do you need to be happy?

Conrad

Arcaine wrote: »

I kind of agree to your statement, but I feel there is one flaw in that argument, if we could limit peoples fortunes, say successful entrepeneurs/musicians/company directors. Would they continue to generate wealth/ideas and jobs just for other people if they themselves didn't benefit?

No, I'm not argueing for state limits to individual wealth. Over time I expect more of us will self limit our retained wealth, and come to view gross wealth entrapment as uncivilised.

Paul McCartney could rid himself of say £800m and use the money to establish home help tutors for the disadvantaged for example. Why greedily hold onto all the wealth? Even if he does give it away on death, he's still hoarded it for decades.

The fact some of us are blessed with gifts that enable wealth creation, does not mean we should ensnare that wealth benefit. Sure, keep a few million, but not a Bono half billion.

novazombie

moggylover wrote: »

I found this really interesting (and highly amusing since it gives us an idea of just what you might be living in if your still insistent that your particular value has gone up 10%):

http://www.home.co.uk/guides/asking_prices_report.htm?county=aberdeen&lastyear=1

Average Asking Prices By Number of Bedrooms in Aberdeenshire (£000's)


3-month moving averages by number of bedrooms in Aberdeenshire

Mar 2008 Mar 2009 Change
5 Bedrooms £508,474 £386,049 -24%
4 Bedrooms £335,691 £291,518 -13%
3 Bedrooms £251,264 £201,715 -20%
2 Bedrooms £192,079 £163,282 -15%
1 Bedroom £84,573 £105,614 +25%
All £210,923 £229,635 +9%
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Hahahahaha poor Mitchaa didnt realise you were in a 1 bedroom place.


Mitchaa must be the only one in the country who still thinks his house is going up in value.

I think this future sig is factual, its well known that this country is down 20% at present. The rest of it will almost certainly come true.

Aberdeenshire Average Property Price
(Source Nationwide)
Q1 2009...up to 20% down
Q4 2009... another huge % DROP
Q4 2010... Oh no I cant sell my house.
Q2 2011... I`ve spent so much on my house its not fair its worth only 50% now
Yes i have lost a lot of money in this HPC :mad:


Mitchaa as he has always done will very rudely insult anyone who tries to tell him that actually his house is not imune to the crisis.

Rochdale_Pioneers

Money will never make you happy. You can never have enough and the pursuit of money will only leave you hollow and miserable.

retrocircles

Money can make you happy AND healthy. Being down, stressed, worried etc from being 'poor' can lead to horrible health implications.

It's all down to personal goals and the lifestyle you're content with. If you won't be 'happy' until you lead the lifestyle of a footballer, then it will take a lot of money to make you happy!

Personally, for the lifestyle that I'd like to lead, I'd like a household income of £70,000 by my mid-30's. I have £40,000 in my mid-20's so I think that's ok for goal setting purposes.

That would enable me to have the house alterations I'd like, the car I'd like, holidays I'd like, disposable income I'd like, and enough for a possible child in the future. Any more than that would be a bonus.

Beyond my 40's/50's (which I don't often think about!), I'd like to have a household income of around £100,000.

Rochdale_Pioneers

retrocircles wrote: »

Money can make you happy AND healthy. Being down, stressed, worried etc from being 'poor' can lead to horrible health implications.

It's all down to personal goals and the lifestyle you're content with. If you won't be 'happy' until you lead the lifestyle of a footballer, then it will take a lot of money to make you happy!

So its not money making you happy, its the lifestyle that money can buy. I know a lot of people with relatively little cash who are very happy with their lifestyle and the close family and friends they have. Conversely how many people are the top are always unhappy because there is always someone else with better than them?

The reason why you want the lifestyle is also an issue. If you want the big house/car/holidays etc because you're trying to keep up with the neighbours I'd suggest you're going to struggle to stay happy.

mitchaa

moggylover wrote: »

I found this really interesting (and highly amusing since it gives us an idea of just what you might be living in if your still insistent that your particular value has gone up 10%):

http://www.home.co.uk/guides/asking_prices_report.htm?county=aberdeen&lastyear=1

I find it highly amusing that you have had to go to some 2 bit bob website to try and prove a point.

When did we start with home.co.uk houseprice indexes:D

I shall keep referring to the official Nationwide and Scottish LR which backs up my factual data shown in my signature?

From Q1 2007 to Q4 2008, yes my house is still up by 10% but where have i ever stated that my house price was rising? Q3 2008 was showing 15% and Q2 2008 was showing 20% for example which is indicative of prices dropping.

It's amazing the cheap tactics some people will go to to try and argue black is white. As in my signature, Aberdeen is bucking trend at the moment BIG TIME. Most of the country is at 2004/2005, Aberdeen is still mid way through 2007.

mitchaa

novazombie wrote: »

Hahahahaha poor Mitchaa didnt realise you were in a 1 bedroom place.


Mitchaa must be the only one in the country who still thinks his house is going up in value.

I think this future sig is factual, its well known that this country is down 20% at present. The rest of it will almost certainly come true.

Aberdeenshire Average Property Price
(Source Nationwide)
Q1 2009...up to 20% down
Q4 2009... another huge % DROP
Q4 2010... Oh no I cant sell my house.
Q2 2011... I`ve spent so much on my house its not fair its worth only 50% now
Yes i have lost a lot of money in this HPC :mad:


Mitchaa as he has always done will very rudely insult anyone who tries to tell him that actually his house is not imune to the crisis.

Haha what? You are acting like a child by stating i have said something i have not. Where have i once stated that my house was rising in value?

You have had to resort to using the home.co.uk website data, well moggylover anyway and falsely accusing me of stating something i have not:rolleyes:

Your version of my signature is way off the mark, as if it was to read i am 20% down by Q1 09, then it will have to fall a huge 30% in a 1/4 to do that.

You'll realise surely that £155k and £139k is roughly 10% up, so to get to 20% down, the Aberdeenshire index for me will have to go from £155k down to £111k next week when Nationwide update their regional figures. You really think this is likely?

It's not just Nationwide data either, the Rosea (Scotlands LR) also confirms Aberdeenshire data is accurate

May i make this point clear to you, there is a difference between stating that my house price is showing a positive increase with a 2yr comparison, to that of saying that my house price is rising. If my data was showing 20% up 9 months ago, 15% up 6 months ago and 10% up 3 months ago, it is clearly not rising.

I have never said otherwise

retrocircles

Rochdale_Pioneers wrote: »

So its not money making you happy, its the lifestyle that money can buy. I know a lot of people with relatively little cash who are very happy with their lifestyle and the close family and friends they have. Conversely how many people are the top are always unhappy because there is always someone else with better than them?

The reason why you want the lifestyle is also an issue. If you want the big house/car/holidays etc because you're trying to keep up with the neighbours I'd suggest you're going to struggle to stay happy.

Like I said, it's what YOU want. If being on the dole with 3 kids is happiness to someone, then £92 a fortnight from the government will more than suffice.

I agree reasoning is an issue. If it's to be better than others, it's true you'll never be happy. But personally it's not to be better than others. For example I'm planning an extension to my home because my home doesn't fit to my lifestyle. It's not to keep up with neighbours, the houses on my street are all the same, it's an ex-council estate! & the cars, well a £30k brand new VW danbury camper to tour Europe is hardly going to make the neighbours jealous. They'll think I'm crazy. I could understand the argument if it was a BMW or Merc (*shudder) etc. So I see where you're coming from.

Raffles99

I have a few £m in the bank. However, the oddities of London life are that you can pay multiple-millions for a mid-terraced Victorian house in the right area, so my lifestyle is surprisingly modest - take the tube to work etc.

I am not happier than when I was a student or had just started work. Money genuinely doesn't make you happy. However, it DOES bring a level of contentment. Knowing that, even if I was fired today, that I will never be poor, that I will never have unpaid bills, that my children will never want for an excellent education, that myself or family will never want for healthcare, whatever the cost - this brings a level of calmness into your life that is worth having. But not happiness, not by itself.

treliac

I think you need enough to not be having to worry about unexpected bills (been there, done that). Enough to be able to afford some of life's treats. But not so much that you don't have to strive for anything else and risk becoming complacent and without ambition.

(My) life without goals would be tooooo boring.