Does money make you happy? Poll discussion

*Louise*

I don't think earning 100k a year would make me any happier than I am now tbh, but having 10k less would make me unhappier.

If you have enough to be comfortable (ie, stave off worry, stress and arguments) then it's easy to be happy and concentrate on other things in life.

wozearly

Whilst accepting the poll is only looking at correlation between income and happiness, it looks like a fairly reasonable supposition that:

1) Money doesn't seem to have a significant impact on happiness except when;

a) Your income is so low that the negative effects of low income are more likely to begin impacting your overall happiness

b) Your income is so high that the negative effect of low incomes are eliminated and there is some uplift to happiness due to financial freedom - possibly because money is no longer a major barrier to your wants and desires.

The reasonably consistent distribution of happiness outside the top and bottom income categories suggests to me that in most cases its not the money that's driving happiness or unhappines, but other factors at work.

Just like the old saying implies, really.

adamg

im happy, if i had more money yes i would be happier i could go to vegas every year instead of every other year.

birkee

adamg wrote: »

im happy, if i had more money yes i would be happier i could go to vegas every year instead of every other year.

Oh well!
If you want to give your money away, I can save you all that travelling and the costs of that as well. :rotfl:

Alias_Omega

Yes,

Grew up with no money, Now have money.


Money Happiness for me is - "being able to go shopping, not to worry if i have enough in the bank when paying by debit card".


That sort of shopping where you just put it all in the trolley, and not count how much it goes too. My mum had to do when i was younger, us kids would be putting items back on the shelf if the amount went too high at the till.

gadgetmind

Alias_Omega wrote: »

That sort of shopping where you just put it all in the trolley, and not count how much it goes too.

I still count. Always. Not because we need to, but because we've gone through times when we really didn't know what was going to happen, and we had to sell assets like our car just to cover the next few mortgage payments. We also know how easy it is to spend without thinking, as we've seen friends who were better off than us blow the lot and go bankrupt, and we know that's not for us.

As a result, we're good at saving and investing, and while we live well, we don't blow money on new cars, fancy holidays, designer clothes, and other such trivia. We also shop for fruit and veg at local markets rather than the (over-priced!) supermarkets, and are always on the lookout for bargains and deals, but only if it's for something we need and will use.

My goal now is to retire early without any drop in monthly income, which is going to be *very* tough, but I've never shied from a challenge.

Dave101t

more money = more happiness, its a sliding scale.
anyone who says money doesnt make them happy obviously never had to skip meals for lack of cash.

tagq2

Correlation is not causation.

It is usually challenging - preparation and ongoing hard work - to make a lot of money.

Therefore those who are making a lot of money have shown that they are willing and able. So they have satisfied a big goal which they have set for themselves. Satisfying personal goals tends to make people happy.

But those who have not made a lot of money might either not be interested in money or may be failing at their goals.

This poll does not tell us whether money would make a randomly selected individual happy.

Dizzy_Ditzy

i've been in the position of having no job, no benefit other than HB and having to get by on fresh air, and i am now lucky enough to be in a position where i am comfortable financially. I am not well off by any means, but i dont have to worry too much about things like grocery shopping.

we werent well off when we were little and i can really relate to the post above about having to put things back on the shelf.

Am I any happier now than i was when i was skint? Yes but thats not because of money, its because my life is in a better place generally

I could win the lottery and still be a stingy scrotebag who wont pay an extra 20p on the bus!

paulwellerfan

i was much happier when i was on Income support
now i am working all the hours god sends i am less happier.
so for me less money equals more happiness.
( bloody sad fact that)