I have found this whole discussion very interesting. There are two points that I think are also worth mentioning. 1) Attitude – as many self-help books prophesize you determine your own reality. Negativity breeds negativity. Changing your outlook can have a dramatic impact 2) Organization/Routine – I think having some predictability in your life is important (whatever that means to you). For me it having a home that my family and I enjoy spending time in, and I actually enjoy taking care of our space. If interested in home organization encouragement and techniques I recommend http://www.flylady.net/index.asp.

Enjoy the journey.

Thanks for bumping this rhythmwaters. I missed the interesting contributions after the January OP. Excellent job with your posts here, OP.

asdf83 said:I am about to buy a nice car. This is partly because I like cars, but also because I just don't have the vacation time to travel or do other things that I would rather spend the money on if I had the opportunity.

From personal experience, the "happiness" that comes from buying stuff fades very quickly. Spend tens of thousands on a nice car, and within a few weeks it will be just a car, dinged and dirty. I think you'd be better off setting the money aside. If you wait for the opportunity to travel, you'll never go. The more money you spend on stuff, the more you will be obligated in ways that preclude those opportunities. But if you achieve some measure of financial independence, you can make your own opportunities.

YMMV, but for me, money is best spent for activities and experiences, not stuff. I could live in Italy for a year, or in Costa Rica for 4 years, for the price of a "nice car."

A couple of interesting articles published recently that are relevant to the topic:

When Status Has Too High a Price
Money & Happiness by Laura Rowley
Friday, December 9, 2005

AND


The Price of Motherhood
Ready to have a baby? You'll earn 10 percent more if you wait a year.
By Steven E. Landsburg
Posted Friday, Dec. 9, 2005

[Note: I am VERY pro-family and from all that I see with people who share my values, kids and family are a big source of happiness. This article is strictly about the economic impact on a woman's lifetime earnings based on the timing of having children. If you believe the research, it would appear that froma financial perspective, if you are going to have kids, it may be best to have your fist child at age 30 (further delay does not appear helpful, and not mentioned in the article is that complications with the pregnancy increase with age). I've also seen studies that suggest woman who delay first pregnancy live longer (not sure how well supported that idea is). Anyway, I just thought the article was interesting.]

I'm amused by the fact that people are so repelled by the idea that money could possibly buy happiness. Why is that so offensive to people? It's like everyone has this guilty lust for money... no one wants to admit that it's OK to want to have tons of money.

Money may not buy happiness, but it certainly facilitates it. MOST of my happy moments in life were enhanced by my wealth. An awesome vacation I took with some friends, a trip with my girlfriend, buying my mother a present, etc. When I was able to easily afford it, I bought a beautiful car - a car I wanted all my life. It DEFINITELY made me more happy. I would just drive around with the windows down smiling, thinking about how great it was that I had my car. I still do that.

However, it's all about your attitudes regarding money and what you do with it. If you tend to spend 10% more than you earn, then you WILL continue that pattern with more money and will become more in debt, and therefore less happy. If you think money is the root of all evil, you will feel guilty about having more money. If you turn into a workoholic and have no time for your friends or family, you will be less happy. Happiness can't be boiled down to just money.

A person with good financial sense and good interpersonal relationships WIL BE HAPPIER with money than without money. Especially if he uses that money to work less and have more time for happiness inducing activities.

Ty

Cornrow said: When I was able to easily afford it, I bought a beautiful car - a car I wanted all my life. It DEFINITELY made me more happy. I would just drive around with the windows down smiling, thinking about how great it was that I had my car. I still do that.


WTF... doesn't this seem a litle odd to you? Why is whatever car you have, better than a civic?

If you would read the thread you'd see that while money may or may not buy happiness, you can't deny that one has more freedom with money than without it. Its the freedom to be able to quit your job if you aren't happy there or spend less time working and more on other activities without money being the deciding factor. It's nice to have a wider variety of vacation destinations to choose from as well as not be limited to buying Honda Civics because they are cheap and efficient.

Money will tell you what to do when you don't have it. You tell money what to do when you have it.

happytommy said:
Maybe insane amount of money can buy you a lot of gold digging sluts, beauty contest winners, playboy pets, yachts, private jets, small islands,


that would be enough to make me happy... heck just the sluts would make me happy

GambinoTDX said:og5 said:Cornrow said: When I was able to easily afford it, I bought a beautiful car - a car I wanted all my life. It DEFINITELY made me more happy. I would just drive around with the windows down smiling, thinking about how great it was that I had my car. I still do that.


WTF... doesn't this seem a litle odd to you? Why is whatever car you have, better than a civic?


it doesn't seem odd to me at all. i bought my Lightning in 2002. it's like new and brings me happiness every time i drive it! why? because it's my pleasure vehicle and it's FAST, LOUD, and FUN! (I modified it to the limit!!)

live to drive, drive to live Cornrow!

I used to drive a Subaru Impreza, which was noisy, slow, and not fun. I recently bought a used Toyota Highlander that is quiet, faster, and so much more fun. It has definitely made me happier during the time when I'm driving it, which is about 2 hours a day. A case where money did buy *some* happiness.

C.

I thought Carnegie was the guy who said 'the man who dies without his name all over big stuff dies disgraced'. Seems more accurate.