Does money buy you happiness?

[SaffaBlue]

I just finished uni, and with the job market being a ****hole at the moment, things aren't going easy. Obviously.

Anyway, my question is as above: Does money buy you happiness?

I believe it does not, however it does reduce the stressful factors such as uncertainty and security that can decrease happiness.

What is your opinion on the matter?

What makes you happy?

What keeps your spirit up when times are tough?

 

[trebilcock66]

Of course not. But the absence of it can make some people utterly desperate.

 

[Tubey]

It can, no question. But too much of it can send you the other way.

 

[Avaseer]

Whats your Degree in? At the moment it seem like all the hot jobs going are either safety or project specialization. Might be a good place to start, had a friend who finished their degree in environmental safety and OHS and they had a graduate job that paid a comfortable 6 figures.

Also construction management is red hot.

 

[wm02]

Best of luck to you and keep your spirits up...I graduated from university in 2002 and had trouble finding a first job (economy still reeling from the burst of the tech bubble) and spent about six months reading the books I had always wanted to read, volunteering for a non-profit and working some crap part-time jobs until I decided to start on a new path. It's funny because even though I was flat broke and am currently in a much better financial position, I still fondly remember that time as one of immense personal growth.

 

[ijjysmith]

Money can get you happy.

 

[BlueLlama]

money can not buy true happiness, but it takes a hell of a lot of the troubles away and opens up opportunities for happiness - holidays, hobbies, strippers etc

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Money facilitates happiness. No doubt.

 

[johnnydawg68]

Of course not. But the absence of it can make some people utterly desperate.

This absolutely true. Having enough money is important to happiness, but more does not necessarily equate more happiness. Here's what I've found in my life. When I've been in periods where I've made a lot of money (way more than most), I spent up to that level. So while there was a certain amount of comfort, you get used to it and it becomes the new normal. The problem I had was I was in a very high paying job that I absolutely hated. So the money didn't make me happy and the fear of leaving that job and not making that much stressed me out all the time. So there's a clear example.

 

[johnnydawg68]

The only thing that can make you truly happy when it comes to finances is money in the bank. Save, save, save. Wish I'd done more of that in my fat years.

 

[roydo]

I have been fortunate to have some, (all relative), but not a bad pile, and currently dont have much. Happier now. By far.

 

[Seamus Colemole]

Well it all depends on the indivual really doesn't it.

If a person can derive happiness from having money, and they have money then yeah.

But someone else could be a multi millionaire but completly unhappy with their life.

And its a huge annoyance of mine when people think that just because someone is rich that they can't possible be unhappy : life doesn't work like that.

 

[Chang Elephant]

It seems to provide certain people with a sense of moral superiority to others earning less than them, and this self satisfaction can become a source of happiness itself.

But you have to be significantly less intelligent than you think you are, have no self awareness, and hold right wing views to benefit from this effect.

 

[paulbefc]

It's all in the head (money). Anyone can be happy with virtually any state of affairs. It's just your mentality towards life. Some people have it all (poor Gary Speed springs to mind, God rest his soul) and still aren't happy. Far from it in fact.

 

[Columbia6]

I have it both ways, I'm volunteering in the Republic of Georgia (I always have to use the full title to distinguish it from Georgia in the US!) for a period of 1 year, although I do get a stipend of around £38 a week. Obviously this is negligible money, but my previous job was at a university, so I have savings in my account back home. In my day-to-day life I live like a local (and some recent study found Tbilisi to have the lowest quality of life in Europe), but when I want a nice thing I can take money from my Irish account and it's no big concern.

So yes, money makes you happier, my life here wouldn't be as enjoyable if all I had was my £38 a week, but it is not even close to being everything. Family, friends, relationships, and a bit of excitement in your life are all things I would say are more important for your happiness than having money.