Your Money or Your Life – Money Can’t Buy Happiness

This edition of Your Money or Your Life features wisdom from One Frugal Girl and The Weight of Money, thanks to both ladies for helping us keep our priorities straight!

The Relationship between Money and Happiness
One Frugal Girl reminds us that no matter what money will not make us happy. I hear where she’s coming from. We spend so much of our lives worrying about making money, spending money, and saving money that it’s easy to forget money is only a means to an end, not the point of living.

One Frugal Girl talks about the two main reasons why money will not bring us happiness. The first is that “people tend to overestimate the amount of pleasure money will bring them” and the second is “individuals adjust to their wealth”. I guess another way to say it is that we see more money as the solution to many of our problems and that even when we get the money it never seems to be enough.

So what can we do to overcome our nagging desire for more money in the pursuit of happiness?

“Counting your blessings seems to oppose the natural human inclination to adjust. After all, if your happy with what you have their is no need to look further. Also being mindful of the good things in life helps to keep you grounded, thereby keeping your expectations more closely in check.”

Family Values
An article at The Weight of Money, entitled Family Values, is a good example of how we can make decisions to put our family before money. In the quotes below, she reveals how she passed up a job that was both financially and personally rewarding so she could be there for her daughter. I admire her for doing it, it’s not an easy move to make.

It is clear that the daughter needs someone home more and that I need to be more available at home. Due to the stressful challenges from the daughter, the commute and the very strenuous workload, I had to reevaluate the compromise I made.

I love my job and find the work extremely fulfilling (and tiring) but I will not compromise family security and contentment for professional aspirations. It disappoints me that giving up the position is the only action I can take, but I am glad to make that choice in order to take care of my top priority and the thing I value the most in life – my family.

Will this article help you save or earn more money? Get others like it simply by entering your email address below. Your email is used only for delivering daily money tips and you can opt out of delivery at any time. Click here to see all your free subscription options.

  

Ben Edwards, the founder of Money Smart Life, saved up enough to buy a Nintendo back when he was 12 years old. When he used the money to buy shares of Wal-Mart stock instead, he knew he wasn't like the other kids... His addiction to personal finance has paid off for his family and now he's helping you to afford the life that you want. Check him out on the web at Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook.

All posts by Ben Edwards

Written by Ben Edwards · Filed Under Money Smart Life, Personal Finance