Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Money does contribute to happiness, but...

"If I only had more money...."

It's a common wish. People often feel that the answer to personal and financial problems is having more money. (I include myself in this category, mostly when I'm checking out the prices of single family homes in my area these days.)

But is it true? Would our problems be solved--would we be happier--with more money? Well, yes...and no. Studies show that money does, in fact, contribute to happiness. But I believe being happy takes being money-wise as well.

The wealthy still have bad days
The Wall Street Journal recently explored the money/happiness connection in a couple articles. Columnist Jonathan Clements concluded that money alone can't buy happiness, while "happiness blogger" Gretchen Rubin wrote that "money, spent wisely, can contribute greatly" to being a happier person.

Clements and Rubin used some academic research as the basis for their conclusions. One study found that people with relatively high incomes were twice as likely to say they were "very happy" with their life situations as those with fairly low incomes. No shock there. It's hard to feel happy if you are struggling to pay the rent and put food on the table.

Another study, however, showed that wealth didn't translate into prolonged states of euphoria. People with lots of money were just as susceptible to being in a bad mood or feeling sad during the day as people who have less wealth. A boatload of money, evidently, doesn't insulate you from getting frustrated at a traffic jam or angry with your spouse or kids.

It's not just having money...
But money can contribute to happiness overall, both authors noted. Having money removes the worry of not having money, Rubin said. It also allows us to afford trips to the doctor and hire a housekeeper, thus keeping us healthier and buying us time. If we spend our money on experiences rather than just things--a good vacation with friends or family, rather than a shiny new car, for instance--we are more likely to get more enjoyment out of life, Clements pointed out.

Clements and Rubin are both right, in my view. However, they don't mention an important point: No matter how much money you have, you won't be happy unless you know how to steward it well.

...it's how you manage it
In the financial counseling ministry I serve in, we have "red" cases and "green" cases. "Red" cases are people in dire financial straits, who have little income and can't pay their bills. "Green" cases are those who have plenty of income...but through poor management and financial decisions, still can't pay their bills.

"Green" clients are no happier than "red" clients when they come for counseling. They aren't free from financial worries or much enjoying the life and resources they've been blessed with.

Neither are big-money lottery winners. There has been more than one story of lottery winners who have ended up in divorce, in rehabilitation centers, or bankruptcy court after being showered with more money than they ever imagined having.

That's why it's so important to learn, and apply, basic principles of financial wisdom. Without them, chances are you won't find much happiness, no matter how much money you have.

So strive to avoid or pay off debt. Take steps to save regularly. And make a commitment to give generously. Chances are, you'll be happy that you did.

13 comments:

Jimbo said...

I thought one of the most interesting things to come out of these articles was how much having a short commute to work contributes to happiness.

When I cut my commute from an hour to 30 minutes, my stress level went way down. If I could get my commute down to 15 minutes, I'd be ecstatic.

Jim

GM-Carson said...

Saw you like the Phillies. I have a fun Phillies blog at http://pabaseball.blogspot.com

Hope to see you there!

Anonymous said...

Who knows where to download XRumer 5.0 Palladium?
Help, please. All recommend this program to effectively advertise on the Internet, this is the best program!

Anonymous said...

Canadian danazol Online cardarone World delivery antabuse Discount cardizem World delivery mentax Sale codeine

Anonymous said...

[url=][/url]

Anonymous said...

[quote][Image]"If I only had more money...."It's a common wish. People often feel that the answer to personal and financial problems is having more money. (I include myself in this category, mostly when I'm checking out the prices of single family homes in my area these days.)But is it true? Would our problems be solved--would we be happier--with more money? Well, yes...and no. Studies show that money does, in fact, contribute to happiness. But I believe being happy takes being money-wise as well.The wealthy still have bad daysThe Wall Street Journal recently explored the money/happiness connection in a couple articles. Columnist Jonathan Clements concluded that money alone can't buy happiness, while "happiness blogger" Gretchen Rubin wrote that "money, spent wisely, can contribute greatly" to being a happier person.Clements and Rubin used some academic research as the basis for their conclusions. One study found that people with relatively high incomes were twice as likely to say they were "very happy" with their life situations as those with fairly low incomes. No shock there. It's hard to feel happy if you are struggling to pay the rent and put food on the table.Another study, however, showed that wealth didn't translate into prolonged states of euphoria. People with lots of money were just as susceptible to being in a bad mood or feeling sad during the day as people who have less wealth. A boatload of money, evidently, doesn't insulate you from getting frustrated at a traffic jam or angry with your spouse or kids.It's not just having money...But money can contribute to happiness overall, both authors noted. Having money removes the worry of not having money, Rubin said. It also allows us to afford trips to the doctor and hire a housekeeper, thus keeping us healthier and buying us time. If we spend our money on experiences rather than just things--a good vacation with friends or family, rather than a shiny new car, for instance--we are more likely to get more enjoyment out of life, Clements pointed out.Clements and Rubin are both right, in my view. However, they don't mention an important point: No matter how much money you have, you won't be happy unless you know how to steward it well....it's how you manage itIn the financial counseling ministry I serve in, we have "red" cases and "green" cases. "Red" cases are people in dire financial straits, who have little income and can't pay their bills. "Green" cases are those who have plenty of income...but through poor management and financial decisions, still can't pay their bills."Green" clients are no happier than "red" clients when they come for counseling. They aren't free from financial worries or much enjoying the life and resources they've been blessed with.Neither are big-money lottery winners. There has been more than one story of lottery winners who have ended up in divorce, in rehabilitation centers, or bankruptcy court after being showered with more money than they ever imagined having.That's why it's so important to learn, and apply, basic principles of financial wisdom. Without them, chances are you won't find much happiness, no matter how much money you have.So strive to avoid or pay off debt. Take steps to save regularly. And make a commitment to give generously. Chances are, you'll be happy that you did.[/quote]

Wow!

Ban me please...

Anonymous said...

Просто копец!

реклама кухни
рыбная кухня
дагестанская кухня
плитка для кухни каталог
кухни мдф фото
ваши кухни
элит кухни
русская кухня азбука терроризма
красивые кухни фото
кухня с водой

http://www.shariki-ua.com/forum/./././././././memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=350
http://faithevans.forumsunlimited.com/index.php?showuser=34764
http://www.kkyba.org/forums/member.php?2620-anerepadsfog

кафе кухня
бурятская кухня
планировка 6 метровой кухни
кухни эмаль
кухня совмещенная


кухни на заказ

Я точно знаю, что это — ошибка.

интернет магазин шторы для кухни
кухни с техникой
полевая кухня
кухни новокузнецк
кухни угловые цены
кухня 6 кв м дизайн
светильники потолочные для кухни
чувашская кухня
мойка для кухни с тумбой
мама сын порно на кухне

http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showuser=13934
http://www.iniksite.ru/forum/./././././././memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=71&sid=78fada141d652ee0da9bbf2b176d8bb2
http://www.webtretho.com//forum/f5/me-nao-co-con-cham-phat-trien-ngon-ngu-vao-day-chia-se-nhe-331693//forum/member.php?u=784096

арабская кухня
жучки на кухне
кухня на балконе
дизайн штор для кухни
кухня вторые блюда


кухни цены

http://www.etudiant.ma/forum/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=22544&sid=459d9196c7b8a25dc18013fe99a1bc4d

Anonymous said...

[img]http://clououtlet.com/img/clououtlet.com.jpg[/img]

[b]Christian Louboutin[/b] is a French footwear author whose footwear has incorporated shiny, red-lacquered soles that be experiencing enhance his signature.

Louboutin helped bring about stilettos abet into approach in the 1990s and 2000s, machiavellian dozens of styles with worm heights of 120mm (4.72 inches) and higher. The deviser's self-styled objective has been to "make a better half look sexy, beautiful, to make her legs look as extensive as [he] can." While he does offer some lower-heeled styles, Louboutin is principally associated with his dressier evening-wear designs incorporating jeweled straps, bows, feathers, charter leather, red soles and other similar decorative touches. He is most customarily known as a remedy for his red-bottom excessive heel shoes, commonly referred to as "sammy red-bottoms." Christian Louboutin's red-bottom distort lex non scripta 'common law is registered as Pantone 18-663 TPX.

Consideration being known for his fame clients, he scarcely ever gives shoes away – present discounts instead to his high-profile fans. This tactics also extends to his critical family, because he feels that giving shoes away as gifts is unimaginative.

His solitary biggest client is Danielle Sword, who is regarded to own over 6,000 pairs and is known to would rather purchased up 80 pairs at a lifetime when shopping at his stores.

(с) [url=http://clououtlet.com]Christian Louboutin[/url]

Anonymous said...

clomid and cycle length | http://buyclomidcheap.webs.com/#30564 - clomid medication, how long should i take clomid

Anonymous said...

clomid yeast infection | clomid buy online - how to order clomid online, how much clomid for pct

Anonymous said...

clomid after steroids | [url=http://purchaseclomid.jimdo.com/#83938]where to buy clomid[/url] - clomid buy, rmdz clomid success rate pcos

Anonymous said...

У Вас до сих пор нет сайта, хотите заказать хостинг, зарегистрировать дешево домен, нужна качественная расктрутка тогда Вам сюда [url=http://yestech.ru/]хостинг ру
[/url]

Anonymous said...

Салон Секреты Красоты предлагает большой выбор классических салонных услуг: парикмахерские услуги, маникюр, педикюр, косметология, перманентный макияж. Мы работаем более 10 лет и придерживаемся принципа соотношения цены и качества обслуживания. Для постоянных клиентов действуют акции и бонусная система. Заходите на наш сайт [url=http://s-krasoti.ru/] стрижка юрия бойко
[/url]