When you are a little short on funds, it is easy to think that money is all you need to be happy. After all, you won?t have to sit around and stress about your bills when you have more money, so that will make you happier, right?
Not necessarily. While having plenty of money to meet all of your needs is a great thing, simply having money is not going to ensure happiness moving forward.
To highlight this point, we have identified three reasons why simply having more money is not automatically going to lead to happiness.
Possessions Don?t Lead to Happiness
Despite the cultural focus on possessions in the modern world, those items simply will not make you happy.
Sure, you might get a short-term rush out of buying a new product, but that will quickly wear off as you look for the next thing. Even if you can buy high-end products like luxury cars and expensive jewelry, the satisfaction that comes from those purchases is fleeting at best. People who try to buy their happiness through consumerism almost always end up feeling empty and unsatisfied.
One way in which spending money may be able to contribute to your happiness is by paying for experiences rather than things. For instance, going on a family vacation could allow you to make memories which will last for years. Such an experience is far more valuable to most people than an item.
Your Focus Becomes Making Even More Money
It is easy to fall into the trap of always wanting to make more and more money. Once you have a taste of success, you may want to push even harder, working even more hours, all in pursuit of a bigger payday. Many people have gone into a downward spiral due to this kind of thinking.
Sure, it is great to make a lot of money, but at what cost? If you are unhappy personally and have a lousy work-life balance, it would be safe to say that the money is not working to your advantage.
It takes a mature person to understand that there is a danger in trying to make too much money. If you can keep your life in perspective and settle in at a place where you make enough and also have time for yourself and your family, that is likely to be best.
You Can Lose Track of Satisfaction
Imagine a world where you had an unlimited supply of money. That sounds amazing, right? Maybe not. If you could buy anything you wanted at any given time, you would quickly lose track of what it feels like to be satisfied. You would get used to things like fancy hotels and gourmet meals, so they would no longer be a treat.
The things that are exciting in life are exciting because they are a rare indulgence rather than an everyday occurrence. With enough money, you could manage to quickly take the fun out of what used to be special occasions.
What do you think? Do you think more money can make you happier? Where do you draw the line?
Photo courtesy of: anemone123
