In this article, I will be talking about how by spending your money could possibly bring about happiness. There are different ways to help you spend money in a happy way. By altering the way you spend your money, you will most definitely be able to gain a form of happiness, at least, that’s for me! happiness is in your feeling and thought. Too many people have the idea that it takes something artificial to produce happiness. The truth, however is that happiness is a spiritual and mental state. Happiness is a state of mind.
What happiness means
As for the happiness, we need to strive and struggle for it and be willing to fight for it. Living in a modern society, it is often assumed that the affluent are successful due to the money they own, and success often leads to happiness. To measure happiness this way is certainly narrow minded. In fact, in a survey conducted by CNN, 51% of the surveyors responded that they will be happy making less than $100,000 a year.
I personally stand by the fact that money can bring one happiness, only if you use it wisely. One of the easiest ways of gaining happiness from money, would be to spend it- and here is why. Take for example, the lottery winners. By winning the lottery, does it guarantee happiness? Many would definitely dream to be in such a position, of a lucky wealth. When winning the lottery, an individual will need to hold the cheque and appear on television. It is known that many lottery winners end up very unhappy. Once, a married couple won 5 million dollars during a lottery and a year later, they were completely miserable. This is because everyone in their state sees them and they get thousands of requests from money. Money disrupts relationships with people, and many people end up talking to them to ask for money. This resulted in even their children trying to extort from them. Secondly, they end up quitting their jobs. They may possibly self-destruct their careers by telling everyone their honest opinion on them. With more money, they will move houses, and argue more about money because they have so much. Within a year, the couple who won the lottery got divorced. Therefore, having more money does not necessarily mean you will be happier.
However, if they stopped thinking about getting things for themselves with the money won from the lottery, the outcome could have possibly changed. They completely missed the point of winning the lottery. The truth is- putting yourself first and gaining material things will not make you happy. Money will make you happy if you use it correctly– through buying experiences, time and investing in others.
Money can make you happy if you use it correctly
For example, you could buy an air ticket to head overseas. If you anticipate the travel, the happiest day will be the day before it started, the week before will be amazing and you gain exponential happiness with every passing day. This is a good way to spend money, as it brings you happiness. Experiences when bought brings happiness, as they remain good even when it is over. This is how our brain works- we will tend to remember the positive experiences and forget about the negative experiences over time. The money will then be well spent.
Another way of gaining happiness through spending money, would be by making investments in others. This shifts the focus outwards. Instead of thinking of yourself and what the money can be done for you, you think about others instead. In an experiment done in University of British Columbia, a professor gave money to people to spend by the end of the day, and those that bought things for others ended up happier than those who spent the money on themselves. It was only how people spent it that made them happier.
In conclusion, by giving through money spent, will make you happier. As through giving, someone else will become better off. There is also a trend that anonymous giving makes one even happier, as it appears more authentic. However, it is still up to you when you make the next step to give.
