Money can’t buy LOVE…..but can it buy HAPPINESS?????

They say money can’t buy love……but can it buy happiness?

Turns out, it CAN!

According to the book “Happy Money (The Science of Happier Spending)” by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton if you are spending your money correctly you can absolutely increase your happiness!

In the book they shared 5 ways to spend to increase your happiness, and they are as follows:

1.  Buy Experiences (over STUFF) 
They report that “57 percent of Americans reported that the experiential purchases made them happier than the material purchase, while only 34 percent reported the opposite.”

2. Make it a TREAT 
Too much of a good thing (overabundance) can lead to a lack of appreciation. People that savour their Starbucks latte once or twice a week, enjoy the purchase much more than those who are buying it daily!

3. Buy TIME 
I LOVE this one…..as we are all OVER BUSY!  People often sacrifice their time to save small amounts of money. However in the book they stated that “increased time affluence is linked to greater happiness even for people who say that they prefer to be busy.”

4. Pay NOW, Consume LATER 
This is the opposite of what we typically do as humans with the use of credit cards. We tend to favour instant gratification over delayed gratification.  By paying in advance for things (like vacations) we begin to “generate pleasant thoughts about the future which is a hallmark of psychological health”.

5. Invest in OTHERS 
According to the book, “the effect of giving away money was as large as the effect of income level in predicting happiness.”  In short “the more they invested in others, the happier they were”.

I couldn’t agree more with the science on this.

In the Money Fix Program I use with clients, we focus on creating a values based spending plan, which often looks like saving for experiences, buying time, and generally getting more intentional with our spending in order to create less stress and more happiness in our finances.

If you are interested in learning more about how I can help you create more happiness with your money, book a complimentary discovery call here.

I mean, what is the point of working so hard for your money if you aren’t getting any JOY out of it??????

Yours in financial health,