Can money actually buy happiness?

Seeing people living in extreme poverty—that's honestly one of the hardest things I can witness.

I still remember this one time back in high school—maybe freshman or sophomore year—when a buddy and I were hanging out at some local pizza joint. We were being total idiots, just loud and obnoxious teenagers, blowing through our allowance like we were loaded, acting like tomorrow wasn't even a thing. And right there next to us was this kid, looking absolutely ragged, and you could tell he hadn't had a decent meal in ages. His mom was sitting right there beside him, just watching him eat, and she looked just as worn down as he did. My first thought was that she literally only had enough cash left for his food, which is why she didn't order anything for herself. It hit me so hard in that moment—honestly, it gutted me. I actually thought about paying for their meal and maybe convincing the waiter to pretend they were "thousandth customers" so they'd get a freebie, since they'd probably be too proud to let us just hand them money directly. I don't know why we didn't do anything, though; we just kept being stupid kids.

Then there was this other situation that really messed with my head, not that long ago, right around the start of Biden's term. I was out for an evening run and saw two adults and two kids scavenging through dumpsters. I guess they were too embarrassed to do it during the day, so they waited until it got dark so nobody would see them. To have to watch parents feeding off trash—and kids eating that same trash—at that hour... I don't even know. I actually had to have a few drinks before bed just to stop thinking about it. It's soul-crushing.

driftingbear29 said:I would have bought some! Honestly, I was just at Folko yesterday around two in the afternoon, and there was this elderly woman out there selling flowers despite the freezing weather. Not a single other vendor was sitting there; it was just her. It actually made me feel quite heavy-hearted as I walked by. And I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since! If I had a mountain of cash, I’d buy every last flower she had. I'd spend my days finding ways to help people—maybe just brightening someone's day, or perhaps finding a way to improve their living conditions for the long haul...

Money isn't happiness itself, but it is a tool you can use to help others in so many different ways. 🙂🙂 Seeing people struggle with such scarcity and difficult living conditions really weighs on me.

It's sad, but we shouldn't be helping people like that. I know it sounds harsh, but that's how nature handles those who can't adapt. That's just evolution.
When you see someone in trouble, you should let them figure it out on their own.

I never helped anyone in need when I was a kid because I had nothing to give. Once I grew up, I realized looking back at my own past that leaving things as they are is for the best.
If you were in that kind of mess, you'd just take advantage of people's kindness for the rest of your life. If nobody ever helped you, you'd have to motivate yourself to actually achieve something and fight your way out, because nothing is ever just handed to you.

That's why it's better not to help. If I were poor and forced to dig holes just to survive, I'd rather die than suffer like that for my entire life. I believe most people living in poverty would rather end their misery than drag out such a miserable existence, if you can even call it living.

Sarah Nguyen96 said:It's sad, but we shouldn't be helping people like that. I know it sounds harsh, but that's how nature handles those who can't adapt. That's just evolution.
When you see someone in trouble, you should let them figure it out on their own.

I never helped anyone in need when I was a kid because I had nothing to give. Once I grew up, I realized looking back at my own past that leaving things as they are is for the best.
If you were in that kind of mess, you'd just take advantage of people's kindness for the rest of your life. If nobody ever helped you, you'd have to motivate yourself to actually achieve something and fight your way out, because nothing is ever just handed to you.

That's why it's better not to help. If I were poor and forced to dig holes just to survive, I'd rather die than suffer like that for my entire life. I believe most people living in poverty would rather end their misery than drag out such a miserable existence, if you can even call it living.

Even as a teenager, I knew how to split up whatever cash I had on me so I wouldn't end up totally broke... I knew I'd at least have food waiting for me at home, while they didn't... if someone forced them to beg, well, at least they might have gotten off the streets for a bit.
Believe me, life is going to shift your perspective quite a bit, and it'll shake everything you hold dear right down to the roots... if you think that old woman selling flowers couldn't have fought for a better life, then maybe you need to look at the world a little more closely. Nobody knows what's coming next... and we're all heading in the same direction. Toward old age, sickness...
If money were the only thing that brought happiness, we wouldn't have depressed rich people... and honestly, I know more people who are completely fucked up despite having tons of money than I do people who are struggling. It's not a rule, but it's certainly not an exception either.

For me, if I just had enough money, I could solve most of my problems and finally live life on my own terms—traveling the world, living without constant worry, and actually spending my days doing what I love... because let's be honest, having financial freedom definitely brings its own kind of happiness.

It’s probably better to have it than not. I guess it’s tough when someone can't even cover their basic needs and has to struggle. Money definitely buys comfort and opens doors, but things get messy when it becomes an end in itself or when you start spending it on stuff that doesn't actually matter to you.

Not quite, though I will certainly say there is a sense of satisfaction involved.

It feels like we’re drifting off-topic. Let me remind everyone: the keyword here is "happiness," not money. This is a Psychology thread, after all. 🙂 Happiness is the goal; money is just the tool. So, the real question is: how much can money actually influence our ability to find happiness, and where do we draw the line?

You could also look at how money compares to other paths to fulfillment. Is it even possible to be truly happy if you choose a minimalist lifestyle that drastically cuts your need for cash? ...

That said, the off-topic tangents are pretty interesting. 🙂

I was looking for this thread so I wouldn't have to start another one... lately, I've been wondering if I'm just some huge materialist (not sure why though, since my life is pretty much just average), but basically, I try to look as good as possible. Like, I don't even want to carry an iPhone (which was a gift, and I'm grateful for it, obviously), and sometimes I catch myself dreaming about having serious money or finding a way to make a killing just so I could travel. It’s been a dream of mine for years to have a nice car, maybe a high-end watch, just so I could walk around without constantly stressing about whether I'll be able to afford groceries tomorrow.

On top of all that, I keep thinking about how, if I actually had cash, I'd love for people—like those fake influencers trying to act rich on their trips—to be jealous of me. But then again, I also really want to help people who have nothing. Back in high school, I bought a meal once but couldn't even finish it because I saw this guy who clearly hadn't eaten anything and said he was starving. I gave it to him right then; I couldn't eat it knowing he needed it more, but I didn't have any extra money to help either way, so I ended up hungry, but I don't regret it at all.
I've never really been noticed in my life, not by girls or even just socially, even though I know I have talent, but whatever, I won't go there... and maybe that's why I think about how, if I had money, I'd want the opposite sex or just everyone else to finally notice me—people who usually look right through me. Maybe it's an inferiority complex? I don't consider myself a bad person (I hope), but I'm scared that if I ever actually make money, I might end up becoming a jerk, or maybe it's just this deep craving to be seen, trying to push through the crowd so I'm not invisible... I don't know... I feel weird, honestly.
Also, I've never lived a luxury lifestyle, and I'd rather die than steal from someone or screw anyone over just to live like that. I just crave things I've never had, like a PlayStation or a nice watch, etc. (that shouldn't be a bad thing, right?)
I've never had much luck with girls or even just fitting in socially, so maybe that's it. Or maybe we're just living in these modern times where everyone is chasing massive amounts of money; I listen to a few new songs and they're mostly about that... you guys judge if you know better.🙂
Is something wrong with me, or is it totally normal to think about how great it would be to be financially stable? ☕ 🙂

Today's USA Today says the same thing. Writing. Regarding this topic, he’s basically just announcing his own move. YouTube video What’s the actual link between happiness and money? Dr. Ljiljana Kaliterna Lipovčan from the Brookings Institution and psychology expert Boris Blažinić are weighing in on it. Is cash really the key, or are we chasing a ghost?

Ljiljana Kaliterna Lipovčan claims they ran a study on 5,000 people last year and found exactly what we’ve been discussing here: happiness peaks once household income hits $75,000 in the US. She says that— Happiness levels in America are climbing toward 4? Is that even possible?$1.75 Per person.That’s the breaking point. It's the exact amount where more cash stops buying you more happiness. That's the limit. $1.75 Exactly $10,000 per year for every single person in the household. That's it.

It’s the same old story: we already know that being broke makes you miserable. But does stacking cash beyond a certain point actually make you any happier? Not really. It doesn't.

Do you actually buy the math claiming that after four years, the economy in America is going to tank?$1.75 Does happiness plateau per household income? And more importantly, are you one of those people who's already hit the ceiling of what money can actually buy? (If that’s not too intrusive a question.)

If the average salary in Washington, D.C. is around... $2.00 So what if two people are working and they have one kid? What then? $1.25 Are they actually happy people when it comes to money? Does having more of it actually make them any happier? I don't think so. 🙄

Give me a break. That would mean a single guy living alongside 4,000 or 5,000 happy people is somehow winning the lottery when it comes to finances.
Think about it. The only way he’s "happy" is if he’s actually working and can at least cover his basic bills.

darkjackal7 said:Give me a break. That would mean a single guy living alongside 4,000 or 5,000 happy people is somehow winning the lottery when it comes to finances.
Think about it. The only way he’s "happy" is if he’s actually working and can at least cover his basic bills.

Yeah, total nonsense. That whole part about the study comes right from here.

If you’ve got $2,500, suddenly $4,000 feels like happiness. A few months later, once you get used to that, $8,000 is the goal. Then, after another stretch, you're chasing $15,000. People are constantly hungry for more, and money just gives them the fuel to keep chasing it.

On the flip side, if you’re totally broke—say you're stuck in some dead-end relationship and loneliness is eating you alive—you won't even be thinking about cash (unless you're actually starving 🙄). You'll be just as miserable regardless. 🤷

$4,500? Sure. If having a burger, some bread, and milk is enough to make you happy, then fine. 🤣 😬

Maria Barnes said:Yeah, total nonsense. That whole part about the study comes right from here.

Studies aren't perfect. They always have methodological hiccups. This one might be no different.

When people fill out surveys or do interviews, they tend to give answers that make them look good socially. In this case, they probably lean toward sounding humble. That could explain why the threshold at $1.75 feels pretty low to me.

Another thing is that, unfortunately, average incomes in America aren't exactly huge, so any extra cash $1.75feels like plenty. I mean, if you can manage to get by on $0.93, then having $1.75 actually feels significant...

We really need to look at what methods these researchers used—where and how they gathered their data—before we take these conclusions with a grain of salt.

Money definitely buys more freedom. But obviously, you have to be smart with how you spend it. If you are, it can absolutely bring you happiness.

darkjackal7 said:Give me a break. That would mean a single guy living alongside 4,000 or 5,000 happy people is somehow winning the lottery when it comes to finances.
Think about it. The only way he’s "happy" is if he’s actually working and can at least cover his basic bills.

My ex-husband and I didn't exactly have massive salaries—maybe $7,000 combined if he pulled a ton of overtime that month.
We had some comfortable stretches, and other times things were tighter, especially since we lived in a city that wasn't exactly overpriced.

Back when I was living with a roommate and making that famous $4,500–$5,000 salary, there were months where I was barely scraping by if anything unexpected popped up (like a gadget breaking or an extra utility bill hitting).

Was I starving? No.
Does it look great on paper $1500 for one person? Sure, it does.
But in the real world, it's a whole different story.

Unless you're living on credit cards, which I worked really hard to avoid because I know once you fall into that hole, it's a nightmare getting out.

Jamie Adams6 said:Seeing people living in extreme poverty—that's honestly one of the hardest things I can witness.

I still remember this one time back in high school—maybe freshman or sophomore year—when a buddy and I were hanging out at some local pizza joint. We were being total idiots, just loud and obnoxious teenagers, blowing through our allowance like we were loaded, acting like tomorrow wasn't even a thing. And right there next to us was this kid, looking absolutely ragged, and you could tell he hadn't had a decent meal in ages. His mom was sitting right there beside him, just watching him eat, and she looked just as worn down as he did. My first thought was that she literally only had enough cash left for his food, which is why she didn't order anything for herself. It hit me so hard in that moment—honestly, it gutted me. I actually thought about paying for their meal and maybe convincing the waiter to pretend they were "thousandth customers" so they'd get a freebie, since they'd probably be too proud to let us just hand them money directly. I don't know why we didn't do anything, though; we just kept being stupid kids.

Then there was this other situation that really messed with my head, not that long ago, right around the start of Biden's term. I was out for an evening run and saw two adults and two kids scavenging through dumpsters. I guess they were too embarrassed to do it during the day, so they waited until it got dark so nobody would see them. To have to watch parents feeding off trash—and kids eating that same trash—at that hour... I don't even know. I actually had to have a few drinks before bed just to stop thinking about it. It's soul-crushing.

One time, a friend and I were eating at a restaurant in a small town and noticed a guy trying to grab leftovers off other people's plates.
We called the server over, ordered a meal for him, and told them not to mention it was from us.

Money can buy happiness, sure. But there's a threshold—a point where material wealth stops having any real impact on the spiritual side of things.

That said, if you consider that experience isn't strictly a spiritual pursuit, then money becomes a tool to acquire it. By purchasing experiences, we are essentially buying happiness.

Sam Murphy said:For me, if I just had enough money, I could solve most of my problems and finally live life on my own terms—traveling the world, living without constant worry, and actually spending my days doing what I love... because let's be honest, having financial freedom definitely brings its own kind of happiness.

🤦 🤦

It’s funny how many other variables have to align perfectly for you to actually be happy; when you think about those travels, do you really believe everything will go flawlessly? I mean, unless you're all psychic and know exactly what
tomorrow has in store, it's a gamble. Plus, your relationship with the people around you plays a massive role in your overall contentment... but I suppose that sounds incredibly naive, doesn't it? As if having a bank account full of cash
guarantees bliss. 🤣 That kind of thing doesn't even happen in Disney movies.
It feels a bit childish of me to say, almost like life is some kind of button you can just press to ensure a perfect future simply because you have a massive pile of money.
The reality is that you’re still just an ordinary person who gets exhausted by everything... you can still fall into a deep depression, and there isn't much money that can provide lasting fulfillment
over the long haul. You'll still deal with the same struggles anyone else faces; someone can insult you, or hostile people can completely ruin
your day, or you'll face general injustice in the world. Now, you might argue that with enough money, you can just shrug all that off quickly, but it’s really not that simple.

Things usually turn out differently than we imagine they will 😉, and often, when you want something desperately, it ends up being a total disaster.

You can never truly know whether tomorrow will bring luck or misfortune, regardless of how much is in your wallet.

To me, this feels a lot like when someone is desperate to find a partner, thinking, "I'm miserable because I'm single, but once I find someone, I'll be happy!!" 🤣 And then, once that person
finally finds a partner, they realize it wasn't the fairy tale they envisioned; sure, there are great moments, but then there are the arguments, the jealousy, the betrayals, and all the rest.
They aren't necessarily happier, and in the end, they end up right back where they started.

People make this mistake of actively hunting for happiness, but they'll never find it that way, whether they have millions or nothing at all. 😉 Most people spend their lives saying, "I'll finally be happy when..."
and so life passes them by while they wait. 🙂 You have to find happiness right now; live for the moment, because happiness is often found within that very moment. 👋

wanderingpanther68 said:🤦 🤦

It’s funny how many other variables have to align perfectly for you to actually be happy; when you think about those travels, do you really believe everything will go flawlessly? I mean, unless you're all psychic and know exactly what
tomorrow has in store, it's a gamble. Plus, your relationship with the people around you plays a massive role in your overall contentment... but I suppose that sounds incredibly naive, doesn't it? As if having a bank account full of cash
guarantees bliss. 🤣 That kind of thing doesn't even happen in Disney movies.
It feels a bit childish of me to say, almost like life is some kind of button you can just press to ensure a perfect future simply because you have a massive pile of money.
The reality is that you’re still just an ordinary person who gets exhausted by everything... you can still fall into a deep depression, and there isn't much money that can provide lasting fulfillment
over the long haul. You'll still deal with the same struggles anyone else faces; someone can insult you, or hostile people can completely ruin
your day, or you'll face general injustice in the world. Now, you might argue that with enough money, you can just shrug all that off quickly, but it’s really not that simple.

Things usually turn out differently than we imagine they will 😉, and often, when you want something desperately, it ends up being a total disaster.

You can never truly know whether tomorrow will bring luck or misfortune, regardless of how much is in your wallet.

To me, this feels a lot like when someone is desperate to find a partner, thinking, "I'm miserable because I'm single, but once I find someone, I'll be happy!!" 🤣 And then, once that person
finally finds a partner, they realize it wasn't the fairy tale they envisioned; sure, there are great moments, but then there are the arguments, the jealousy, the betrayals, and all the rest.
They aren't necessarily happier, and in the end, they end up right back where they started.

People make this mistake of actively hunting for happiness, but they'll never find it that way, whether they have millions or nothing at all. 😉 Most people spend their lives saying, "I'll finally be happy when..."
and so life passes them by while they wait. 🙂 You have to find happiness right now; live for the moment, because happiness is often found within that very moment. 👋

Sure, but you've gotta be fair and put money on an even playing field here. I hear this argument all the time—what's the point of being rich if you're sick, or how can money buy happiness if you're fighting with your family or have zero friends.

Hardly anyone thinks money guarantees absolute happiness, but it definitely helps if everything else in life is lined up right.

Let's look at it this way:

A) Someone has money and is healthy. B) Someone has no money but is healthy.

Which one of those two is likely going to be happier?

Or...

C) Someone has money but isn't healthy. D) Someone has no money and isn't healthy.

Which one of those two wins the happiness contest?

I mean, I agree, but then again, it really depends on the situation... if we're talking about some catastrophic illness where even millions of dollars won't make a difference, well, you're just stuck.
Being chronically ill is a heavy burden regardless of whether you have a massive bank account or nothing at all, though I know for a fact that being sick and broke is an absolute nightmare.
But as for those wealthy people dealing with health issues, they might be slightly less miserable in a practical sense, but at the end of the day, they're still dealing with a body that's completely failing them.

I just found out my cousin had to undergo emergency surgery at the local hospital—it’s frustrating because the public healthcare system failed to diagnose the issue entirely, whereas a private clinic caught it immediately.