How Much Money Do You Need to Be Happy?

[prasad1]

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It turns out, money might buy happiness after all. And, it might not cost as much as you think. According to a new poll, an annual household income of $50,000 is enough to increase the likelihood of people feeling an overall sense of happiness and satisfaction in life.

This is an American view, and may not apply to majority of Indians. Is there another number that may suit us?
How Much Money Do You Need to Be Happy? - Yahoo! News

 

[biswa]

Mr. Prasad, it may never be enough.

But seriously, money (and earning of it) may have other uses other than buying happiness. It appears Bill Gates and Warren Buffet still do not mind earning money. I think they may view it is a measure of ones productivity, and then use it to do greater good.

 

[prasad1]

Mr. Prasad, it may never be enough.

But seriously, money (and earning of it) may have other uses other than buying happiness. It appears Bill Gates and Warren Buffet still do not mind earning money. I think they may view it is a measure of ones productivity, and then use it to do greater good.

I fully agree with you. Some times money does not bring happiness, but it raises the comfort level to the extend that you can think outside of your basic needs.

 

[KRS]

Dear Sri Prasad1 Ji,

Money can not buy happiness. In fact it can bring quite a bit of unhappiness in the hands of people who do not know how to use it. If one uses it properly it increases one's options while increasing expectations at the same time and again it is up to the individual to manage both.

I have seen many many poor folks around the world, who have achieved happiness with their knowledge of how to be content with what they have.

Regards,
KRS

 

[BostonSankara]

I was born into debt (long story) and took more on for college so when I can honestly say I have even $0 (instead of negative $) I will be pretty happy!

 

[renuka]

I have realized that the lesser people earn the more they spend cos they have lots of desires.
Being contented is what really counts.
I have come to realize over these years that most people spend and purchase stuff to impress others.

 

[BostonSankara]

I have realized that the lesser people earn the more they spend cos they have lots of desires.

Interesting. I would agree on many levels. Particularly on WHAT they spend on but I do not know if one socio-economic class is more prone than another. Things like education and opportunity come into play as well which skews everything. In the neighborhood I grew up in we all received government assistance. Our parents were all complete messes as well and spent money on booze and worthless stuff. Most of us (except for a few) went on to perpetuate that behavior. Most of my people never finished High School and spent many years in prisons etc. Discipline is something you will rarely see amongst the poor in America. It is a heartbreaking reality for sure but I am not sure whether it's a function of money, culture, education, or all of the above.

 

[vgane]

Money cannot buy you anything...Can it get you the health...Today Warren Buffet one of the Top 3 wealthiest in the world has been diagnosed with Cancer...Earlier too money could not save Steve Jobs the legendary founder of Apple
I remember the following saying:
If wealth is lost, nothing is lost; if health is lost, something is lost; if character is lost, all is lost

If one's basic needs are covered (food, clothing,shelter & medicines) then beyond this money cannot bring happiness...

 

[sunkan]

money that can give satiation is yet to come in life of human, he is never satisfied, the wants are different until he realises that happiness is not in materialistic world, but in other places like, even a pet trying to get your attention is richness in my account, i have never been impressed with more money around than what is necessary, the rest is just waste one hankers behind and regrets later, people actually do not live while earning a lot but realise this very late...sunkan

 

[BostonSankara]

If wealth is lost, nothing is lost; if health is lost, something is lost; if character is lost, all is lost

Namaste vgane,

That's pretty awesome, thank you! Is it a Tamil saying? If so can you post the script? No worries if you can't

Shanti!

 

[renuka]

Money cannot buy you anything...Can it get you the health...Today Warren Buffet one of the Top 3 wealthiest in the world has been diagnosed with Cancer...Earlier too money could not save Steve Jobs the legendary founder of Apple
I remember the following saying:
If wealth is lost, nothing is lost; if health is lost, something is lost; if character is lost, all is lost

If one's basic needs are covered (food, clothing,shelter & medicines) then beyond this money cannot bring happiness...

Great men of the past never viewed Death as a Loss.
Ramakrishna Paramahansa still went on with life despite Cancer and preached till His death.
For them Death is just a transition however painful the process of dying might be.

 

[ozone]

When money is anticipated and when it arrives brings along with it a sense of accomplishment, it does bring momentary happiness.
Happiness from money cannot be sustained, since it needs higher and higher dose to achieve the same level next time.

 

[vgane]

Namaste vgane,

That's pretty awesome, thank you! Is it a Tamil saying? If so can you post the script? No worries if you can't

Shanti!

BS,
It is a English saying...Not Tamil...Author is an American clergyman-Billy Graham...Born in 1918

 

[ozone]

Money cannot buy you anything...Can it get you the health...

Do you know what is the asking rate for getting an approval for an organ transplant?
Are you aware what the doctors who preach to the patients in a private clinic about the urgency to do angioplasts and by-pass worry about first when you meet them at the Govt Hospital?

Money cant give you health perhaps, but today you cant get back to health if you cant part with it.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

18. வைராக்யமே பரமசுகம்.

ஸுரமந்தி3ர தரு மூல நிவாஸ:
ச'ய்யா பூ4ஸ் தரு ஜனிதம் வாஸ: |
ஸர்வ பரிக்3ரஹ போ4க3 த்யாக3:
கஸ்ய ஸுகம் ந கரோதி விராக3: ||

கோவிலிலோ அல்லது மரத்தின் அடியிலோ வாசம்; தரையே படுக்கை; மரப் பட்டைகளினால் செய்த உடை; தன்னுடைய எந்த உடமைப் பொருளையுமே அனுபவிக்காத வைராக்கியம்; இவை யாருக்குத் தான் சுகம் அளிக்காது? பற்றற்ற நிலையே பரம சுகமானது.

From Adhi Sankara's Mohamugaram aka Bhajagovindam.

 

[S.Ramanathan]

Money begets money. Wants are not satiable - Adamsmith. Human nature is that we always go for higher and the best. For example when we travel in IIA/C (suppose our capacity is that) we ache for going by flight. When we go by car we wish to go by BMW car etc. etc. Happiness is a state of mind and is changing every moment.

 

[renuka]

When we go by car we wish to go by BMW car etc. etc. Happiness is a state of mind and is changing every moment.

Dear sir,

It does not really matter whether we travel by B.M.W or C.O.W as long as we get there.
In a traffic jam even B.M.W has to wait..but C.O.W will somehow go ahead.

 

[S.Ramanathan]

riding on cow

:clap2::clap2:very good thinking but difficult to implement.

Mom COW is not allowed in cities like kolkata and we cannot ride on that also. Red cross will:laser: sue u.

 

[ozone]

Dear sir,

It does not really matter whether we travel by B.M.W or C.O.W as long as we get there.

No, Its the journey that matters. The choice of BMW or COW is based on the journey and what you encounter on the way, and not based on the destination.. ha ha

 

[renuka]

No, Its the journey that matters. The choice of BMW or COW is based on the journey and what you encounter on the way, and not based on the destination.. ha ha

I once travelled by bus in India where I only got the last seat long seat at the back and each time the bus went over some pot hole or the other you will be thrown up and almost thrown off the seat.

Somehow we girls manage not to fall off but some guys in the nearby seat kept falling on us girls till we had to push them off.

 

[S.Ramanathan]

You should have paid extra since you enjoyed a rollercoaster ride. Haven't you?

 

[Raghy]

Greetings.

Quite an intersting thread. Let me look back in my life.... in the early 80s, I was getting Rs.1,200/month; we were happy. After paying rent, grocery, entertainment ( our biggest entertainment didn't cost any money though. We just gave to each other), we saved upto 30-35%, bought dresses for dear and near deepavali or pongal.

Now I am paid many times than that; reasonable amount of savings; on occassions bough kick-ass dresses ( that how those young girls remarked those nice gagras) to near and dear. Happy? yes, we are.

So, how much money did I actually need? money is not important at all. It is the mind set. If I liked to be happy, I will be happy completing my B/fast or lunch from a கை ஏந்தி பவன் spending Rs. 10-15 in 2012. Or I could be happy paying Rs.512/person for one buffet meal from that same town.

Some persons have the knack to be happy with any money they earn. I have never been unhappy about the money I earned. I always said to my wife " never cut short your expenses; if our expenses seem more than we earn, then we go and earn more money!". I am following that as of today.

Cheers!

 

[prasad1]

I will agree that money alone can not buy happiness. Ms. Ophra Winfrey, on her visit to the slums of Mumbai commented on the happiness among those children. Similarly we have seen contentment on faces of poor people. It is the greedy who suffer. Having said all that still you need a basic level of monetary safety net depending on the lifestyle.

 

[Iyyarooraan]

The BPL people are existing at Rs.32/- according to GOI and the present GOM (group of ministers). They, the BPL, all will be happy if they get Re.1/- more! I remember a wit by A. Lincoln. Somebody asked him how long a man's legs should be. He is said to have replied " long enough to touch the body (torso) to the ground." An income to sustain and hold the body and spirit together. I think you can satisfy yourself with food, pleasures. But the desire for money will grow faster than the expanding universe.

 

[prasad1]

There is a happy medium between $50,000 and $300 per year.
It depends on cost of living and basic need (?). Of course my demand of TB Meal.