It's all about the money?
According to many studies the ideal amount of income for someone to attain happiness is $75,000 per year. Apparently someone who makes over $100,000 per year is not any happier than someone who makes less than $100,000 per year as long as they make the $75,000 per year. People who make more money don't necessarily spend more time in leisure activities, sometimes it is the opposite. Maybe it depends on the cost of one's leisure activities. If you like traveling or boating, you might need more money than someone who is satisfied with pure quiet time or just a little time in nature.Traveling, I could take it or leave it, most of the time! I don't care too much for it. I am just as satisfied looking at text books of the world as I would be actually going to those places, usually. There are a few places I would like to see, given the opportunity, but I'm not putting away a nest egg to eventually do it. Many people say "I want to travel when I retire!" Haha, why on earth would I want to travel the world in my old age when half of my senses are gone and I can't truly appreciate the whole of the experience? If you are in great shape in your older years, well that changes everything, doesn't it? But you can't count on that, all of your retirement might go to medical bills.
I have conversations at work all the time about money and retirement. I think many in the younger generations are seeing the value in enjoying life a little more while they are younger rather than saving it all for retirement years. I have noticed, the more people I talk to about this subject, regardless of political belief, the more I find that many do not plan to retire in the traditional way that is most familiar to us. Not everyone wants to put their trust in the stock market retirement plan or the social security. Some even believe retirement won't be possible because many are unable to save sufficient amounts and there is the prospect that many companies are not offering matched amount saving plans or pensions like they used to. With the future seeming so vague in these turbulent times, some of our traditional rituals regarding our money seem subject to change despite their past constancy. There is much interest in new ways to invest, save, and be efficient with our money.
There are also the stories about those who retire and die within 10 yrs of retiring. I think some of us work ourselves to death to save for a great retirement, but when that great retirement comes the side effects of many years of stress and work just kills us! The stress of saving for retirement in and of itself can take a toll on your health. I'm not saying we shouldn't save for our older years, we absolutely should, but the lofty goals of wanting millions in retirement coupled with the uncertainty of the future while still providing for oneself sufficiently, is extremely stressful. The worry about saving for retirement is real and I think so many of us feel this pressure to make more and more in order to provide and save enough.Our priorities are really what contribute to the driving force of greed and the constant search to make more money. Many want NOW what their parents worked for, for 30-40 years, or they plan on living the high life when they retire and do nothing but work. There is nothing wrong with wanting to make more money and put yourself in a better financial situation, but is it really worth it after you reach that point of having enough? Is it going to make you happier? If you make enough to support a family, you have a house, a car, food on the table, clothes on your back, decent health, a vacation or two a year and some for saving and spending, what more do you need? I know for a fact that the shirt with the $1,000 price tag is not going to bring me more happiness than the shirt with the $50 price tag. It's true that when you make more money, you spend more money because as you make more money you adjust your lifestyle. Our "basic needs" can change depending on the size of our wallet. I would like to think that maybe I wouldn't adjust my lifestyle too much if I made more money. I mean how much nicer is the more expensive shirt, really? The more money we make the more our desire to make more continues to intensify and the more money it takes to satisfy changing degree of want. It never really stops, this is not happiness, but greed.
I would not mind having a house a little bigger than the one I currently have, but then I have more to clean and more space to eventually de-clutter. Just like a more expensive car is going to have more expensive insurance and possibly more expensive tires or parts. I love boating, but I don't ever want to own my own boat! They are too much work and expensive! You have to store it, clean it, prepare it before use, license it and register it, and not to mention the truck or SUV you need to pull it. Expensive toys really are just more hassle and more work. If I truly want to relax and have a no stress experience that is also a lot of fun, putting my money towards renting, or an excursion where most of the work is taken out of the equation, is more sensible, to me. If you buy a boat then most of your fun time is going to be with a boat and it's going to be stressful and a lot of work.
Many in our society refuse to accept and live with what they make even when it is enough and thus we are willing to trade our health in order to secure more money! Back to the idea of working ourselves to death! I see 2 different chiropractors on a regular basis, I spend a significant amount of money on maintaining good health. Most people don't do that, I am an enigma, I guess. There is the chiropractor, gym membership, buying high quality foods, supplements, etc. and the list goes on. If I did not see the chiropractors that I see, I would not be able to work my job. I went from having a daily headache to maybe one headache every 2 weeks. Bottom line is that most people do not think about taking care of their muscles, skeletal system, digestive system, mental health and other systems in the body. We think in terms of insurance coverage and "how do I fix my problem in the fastest possible way?" When we think like that we are really just ignoring the problem and putting a band-aid on it. We don't think in terms of solving the problem and having real wellness. By thinking this way we really are cheating ourselves out of options that might have a lasting affect on our health. If you are looking for a prescription to fix a problem chances are nature already made one and without the extra side effects. Good nutrition goes a long way.When coworkers complain to me about how much pain they are in whether it be headaches, back pain, foot pain, or anything else I always offer up suggestions. Their 1st question is about the cost and 2nd about insurance coverage. It is $55 per visit for one of my chiropractors, but there might be a few other expenses involved like x-rays (one time fee $300-$400), and no the insurance does not cover it. The conversation is over at that point, they would rather live with the pain, but when it comes to buying a new car, phone, TV, computer, or video game, "splurge" is their middle name, haha! To get people to pay attention to their health and spend a little money on it is so incredibly hard. In my opinion, nothing beats just feeling healthy! Eventually you will pay for your health one way or another. It all catches up to us sooner or later. You can pay a little here and there now to maintain good health, or you will probably pay for it during that amazing retirement you are saving for! You might end up paying a significantly higher price later and you still might not feel that good. Even maintaining good health now does not save me from the possibility of having to pay for an illness later but it may lessen my chances of having to deal with something horrible later and it's still worth it to feel good right now!
I have entertained the idea of going back to school, to advance my degree and make more money, many times. When you think through it though it does not seem worth it, that is the conclusion we all come to when discussion at work takes place. I would have to quit my job, take out more loans, possibly live on loans for awhile, it could take another 4-5yrs to finish more schooling. Then I have to find a new job where I would probably make double what I make now, but I have all of those loans which will probably take me the rest of my life to pay off. Not to mention, I would miss my kids lives as they grow up, which would be hard. I'm at a point where I also want to have more kids and it's not like I can just hire that out! Going to school, being a mom and having another baby? UH, NO, I don't think so. I've just explained the conundrum of our lives! We go into debt, to go to school, to get a degree, to get a job where we then develop mental or physical ailments caused by the stresses of said job, to in turn pay to fix the car to get us to work so we can experience more stress and pay for our debt and our new health issues! Phew! There has got to be a better way! It's the new circle of life, just embrace it!! More like the bottom of the food chain, if you ask me! Is this what happiness is about? Surely not, but one thing is for certain money can be hard to live with, but you can't live without it. Most important, there has to be a balance, but finding that balance can take ample time and effort.I think I'm in a pretty good place. I may not make as much as the societal standard, or even as much as I want, but I have almost doubled my salary over a 10 year period, without going back to school. I was lucky enough to come out of college debt free because I worked 2-3 jobs while in school and had a little help from my family. Would I like to make more money? Of course, who wouldn't? I also don't want that to become the main stress factor that runs my life. All I know is that I'm not suffering and life is pretty good. Yes, there are still things around my house and yard that need work that I can't really afford to do right this minute, but it will come with time. There is a distinct difference between WANT and NEED. There are tons of things I think about wanting on a regular basis, but the change in my life with or without them would not be that significant. It's true that more money almost always softens the blows of life's trials. Life is easier when you know that if something breaks down or goes wrong that you have a way to pay for it. When you can buy things that make life easier, you are generally happier.
When you start to think about everything you have rather than everything you don't have, you become empowered. Your chances of slaying the green eyed monster increases exponentially as gratitude takes over!
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2019628,00.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/comparing-to-others-worse-off-will-make-you-happier-healthier-2011-7
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lifetime-connections/201807/will-money-make-you-happy
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7497380/Money-only-makes-you-happy-if-you-have-more-than-neighbours.html
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