Why Money?

Does money bring happiness?

Does money bring happiness? Well, I think we only have to look at the rich and famous to answer that question. Michael Jackson isn’t living what you’d call a normal life, and Madonna is discovering that you can’t buy everything you want. These are extreme examples, however, since most of us will never approach a fraction of their vast fortunes.

So what can money bring you? Well, for a start, a sense of security. Many people are currently worried about their jobs, whether they can afford their mortgage if it goes up, and if their house is going to be worth less than they paid for it. Unfortunately, most people don’t have secure jobs or a guaranteed income, and so cannot achieve that sense of security. Those people who have a good pension and have paid for their house are in a fortunate position, as they need not worry about paying the rent or mortgage, and can relax in the knowledge that their house is theirs completely.

Money also gives you freedom to make choices. If you hate your job, find it stressful, and have enough money in the bank, you can leave and look for another in the knowledge that you can pay your bills while searching for something more suitable. If you want to take time away from working and travel for several months, or do voluntary work in an African orphanage, you can pack your bags and head for the airport. Want to change your lifestyle completely? You can move from the city to the country (or vice versa), emigrate to another country, or retrain for the job that you’ve always wanted to do.

However, money in itself cannot make you happy. It can make you relaxed, and offer you the opportunity to achieve ambitions, but you need to be secure and happy in yourself, and have goals that you are willing to work at. Lounging around on a beach might be fun for two weeks, because it represents a break from your normal routine. After a month or two, though, you would probably be as bored as if you were in your office doing paperwork. Start a beach bar, however, and keep busy running it, and the beach life will be much more enjoyable, because you are not looking for something to fill the empty time.

Living a more simple life has much to recommend it. It is very easy if you have a large income to become trapped in living up to the image of a well-off person, having to buy the ‘right’ car, furnish an expensive home, and wear the right clothes. When money is not the focus of your life, you can concentrate on more important things. The fact is, however, that we all need money in order to live. My conclusion would be that, while money does not bring automatic happiness, it does offer a degree of freedom, and allow you more options.