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If You Believe “Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness,” You Grew up Privileged

by | Dec 19, 2022 | Financial Freedom, Money

Money is evil.

That’s what some suckers want you to believe. It’s cliche to say “money doesn’t buy happiness” … but it’s the most toxic belief you can hold.

Not understanding money guarantees you’ll be secretly unhappy.

Being broke reveals true happiness

The headline of this story comes from Cammi Pham.

She calls BS on the angels with wings who claim money doesn’t matter. The only way you could be so delusional is if you grew up privileged with daddy’s silver spoon in your mouth.

When you’re broke your basic needs aren’t met. I’ve been there. I’ve lost everything. When essential purchases are near-impossible to make, you can’t get money off the brain.

Money becomes like a mental disease.

Your mind has no capacity to think about anything other THAN money. How can you be happy with zero headspace?

You can’t.

Only a trust fund baby who got a baby blue BMW for their 21st birthday would be so naive as to think money makes no difference to one’s life.

Here’s what money does buy you…

Money buys you “want-to-dos” instead of “have-to-dos”

To-do lists can be the ultimate happiness killer.

In a 2006 viral essay by Enlightened Caveman (Chris Wilson), titled “Advice For New College Grads,” he introduces the idea of “want-to-dos” versus “have-to-dos.”

Most of us get have-to-dos every day. If we don’t do them we risk our food and shelter. When money is no longer scarce, it buys you a call option on the future. You get to pick what items from the list you WILL & WON’t do.

It’s important to note you don’t need to be a billionaire to experience this level of happiness. No. Even 6-figures is enough to stop being forced to do stuff you don’t want to do. It all depends on the cost of your lifestyle.

For me, I don’t do expensive things, so it’s easier to reach this nirvana.

The point is, being told what to do robs you of your freedom. That reality steals away any chance of happiness you can have. Many people know this deep down but they live in denial.

“I’m happy without money” “I’m happy without money” “I’m happy without money.”

Shut up. No you’re not. Stop lying.

Money buys you valuable time

Maybe $100 notes in your hand doesn’t make you happy.

But when you’re desperate for money that doesn’t make you happy either. Like, how happy would you be begging in the street for your next meal?

Not very, right?

Money buys time. With that time you can use it to discover what things in life make you happy. That’s a powerful mental shift.

We have to conduct happiness experiments. Let money pay for them.

Money lets you do the greatest thing of all

All the virtue signaling of the “money doesn’t buy happiness” crowd is upside down.

Give away enough money to charitable causes and you’ll quickly see what true happiness is. Money can help a lot of people in starving countries.

  • It can help those without water.
  • It can help prevent malaria.

Thinking money doesn’t buy happiness is thinking too small.

Money lets you start a business

Not all of us want to work for “the man” for the rest of our lives.

Some of us will be happier running our own businesses and being self-led. It’s why I hate college so much.

A $200K MBA from a prestigious, elitist university is actually better spent starting a business — not reading about a business. Those who have no money have zero chance of starting a business.

Money allows you to skip the line

Doors in life with money opportunities behind them require you to ask for permission.

  • Wait for a pay rise.
  • Wait for a promotion.
  • Wait to be accepted as a member.
  • Wait for your college application to be approved.

Screw that. Money can help you skip lines. Think about a rock concert. You can wait at the entrance and hope to get a photo with Kiss, or you can buy the VIP ticket and guarantee you do.

Every time you skip the line you save time.

Time is worth more than money.

Money pays for balls of poop

I’ve got a newborn baby. Money is damn helpful.

It buys my daughter diapers, wet wipes, medicine when she’s sick, a safe car seat, an SUV to get around, a pram, and when she’s old enough, it buys her childcare.

Ask a parent who can’t afford childcare what that’s like. I can guarantee you they’re not happy. Or ask an overworked parent how happy they are when they never get to see their kid.

My kid = happiness

Money buys me more time with her little snot face.

Money buys your life back in an emergency

If you live in the US, this one’s for you.

Money buys you healthcare. Ask an American who can’t afford healthcare and has cancer how happy they are. Then you’ll see.

Money gets you the best medical treatment that can save your life. Without it, in America, you’ll likely be left for dead. No joke.

Money doesn’t make you as happy as you think

Wait, what?

It’s not all gravy baby. Elizabeth W. Dunn from the University of British Columbia wrote an academic paper titled “If Money Doesn’t Make You Happy You Probably Aren’t Spending It Right.”

To increase happiness she recommends we buy experiences instead of material possessions, use money to help others, focus on small pleasures instead of big ones, and to delay consumption.

While these things can help with happiness … the scientists featured in the paper concluded after decades of research that:

“Money buys happiness, but it buys less than most people think.”

What a slap in the face. Soz.

Final Thought

Let’s cut the crap and stop the steal.

We’ve gotta stop thinking money has nothing to do with happiness. It does to a degree. As sassy recruiter Robyn Story with a cult following on LinkedIn says, we don’t just work for:

  • Great company culture
  • Satisfaction
  • Fulfillment

No. We work for money. So let’s stop being all virtue-signally and normalize that we go to work for money and that’s okay.

Money is how we buy some of our happiness.

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