Why money doesn't necessarily make you happy?

Why doesn't money necessarily make you happy?

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I have already wondered how come the rich do not necessarily feel happy. Despite the money and possessions they possess? 😕

Therefore, I wrote this article to share some research and my experience 😉

Price does not determine happiness

**Here is an excerpt from the book “The essentials and nothing else¹”. By Fumio Sasaki 🧐**

" If a $500 ring could really bring five times the joy of a $100 ring, then money would bring happiness. But the reality is quite different. You can earn ten times more, own ten times more, and the joy you get from your material possessions remains about the same. So there is an emotional limitation to the pleasure you get from getting something.… » –
Fumio Sasaki

➡️ Indeed, happiness does not necessarily have a link with the price we pay for an object. ❕

Moreover, buying an object at a high price does not mean that the object will make us happy all our lives 🤨

To give my example, the most expensive object in my home, is not the one I use the most.

Plus, compared to all the items I have at home. It's not the one that gives me the most pleasure either..

On the other hand, it is useful and I like it.

However, in case of a fire in my home. This is not the item I would grab first 🔥

The weariness of repetition

One thing that doesn't necessarily make the rich happy is weariness.

Note that buying an item for $1,000 the first time is super exciting!

👉 On the other hand, if you buy a $1,000 item every week, it becomes commonplace 😶. Because it's repetitive.

The phenomenon also occurs among people with fewer resources.

For example, when I was a teenager, buying a $50 item was incredible. A few years later, once I had a more decent income, I would regularly spend that amount on items that would end up piling up in a drawer after a few tries 👎

👉 In reality, no matter the amount, Regularity of purchase reduces the feeling of pleasure with each purchase. 🔺

Looking for the first feeling of purchase

Another consequence of buying repeatedly is the search for a past pleasure!

🔺When we consume regularly. We expect the pleasure obtained during the first purchase. But in reality, this emotion is almost impossible to reproduce !

This is one of the reasons why I love minimalism. 😉

➡️ Buying less allows you to appreciate more what you have.

When we buy less, we pay more attention to our belongings and we quickly realize the importance of each purchase. 😍

Forgetting the usefulness

Usefulness can quickly become very abstract with our possessions!

👉 Indeed, When you are used to having everything, you can quickly lose track of why you are using a particular material possession. 🤔

For example, if there is only one car for a family of 4 drivers 🚗

In this case, each member of the family quickly realizes that a car is a means of transport to make certain journeys more quickly.

Therefore, each family member will ask themselves whether the car is necessary. If not, they will find another means of transportation.

On the other hand, if a family has 1 car per person 🚗🚗🚗🚗. The usefulness of the car can quickly be forgotten.

In this case, each family member will automatically take their car for all journeys. While it is possible to have shorter journeys via other means of transport ⏲

Why? Because every driver will no longer ask himself whether the car is necessary.

🔺 In reality, a possession can create a habit, which does not necessarily have a link with the main utility of the possession.

The habit

👉 In my opinion, we can quickly get into the habit of buying certain things. Which will automatically create a “habit”.

For example, if we choose a fruit at the supermarket. We are used to choosing the fruit that is the most visually beautiful 🍏.

However, less beautiful fruits are not necessarily rotten or worse for our health. On the contrary, for example, a fruit can be aesthetically beautiful but be full of pesticides and, in addition, be more expensive!

In conclusion, the habit of choosing the most beautiful fruit is not necessarily the best choice for health ❌

The gaze of others

Many people live under the illusion that buying an item with a high price tag can attract people.

👉 In reality, possessions have a very limited impact in social relationships.

For example, if someone compliments you on your shoes, it's usually for one of two reasons:

An interest in your shoes

In this case, what the person is interested in is your shoes. You are just an object wearing an “interesting” object.

Start the conversation

In this case, your possession is just an excuse to start arguing with you.

🔺Note that in both cases, possession has a very limited impact if you want to maintain a serious social relationship. ❗

When is Enough?

The problem with money is that it has no limits 😶

For example, if you have 100,000,000 US dollars. In theory, you might want to strive to reach 1,000,000,000 US dollars. Once you reach 1,000,000,000 dollars, you might want to reach 1,000,000,000,000 dollars.

🔺 In reality, as money is a limitless number. The desire to earn more money has no limit either. ❗

This is why we sometimes see billionaires entering illegal schemes in order to make even more money 😬

In reality, even with incredible wealth, the desire to make more money can be greater than the desire to avoid certain risks. Even the most logical ones. Like, for example, ending up in prison or losing the entire fortune.

🔺 In reality. If we don't set a limit with money, we will run after money all our lives. Even if we are billionaires.

Conclusion

Why doesn't money necessarily make you happy?

In reality, feelings about our material possessions are similar across all social classes.

Indeed, in my opinion:

The Joy of Buying a Possession
Comparison of possessions
Weariness with possessions
Habits with a possession
The image we want to give to others with our possessions
Forgetting the usefulness of a possession
The wish to earn even more money

➡️ These thoughts are actually as present in millionaires as in poor people. 🤵👨

⚠️ I seriously believe that our possessions and our desire to earn more money, can quickly take control over ourselves ❗❕😮

➡️ In my opinion, linking happiness and material is limited. Because in reality, we need very few possessions ✔

The fewer possessions you have, the more you realize what you really need. 😉

What do you think about this article. Why money doesn't necessarily make you happy? ☺

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I decided to create this blog to develop and help readers who are looking for a simpler and more economical life.

Compared to before, I was a person who consumed a lot until the day I realized that my consumption made me sadder and poorer 😑

Now I prefer the minimum of my needs to be happy and achieve my financial freedom.

Without realizingI started to focus on saving and investing to depend on a boss for as little time as possible and to speed up my personal projects.

As a result, I am getting richer in a way that I never imagined since I have an average salary in Switzerland.

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The goal is to share and learn with other people who are looking for freedom and simplicity 😉

Are you rather minimalist or frugal Jonny?

I am as minimalist as I am frugalist. However, there are situations where I lean more towards an art of life.

To conclude, I think the most important thing is to feel comfortable in your lifestyle 😊

Why doesn't money necessarily make you happy?

Minimalism and Frugalism

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