Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Just my 2 Cents Worth {Sunday Scribblings}

The prompt atSunday Scribblings for this past Sunday was "My 2 Cents"
We are to take the prompts any way we wish and run with the idea. For me, this is what came to mind:

Can money buy happiness?
Obviously in the literal sense, money cannot 'purchase' happiness. BUT does having money make one happy?
Well I have thought about this a lot and I really think that having money versus not having money does make a difference in people's emotions.
Let's think towards the end of the month when we must sit and reflect on our finances. I really believe that ones who have a wicked struggle to get their bills paid will be a little less exuberant than those who get them paid without a fight.
Of course money does make a difference in the style of life that we live. Why are people afraid to admit that money does have something to do with happiness?
As Suze Orman says,
"But money does have a place at the table. If you don't have money to buy things, you're going to be very frustrated. It's just that simple"
I agree with her statement.
I do think that money is a major factor in our emotions. If we're constantly worried about making ends meet, there's little room to relax and take a deep breath.
As I 'watch' all the celebrities, I notice that they seem miserable. WHAT? Miserable with all that money? YES, MISERABLE for other reasons. They have nothing to look forward to. They have it all already. They have money; lots and lots of it but still, look at the covers of most celebrity magazines. The headlines are shouting out about how miserable they are. This is because everything to them is disposible, including relationships. Why is it that sooooo many celebrities simply cannot stay in a relationship for more than a few months to a few years? It's because of boredome. They have everything already so they want 'new, fresh exciting' in their lives and the only way to achieve this is by going out and starting a NEW relationship. Money cannot buy them a functional relationship. Many of them are spoiled because they have everything. They don't want to put forth effort to make a relationship work so to them, it's disposable. (this doesn't just go for celebritites!)
Money doesn't buy happiness but it sure does help in the big scheme of things!

8 comments:

paris parfait said...

Hear, hear! Excellent points. Worrying about money is a very stressful thing.

Debbie said...

I agree! The things that are most precious to me are things I worked really hard for. I appreciate them more. I sometimes wonder just how miserable those celebs really are - the publih really WANTS them to be miserable so we can feel better that we don't have the fame, fortune and a bod and looks to sink a convoy. But many of them are pretty shallow. I really admire the ones that maintain "normal" lives in the midst of all that craziness. Like Tom Hank, Jimmy Steward (when he was alive), Sean Connery, and Tom Jones, to name a few. The quiet ones don't get on the covers!! Take care Gabi - great post as always!

Kamsin said...

Research has shown that money does effect happiness up to a certain level. So if you have less than a certain level, I think it's about £10,000 in the UK, getting more money will increase your happiness due to less worry, stress etc., but above that level more money will not make you any happier. Money however, is kind of like any drug, once you're addicted you need more and more to get the same "hit" and few addicts are very happy.

Kim -today's creative blog said...

I am alot more happy without having to worry about money. We are not wealthy, but we have enough. I told my husband that I didn't want to do ANYTHING with the money once we were married. I don't even know when my paydays are!
Love the freedom.

Anonymous said...

Anyone who says that money doesn't matter has never had any. I don't mean that in a mean way, but it's true. I was brought up desperately poor. I had nothing. I struggled through the college years like everyone else. Then, when we moved to TX for 8 months, we had enough money...we got back home, dh lost job and we had none again. So, I know what I speak of when I say Money does count and it makes one a lot happier!

Stonemagick (Samhains) said...

I just wanted to say;

I thank you and anyone els that for participating in the Cone of power;
In doing I did feel some blockage, like a wall of fire or something, Iam not sure where it came from or what it is about, but I felt that it was a succesful trasfer of energys.

I was almost attacked by two Dogs, some ladys,.. but I think everything went well..:)

Thankyou again and thanks and blessing to anyone that participated in the Cone of power ritual.

We should see with in a six week period some change for the better, if not I guess we can consider its 'past due'..

Artful Creations by Tracie said...

Oooh MONEY.....!!!!

Like Jaq I grew up fairly without many things (like the designer jeans that all the other girls were wearing, the new Nike shoes, etc). I lived through it.

Moved out on my own and had enough, got married and it was no longer enough??? 2 incomes?? (we bought a house!) Then divorce and I struggled to make a name for myself and finally DID!

Nutshell is that I have been there with ups and downs with money. Today I am down once again - it's the 'price' we pay for me to stay home and raise our kids. I don't like the struggle but I like it less that I would be working to pay someone else to watch my kids.

I often dream about winning the lottery...and how that would ease so much of the struggles we have - and we aren't picky...we'd be happy with a smaller jackpot! Just something to help us ease the bills so my husband doesn't have to work so much OT just for us to get by.

I also often wonder how much it would change us - I think at first we would be greedy and buy stuff we've always dreamed about, mostly a bigger house, a motor home! I think that if that were the case, we'd have people around us chaning.

As far as working for it, that definitely has a huge impact - but when I say 'working' I mean HARD WORK (not compared to celebs - not saying they don't work hard, but we all know that is just different)!

Ok that was my 2 cents! Thanks Gabi!!!

Loreluca said...

Maaaan! Why are you guys making me think??? Lately, everybody is getting deep in their blogs ;) just joking, love these kinds of themes!

Anyways, I do ABSOLUTELY agree, money is not everything, but it sure does help. In Mexico we say 'Money is not happiness, but it sure makes a good impersonation!' I absolutely agree. BUT, I believe that the problem is not the money per se, but your attitude towards money, wether you have it or not is not the point, but what will you do to get it. Also, many, many other factors have everything to do with your happiness. I grew up where there was plenty of it, and unfortunately, I can't say it was a happy childhood, either. Like Tracie, as an adult I've struggled sometimes, and as a mother, I have sacrificed career for family, and although I miss the nicer things, it's well worth it... SO... yup, money DEFINITELY helps, but your attitude towards it helps even more, I think. And those are my two cents!