money can't buy love or happiness persuasive speech

Speech on Money Can’T Buy Happiness

You’ve probably heard the saying “money can’t buy happiness.” It’s a concept that stirs up quite a debate. Many argue that money, to a certain extent, does influence our well-being, while others insist that joy comes from more profound sources.

Let’s explore this idea together. Is it possible that the richest people are the happiest? Or, does real contentment lie somewhere beyond the reach of dollar bills?

1-minute Speech on Money Can’T Buy Happiness

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let’s talk about something we all know, but sometimes forget – money can’t buy happiness. True, money can buy things we like – toys for kids, a nice car, a big house. But do these things make us truly happy?

Think about it. The richest person in the world can have everything money can buy but still feel lonely or sad. That’s because happiness isn’t something you can just buy from a store. It comes from inside us. It comes from spending time with our families and friends, from helping others, from doing things we love.

Now, let’s consider our friends. We don’t choose them because they have a lot of money, right? We choose friends because they make us laugh, they understand us, they support us when we’re down. This shows that what makes us happy isn’t money, but love and friendship.

Also, think about the best moments in your life. Maybe it was when you scored a goal in a football game, or when you first rode a bike without training wheels. None of these moments required money. They were about achievement, about overcoming challenges, about the joy of living. That’s what real happiness is about.

In the end, remember this – money is useful, it helps us live comfortably. But it’s not the most important thing. Love, friendship, kindness, joy – these are the things that truly make us happy. And the best part is, they don’t cost a thing.

2-minute Speech on Money Can’T Buy Happiness

Let’s talk about happiness and money. It’s true, money is important. We need it to pay for food, clothes, and a safe place to live. But does more money mean more happiness? Many people think so. But this is not the full truth.

Imagine having all the money in the world. You can buy any car, any house, any gadget you want. But will these things make you truly happy? The answer is no. What’s the use of a big house if it’s empty? What’s the use of a fancy car if you’re alone? These things can’t laugh with you, can’t comfort you when you’re sad. True happiness comes from love, friendship, and family. These are things that money can’t buy.

Also, think about the most beautiful moments in your life. Maybe it was the time you played in the rain, or the day you learned to ride a bike, or the moment when your friend shared his lunch with you. They were simple moments. But they made you happy. They didn’t cost a thing. This is because happiness is about experience, not material things.

Now, let’s take a look at people who chase money all their lives. They work hard, often forgetting to eat and sleep. They miss their children’s first steps, their spouse’s birthdays. They don’t have time for friends. In the end, they have lots of money. But they are not happy. Because they missed out on the real joys of life.

Of course, money is not bad. It helps us live a comfortable life. But it’s not the most important thing. Health, love, and time are more precious. They can’t be bought. So, instead of chasing money, we should chase these things. We should live each moment fully. We should love deeply. We should take care of our health. Then, we will be truly happy.

In conclusion, money can’t buy happiness. It can buy comfort, but not joy. It can buy things, but not memories. It can buy a house, but not a home. So, let’s focus on what’s truly important. Let’s appreciate the simple things in life. Let’s cherish love and friendship. Let’s make beautiful memories. Because these are the things that bring true happiness.

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Money Can't Buy Love Or Happiness

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Published: Aug 31, 2023

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Persuasive speech: Money can buy happiness and love

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Money can’t buy love. but happiness maybe.

(© stock.adobe.com)

Money might not buy love, but a new study suggests that it is more strongly related to happiness than some people think — particularly when people compare their income with someone else’s.

Writing in the journal Psychological Bulletin, researchers describe an association between people’s subjective socioeconomic status — how they perceive their own income, education, and occupation standing in comparison with others — and happiness.

That association, they say, is significantly larger than the connection between people’s objective socioeconomic status — as measured by income and educational attainment — and their level of happiness.

“ There is a conventional wisdom in social science that relationships and experiences are more important than money in producing happiness,” said co-author Michael Kraus , associate professor of organizational behavior at the Yale School of Management. “But we found that when people consider their wealth relative to others, there is a stronger association between money and happiness.”

The study, which was led by Jacinth Tan, an assistant professor of psychology at Singapore Management University, contradicts decades of social science research that shows a weak relationship between money and happiness, particularly in wealthy societies, the authors say.

“ The size of the relationship we observed in our study has policy implications in the sense that lawmakers must acknowledge that the relationship between money and happiness remains consequential and cannot be ignored,” said Kraus. “Policy considerations that help people obtain good jobs and protect people from financial ruin during this pandemic may have an added benefit of improving people’s happiness.”

The new research was motivated by an apparent disparity in previous research that has showed weak links between income and happiness and the idea that many people actively seek out prestigious jobs and higher status, the authors say. Moreover, as inequality has increased in some societies (including the United States), overall happiness has declined. That outcome wouldn’t be expected if wealth and material resources were inconsequential, the researchers say.

This gap between research findings and observation suggests the possibility that objective measures, such as income, do not adequately capture the influence of money on happiness, the researchers said. They wanted to test the idea that happiness is more dependent on what people  think  they have compared with others than how much they  do  have.

For the study, the researchers performed a meta-analysis of 357 different studies that have examined questions related to associations between objective and subjective measures of socioeconomic status and people’s subjective wellbeing — their sense of happiness and life satisfaction. Collectively, those studies involved data from more than 2.3 million participants gathered in publicly available datasets, such as the World Values Survey, as well as in private datasets.

In their analysis, the researchers applied the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Status — a 10-rung ladder in which people indicate their perceived social status — to test the association between comparative resources and happiness. Their findings suggest that that social comparison is an important driver of how much money or material resources will increase happiness.

The researchers also found that the effect of social comparison was stronger in countries, such as Singapore, with high population density. This finding makes sense, the researchers say, since there often is greater competition for resources in places where population density is high.

Tan pointed out that social comparison can lead to unhappiness when a person determines their status compares less favorably to others. She cited a quote attributed to Mark Twain: “Comparison is the death of joy.”

“ Our findings also suggest that improving from past levels of material resources alone is insufficient for increasing happiness,” she said. “Even if people today are earning higher wages or attaining higher educational levels than their parents or compared to 10 years ago, there is going to be limited impact on their happiness if they are not doing at least as well as, if not better than others at the present. In people’s minds, social mobility is not simply the ability to ascend one’s own socioeconomic ladder, but also to ascend the ladder of the broader, collective society.”

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Can Money Really Buy Happiness?

Money and happiness are related—but not in the way you think..

Updated November 10, 2023 | Reviewed by Chloe Williams

• More money is linked to increased happiness, some research shows.
• People who won the lottery have greater life satisfaction, even years later.
• Wealth is not associated with happiness globally; non-material things are more likely to predict wellbeing.
• Money, in and of itself, cannot buy happiness, but it can provide a means to the things we value in life.

Money is a big part of our lives, our identities, and perhaps our well-being. Sometimes, it can feel like your happiness hinges on how much cash is in your bank account. Have you ever thought to yourself, “If only I could increase my salary by 12 percent, I’d feel better”? How about, “I wish I had an inheritance. How easier life would be!” I don’t blame you — I’ve had the same thoughts many times.

But what does psychological research say about the age-old question: Can money really buy happiness? Let’s take a brutally honest exploration of how money and happiness are (and aren’t) related. (Spoiler alert: I’ve got bad news, good news, and lots of caveats.)

Higher earners are generally happier

Over 10 years ago, a study based on Gallup Poll data on 1,000 people made a big headline in the news. It found that people with higher incomes report being happier... but only up to an annual income of $75,000 (equivalent to about $90,000 today). After this point, a high emotional well-being wasn’t directly correlated to more money. This seemed to show that once a persons’ basic (and some “advanced”) needs are comfortably met, more money isn’t necessary for well-being.

But a new 2021 study of over one million participants found that there’s no such thing as an inflection point where more money doesn’t equal more happiness, at least not up to an annual salary of $500,000. In this study, participants’ well-being was measured in more detail. Instead of being asked to remember how well they felt in the past week, month, or year, they were asked how they felt right now in the moment. And based on this real-time assessment, very high earners were feeling great.

Similarly, a Swedish study on lottery winners found that even after years, people who won the lottery had greater life satisfaction, mental health, and were more prepared to face misfortune like divorce , illness, and being alone than regular folks who didn’t win the lottery. It’s almost as if having a pile of money made those things less difficult to cope with for the winners.

Evaluative vs. experienced well-being

At this point, it's important to suss out what researchers actually mean by "happiness." There are two major types of well-being psychologists measure: evaluative and experienced. Evaluative well-being refers to your answer to, “How do you think your life is going?” It’s what you think about your life. Experienced well-being, however, is your answer to, “What emotions are you feeling from day to day, and in what proportions?” It is your actual experience of positive and negative emotions.

In both of these studies — the one that found the happiness curve to flatten after $75,000 and the one that didn't — the researchers were focusing on experienced well-being. That means there's a disagreement in the research about whether day-to-day experiences of positive emotions really increase with higher and higher incomes, without limit. Which study is more accurate? Well, the 2021 study surveyed many more people, so it has the advantage of being more representative. However, there is a big caveat...

Material wealth is not associated with happiness everywhere in the world

If you’re not a very high earner, you may be feeling a bit irritated right now. How unfair that the rest of us can’t even comfort ourselves with the idea that millionaires must be sad in their giant mansions!

But not so fast.

Yes, in the large million-person study, experienced well-being (aka, happiness) did continually increase with higher income. But this study only included people in the United States. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that our culture is quite materialistic, more so than other countries, and income level plays a huge role in our lifestyle.

Another study of Mayan people in a poor, rural region of Yucatan, Mexico, did not find the level of wealth to be related to happiness, which the participants had high levels of overall. Separately, a Gallup World Poll study of people from many countries and cultures also found that, although higher income was associated with higher life evaluation, it was non-material things that predicted experienced well-being (e.g., learning, autonomy, respect, social support).

Earned wealth generates more happiness than inherited wealth

More good news: For those of us with really big dreams of “making it” and striking it rich through talent and hard work, know that the actual process of reaching your dream will not only bring you cash but also happiness. A study of ultra-rich millionaires (net worth of at least $8,000,000) found that those who earned their wealth through work and effort got more of a happiness boost from their money than those who inherited it. So keep dreaming big and reaching for your entrepreneurial goals … as long as you’re not sacrificing your actual well-being in the pursuit.

There are different types of happiness, and wealth is better for some than others

We’ve been talking about “happiness” as if it’s one big thing. But happiness actually has many different components and flavors. Think about all the positive emotions you’ve felt — can we break them down into more specifics? How about:

• Contentment
• Gratefulness

...and that's just a short list.

It turns out that wealth may be associated with some of these categories of “happiness,” specifically self-focused positive emotions such as pride and contentment, whereas less wealthy people have more other-focused positive emotions like love and compassion.

In fact, in the Swedish lottery winners study, people’s feelings about their social well-being (with friends, family, neighbors, and society) were no different between lottery winners and regular people.

Money is a means to the things we value, not happiness itself

One major difference between lottery winners and non-winners, it turns out, is that lottery winners have more spare time. This is the thing that really makes me envious , and I would hypothesize that this is the main reason why lottery winners are more satisfied with their life.

Consider this simply: If we had the financial security to spend time on things we enjoy and value, instead of feeling pressured to generate income all the time, why wouldn’t we be happier?

This is good news. It’s a reminder that money, in and of itself, cannot literally buy happiness. It can buy time and peace of mind. It can buy security and aesthetic experiences, and the ability to be generous to your family and friends. It makes room for other things that are important in life.

In fact, the researchers in that lottery winner study used statistical approaches to benchmark how much happiness winning $100,000 brings in the short-term (less than one year) and long-term (more than five years) compared to other major life events. For better or worse, getting married and having a baby each give a bigger short-term happiness boost than winning money, but in the long run, all three of these events have the same impact.

What does this mean? We make of our wealth and our life what we will. This is especially true for the vast majority of the world made up of people struggling to meet basic needs and to rise out of insecurity. We’ve learned that being rich can boost your life satisfaction and make it easier to have positive emotions, so it’s certainly worth your effort to set goals, work hard, and move towards financial health.

But getting rich is not the only way to be happy. You can still earn health, compassion, community, love, pride, connectedness, and so much more, even if you don’t have a lot of zeros in your bank account. After all, the original definition of “wealth” referred to a person’s holistic wellness in life, which means we all have the potential to be wealthy... in body, mind, and soul.

Kahneman, D., & Deaton, A.. High income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being. . Proceedings of the national academy of sciences. 2010.

Killingsworth, M. A. . Experienced well-being rises with income, even above $75,000 per year .. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2021.

Lindqvist, E., Östling, R., & Cesarini, D. . Long-run effects of lottery wealth on psychological well-being. . The Review of Economic Studies. 2020.

Guardiola, J., González‐Gómez, F., García‐Rubio, M. A., & Lendechy‐Grajales, Á.. Does higher income equal higher levels of happiness in every society? The case of the Mayan people. . International Journal of Social Welfare. 2013.

Diener, E., Ng, W., Harter, J., & Arora, R. . Wealth and happiness across the world: material prosperity predicts life evaluation, whereas psychosocial prosperity predicts positive feeling. . Journal of personality and social psychology. 2010.

Donnelly, G. E., Zheng, T., Haisley, E., & Norton, M. I.. The amount and source of millionaires’ wealth (moderately) predict their happiness . . Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2018.

Piff, P. K., & Moskowitz, J. P. . Wealth, poverty, and happiness: Social class is differentially associated with positive emotions.. Emotion. 2018.

Jade Wu, Ph.D., is a clinical health psychologist and host of the Savvy Psychologist podcast. She specializes in helping those with sleep problems and anxiety disorders.

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Money can't buy happiness, a neuroscientist explains why

We all need enough funds to cover our basic needs, but beyond that the connection between wealth and wellness is less clear.

Dean Burnett

"Money can’t buy you happiness" is either a widely accepted insight or a tired cliché. Is it right , though? Scientifically speaking, the answer is… mixed.

A recent study carried out at the University of Bath has once again looked at the relationship between income and happiness .

It seems that, up to a point and within a specific set of circumstances, money can buy happiness. But beyond that, the relationship between money and happiness becomes much looser and uncertain.

What makes us happy?

At the most immediate and fundamental levels, the things that make us happy, or at least the provoke a positive, reward response in our brains, are those that satisfy our basic biological needs. Put simply, we humans, living organisms, need many things to ensure our survival, such as food, water, air, sleep, and security. Our brain recognises these things as being ‘biologically significant’, so if we obtain them, we experience a sense of reward.

Because the human brain can make intuitive and abstract leaps, it can easily recognise that receiving money means we can now more easily obtain food/water/shelter etc. This, as a study carried out by the Wellcome Trust in 2007 found, can be both rewarding and motivational , two things that could fall under the umbrella of happiness.

However, this doesn’t mean ‘more money’ automatically means ‘more happiness’. Money may be recognised by our brains as biologically significant, but there’s an upper limit on how rewarding even biologically significant things can be. For example, eating food can often be pleasurable, but at some point you’ll be sated, after which point eating more causes actual discomfort. Same with drinking. Even things like shelter and security; build too many barriers around yourself and you can feel isolated and oppressed.

There’s also the phenomenon of habituation, where the fundamental parts of our brains learn to not react to things that occur predictably and reliably. As evidenced in a 2011 study carried out by Dr Ruth Krebbs at Ghent University, this is why things that are novel, as in surprising and unexpected, are often more rewarding than familiar things .

In many cases, the same thing happens with money. Receiving your regular pay is reassuring, but receiving unexpected money, even if it’s much less, often makes you much happier.

Also, when we actively and tangibly need it for our survival, obtaining money is very rewarding. But when we go beyond that point, when we’re ‘financially secure’ as they say, money can still be rewarding, but it’s power to make you happy is significantly reduced , a study carried out at San Francisco State University found. More psychological, experience-based stimuli (e.g. travelling, forging new relationships, helping others etc.) have a greater ability to make you happy.

Granted, in the modern world you usually need money to do all those things too, but this ultimately means money’s link to happiness is more indirect, as a means to an end, rather than directly rewarding in its own right.

Is there a threshold amount of money that can make us happy?

That there’s a certain cut-off amount of money where it stops making people has a lot of implications, particularly in the present day. With much talk of wage stagnation, rising prices, and trials of universal basic income becoming increasingly common, the question of how much money people need to be happy is an increasingly salient one.

Unfortunately, there can be no easy answer, at least not one that applies to all people equally, because the factors that determine how much money is ‘enough’ for security and happiness are highly subjective, and vary considerably from person to person.

Some people feel they’d be happy for life with surprisingly modest sums, others don’t think they’d ever feel they had ‘enough’ money. Studies carried out by researchers at the University of Bath have also found that these significant variations are even more apparent when you compare people from different cultures , suggesting the link between money and happiness is at least as much learned as it is ‘innate’.

But even within the same capitalist culture, people’s ideas about financial security can differ drastically, with people who have ample money sometimes being much less happy than those with far less money because they have more worries about.

Can too much money make us unhappy?

This introduces another factor; money can make you unhappy . Or reduce happiness in other ways. Studies have shown that being paid to do something you enjoy can make you less motivated to do it, suggesting it actively reduces potential happiness. This would explain why people are often reluctant to turn a hobby into a job, or actively regret doing so.

Also, in our modern world, money is not static. If we have more money than we strictly need, we don’t hoard a big pile of gold coins in our spare room like modern-day dragons. Money is fluid, often intangible, and typically ends up being tied up with things like investments, stocks, properties, savings accounts, and more.

All these things are subject to the whims of politico-economical factors and more, meaning the person whose money it is has less control over it and less certainty than if they’d gone for the ‘big pile of gold’ option. Loss of control and uncertainty are two reliable sources of stress and unhappiness for the human brain.

Ultimately, rather than “money can’t buy you happiness”, it might be better to say “money can buy you safety and security”, and these things make it easier for us to be happy. But there’s no direct one-to-one relation between money and happiness, and how it affects us ultimately depends on who we are and how we’ve been raised.

Read more about happiness:

• Is waving back at a stranger on a bridge a sign of happiness?
• National happiness mapped over the last 200 years
• Why does chocolate make us happy?
• Could being happier help you fight infectious disease?

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Howard Hughes: 'Money can't buy happiness.'

Money can't buy happiness.

In his famous quote, "Money can't buy happiness," Howard Hughes, the American business magnate and aviator, encapsulates a profound truth about the human pursuit of fulfillment and contentment. At first glance, this statement seems relatively straightforward, suggesting that money alone is not sufficient to attain true happiness. However, diving deeper into this concept allows us to explore unexpected philosophical dimensions that shed a new light on the quote and challenge our conventional understanding of happiness.To comprehend the meaning behind Hughes' words, we have to acknowledge that money and happiness are undoubtedly intertwined to some extent. Financial stability and a certain level of comfort undoubtedly contribute to our overall well-being. The ability to meet our basic needs, provide for our families, and have access to resources that enhance our quality of life undoubtedly generates a sense of contentment and security. However, as Hughes subtly implies, material wealth alone is insufficient in creating sustained happiness.One must not discount the importance of non-material aspects such as love, relationships, personal growth, and fulfillment in achieving true happiness. These intangible riches are the elements that enrich our lives, shaping our perceptions and experiences. True happiness often emerges from connecting with others, contributing to a greater purpose, and discovering personal passions and joy. While money can facilitate certain opportunities and experiences, it can never replace the deep-seated contentment derived from meaningful connections and personal fulfillment.Introducing an unexpected philosophical concept to further explore the notion of happiness, we turn to the teachings of Stoicism. Stoicism, an ancient Greek philosophy developed by philosophers such as Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, provides an interesting counterpoint to Hughes' perspective. Stoics view happiness not as an external circumstance or a product of circumstances but as an internal state of mind that can be cultivated independently of material possessions.According to Stoicism, happiness lies in acknowledging and accepting the aspects of life that are beyond our control, focusing primarily on cultivating virtues and inner tranquility. By shifting our mindset and embracing the philosophy of Stoicism, we can find happiness in the present moment and develop resilience in the face of life's challenges. The Stoic perspective challenges the notion that money is a prerequisite for happiness, suggesting that true fulfillment is attainable through self-reflection, virtue, and a mindful approach to life.Comparing and contrasting these two viewpoints leads us to a nuanced understanding of happiness. While money can certainly enhance our experiences and provide temporary satisfaction, it is the deep-rooted connections with others, personal growth, and the cultivation of inner virtues that form the foundation of lasting joy and contentment. Aspiring to the Stoic ideal of cultivating a tranquil and virtuous mind offers an alternative approach to finding true happiness that does not rely on external factors, such as financial wealth.In conclusion, Howard Hughes' thought-provoking quote, "Money can't buy happiness," encourages us to go beyond the conventional understanding of happiness rooted in material wealth. While money can contribute to our well-being and provide comfort, it should not be equated with genuine and lasting happiness. True fulfillment emerges through the cultivation of personal connections, the pursuit of passions, and the development of inner virtues. By exploring unexpected philosophical concepts, such as Stoicism, we are reminded that happiness is not something to be obtained but rather a state of mind that can be fostered independent of external circumstances.Let this quote serve as a reminder to prioritize the things that truly matter and seek fulfillment through the richness of experiences and personal growth, rather than solely relying on material possessions.

Joan Rivers: 'I'm Jewish. I don't work out. If God had wanted us to bend over, He would have put diamonds on the floor.'

Laetitia casta: 'real beauty is to be true to oneself. that's what makes me feel good.'.

More Proof That Money Can Buy Happiness (or a Life with Less Stress)

When we wonder whether money can buy happiness, we may consider the luxuries it provides, like expensive dinners and lavish vacations. But cash is key in another important way: It helps people avoid many of the day-to-day hassles that cause stress, new research shows.

Money can provide calm and control, allowing us to buy our way out of unforeseen bumps in the road, whether it’s a small nuisance, like dodging a rainstorm by ordering up an Uber, or a bigger worry, like handling an unexpected hospital bill, says Harvard Business School professor Jon Jachimowicz.

“If we only focus on the happiness that money can bring, I think we are missing something,” says Jachimowicz, an assistant professor of business administration in the Organizational Behavior Unit at HBS. “We also need to think about all of the worries that it can free us from.”

The idea that money can reduce stress in everyday life and make people happier impacts not only the poor, but also more affluent Americans living at the edge of their means in a bumpy economy. Indeed, in 2019, one in every four Americans faced financial scarcity, according to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The findings are particularly important now, as inflation eats into the ability of many Americans to afford basic necessities like food and gas, and COVID-19 continues to disrupt the job market.

Buying less stress

The inspiration for researching how money alleviates hardships came from advice that Jachimowicz’s father gave him. After years of living as a struggling graduate student, Jachimowicz received his appointment at HBS and the financial stability that came with it.

“My father said to me, ‘You are going to have to learn how to spend money to fix problems.’” The idea stuck with Jachimowicz, causing him to think differently about even the everyday misfortunes that we all face.

To test the relationship between cash and life satisfaction, Jachimowicz and his colleagues from the University of Southern California, Groningen University, and Columbia Business School conducted a series of experiments, which are outlined in a forthcoming paper in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science , The Sharp Spikes of Poverty: Financial Scarcity Is Related to Higher Levels of Distress Intensity in Daily Life .

Higher income amounts to lower stress

In one study, 522 participants kept a diary for 30 days, tracking daily events and their emotional responses to them. Participants’ incomes in the previous year ranged from less than $10,000 to $150,000 or more. They found:

• Money reduces intense stress: There was no significant difference in how often the participants experienced distressing events—no matter their income, they recorded a similar number of daily frustrations. But those with higher incomes experienced less negative intensity from those events.
• More money brings greater control : Those with higher incomes felt they had more control over negative events and that control reduced their stress. People with ample incomes felt more agency to deal with whatever hassles may arise.
• Higher incomes lead to higher life satisfaction: People with higher incomes were generally more satisfied with their lives.

“It’s not that rich people don’t have problems,” Jachimowicz says, “but having money allows you to fix problems and resolve them more quickly.”

Why cash matters

In another study, researchers presented about 400 participants with daily dilemmas, like finding time to cook meals, getting around in an area with poor public transportation, or working from home among children in tight spaces. They then asked how participants would solve the problem, either using cash to resolve it, or asking friends and family for assistance. The results showed:

• People lean on family and friends regardless of income: Jachimowicz and his colleagues found that there was no difference in how often people suggested turning to friends and family for help—for example, by asking a friend for a ride or asking a family member to help with childcare or dinner.
• Cash is the answer for people with money: The higher a person’s income, however, the more likely they were to suggest money as a solution to a hassle, for example, by calling an Uber or ordering takeout.

While such results might be expected, Jachimowicz says, people may not consider the extent to which the daily hassles we all face create more stress for cash-strapped individuals—or the way a lack of cash may tax social relationships if people are always asking family and friends for help, rather than using their own money to solve a problem.

“The question is, when problems come your way, to what extent do you feel like you can deal with them, that you can walk through life and know everything is going to be OK,” Jachimowicz says.

Breaking the ‘shame spiral’

In another recent paper , Jachimowicz and colleagues found that people experiencing financial difficulties experience shame, which leads them to avoid dealing with their problems and often makes them worse. Such “shame spirals” stem from a perception that people are to blame for their own lack of money, rather than external environmental and societal factors, the research team says.

“We have normalized this idea that when you are poor, it’s your fault and so you should be ashamed of it,” Jachimowicz says. “At the same time, we’ve structured society in a way that makes it really hard on people who are poor.”

For example, Jachimowicz says, public transportation is often inaccessible and expensive, which affects people who can’t afford cars, and tardy policies at work often penalize people on the lowest end of the pay scale. Changing those deeply-engrained structures—and the way many of us think about financial difficulties—is crucial.

After all, society as a whole may feel the ripple effects of the financial hardships some people face, since financial strain is linked with lower job performance, problems with long-term decision-making, and difficulty with meaningful relationships, the research says. Ultimately, Jachimowicz hopes his work can prompt thinking about systemic change.

“People who are poor should feel like they have some control over their lives, too. Why is that a luxury we only afford to rich people?” Jachimowicz says. “We have to structure organizations and institutions to empower everyone.”

[Image: iStockphoto/mihtiander]

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7 Reasons Why Money Can’t Buy Happiness (with Examples)

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They say that money can’t buy happiness…

…or can it?

A recent study showed that money can buy happiness, but only a certain amount.  We can call this a baseline level of happiness.

The researchers concluded that the ideal income for individuals is $95,000 a year for life satisfaction and $60,000 to $75,000 a year for emotional well-being, with families with children needing more.

What happens after that level of income is reached?

The study went on to conclude that once that threshold is reached, further income is actually associated with reduced happiness.

What this means is that money is only a part of what makes us happy.  If we’re really unhappy to our core inner being, then there are limits to how happy money can make us.

So what are the reasons why money can’t buy happiness…or at least more happiness above that baseline threshold?

First of all, we need to take a step back.

What exactly is happiness anyway?

Is it a car, a house or a big screen TV?  Buying a new car feels great at first.  But months and years later, it’ll just be a car. The bright, shiny, newness eventually wears off and then you’re back to where you started.  Or you’ll want more.

We probably don’t need a dictionary definition of happiness, right?  It’s a feeling.  If someone asks you if you’re happy, you usually can give them an answer right away.  We often use “ happiness ” to describe a range of positive emotions, including joy, pride, contentment, and gratitude.

To me, happiness is contentment.  Content with what you do have in your life.  Not focused on the things that you don’t have. 

True, authentic, genuine happiness is about relationships, self-development and experiences.  Look at the proven ways to increase happiness.  How many of these involve buying material things? 

So let’s take a deeper look at the seven reasons why money can’t buy happiness.

Table of Contents

1. The Hedonic Treadmill.

The hedonic treadmill is the observed tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative events or life changes.  According to this theory, as a person makes more money, expectations and desires rise in tandem, which results in no permanent gain in happiness.

Think about the last time you made a major purchase.  What happened when you finally got that new car?  How long did your happiness last?  Not very long, right?

You may think that you will really be happy when you buy that shiny new car, but then your neighbor got a nicer one and now you want that one.  This is the power of adaptation. The new wears off quickly and we move on to wanting something else which we think is going to make us happier.

A classic study on this topic is titled Lottery Winners and Accident Victims: Is Happiness Relative?

The researchers wanted to see how people adapted to happiness.  What they found was fascinating.

They interviewed three groups of people: lottery winners, paralyzed accident victims and a control group.

Initially after winning a pile of money, the lottery winners had an increase in happiness.  Makes perfect sense.  And immediately after their accident, the victims were angry.  This also makes sense.

Here’s where it gets interesting: within ONLY two months, both groups had returned back to their average level of happiness.

That’s the hedonic treadmill – we all return to our baseline level of happiness, even when something awesome or tragic happens in our lives.  The 6 other tips below will give you even more insight on why money can’t buy happiness.

2. True Happiness Comes From The Inside . 

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs represents our human needs, with the ones at the bottom being most necessary, then building upon those. At the base is physiological (food, water, air, sleep), and at the top is self-actualization- realizing your full potential as a person.

Money can help you purchase the physiological and the safety levels of the hierarchy.  But as you move up the layers of the hierarchy, these are our human needs that money simply can’t buy: love/belonging, self-esteem and self-actualization. If you do try to buy them, they’re hollow and meaningless.

The bottom of the hierarchy supplies our external needs, which money can buy, then moves up to the intrinsic needs of the heart, mind and soul.  As you go up the hierarchy, the less money will help you.

3. Money Can’t Buy Authentic Relationships . 

At the end of the day, even wealthy people crave authentic human connections.  Time and time again, we see examples of the rich and famous being miserable.  They are not happy in their love lives, family lives and oftentimes, in their careers.

Think about your closest friends.  The ones you turn to when you’re going through a challenging time.  You might be sad, anxious or depressed.  A friend can make you smile or laugh.  They can turn your mood from gloomy to sunny.  Money doesn’t buy that.

Your relationship with your spouse also has an impact on your happiness.  We probably all have friends who are in joyous, thriving marriages even with lesser money in their bank accounts, while other marriages are filled with arguments, and a lack of love and trust despite millions in the bank.

Having a lot of money doesn’t mean you’ll have a lot of authentic, fulfilling relationships in your life.

4. Be Grateful For What You Do Have

Your attitude towards money counts.  It’s important to develop a healthy relationship with your money.  If you stick to the belief that money directly determines happiness, you can get stuck in a cycle of constantly wanting to accumulate more. More money, more stuff, but never feeling like it’s enough.  That goes back to the hedonic treadmill that we talked about in tip #1.

So how do you develop the right attitude towards money?  First, practice gratitude.  The benefits of gratitude are well documented. A five-minute daily gratitude practice can increase your long-term happiness.  The actual gratitude produced during those five minutes is small, but the emotions of gratitude felt during those five-minutes are enough to trigger a grateful mood.  Focus on what you do have in life, rather than complaining about what you don’t have.  When you focus on things like your relationships, health and overall life, you may realize you’re life is already “rich” enough.

Second, don’t make comparisons to others.  If you see someone else’s fancy car, it’s easy to want the same thing.  Don’t.  That will only put you in the mindset that you don’t have enough, or you aren’t good enough.  It can conjure up feelings of depression and jealousy.  Back to our gratitude tip, this is a good time to focus on what you already have.  Take some time to write handwritten notes and tell other people how awesome they are.  Or give back to your local community.

And finally, as you’ll see on our next tip, spend your time and energy on experiences instead of stuff.  Focus on connecting with your community, your friends and on nature.  Doing so will create memories that last a lifetime.

5. You’re Living In A Material World .

Many of us want to make more money so we can buy more material things.  Cars, bigger homes, stuff for our bigger homes, the latest iPhone or that Gucci handbag.  And while these things may make us happier for a few days, as we talked about in tip #1, this only leads to us wanting more.

What’s important here is how we spend our money.  Science now shows that it’s not about how much money you have, but how you spend it.  In fact, studies show a strong correlation between altruism and happiness. Donating can help you find the meaning in life.

But you don’t have to have large amounts of cash to make a difference.  You can just buy a cup of coffee for the person in line behind you.  Or sponsor a friend that is raising money for a charity.  Even buying a $10 gift card and surprising someone at work will make a difference in how you feel.

Spending money on experiences has been shown to increase happiness as well.  While buying more stuff will just add to the clutter in your life, and can get lost or broken, experiences create memories and connections that can last for a lifetime.  You can travel, learn a new musical instrument, or even take a cooking class.

6. It’s The Little Things In Life That Matter

What brings you joy? What brings a smile to your face? It’s different for each of us.  It may be going for a hike in the woods.  It might be the laugh of a baby or a hug or watching a butterfly.  It could be a friendly hello from the barista or sleeping in. 

Money doesn’t have anything to do with these.  However these are the little things in life that matter.  The things that bring us happiness.  Happiness is found in the smallest things.  The random act of kindness or small gestures.  Non material things.  They say kindness is free.  Sprinkle that stuff everywhere.  So go ahead – flash someone a smile, or compliment someone on their shoes – and see how you feel. 

7. Money Can’t Buy Time

It’s been said that time is our most precious commodity.  However, the #1 excuse why people aren’t doing more things that they love (hiking, spending time with friends, etc) or reaching a goal, such as a fitness goal, is a lack of time.  So what exactly is going on?  Well sometimes we get too caught up in either working hard to save a buck or working hard to earn a buck to realize what really matters – our time. We’re often focused more on getting more money than buying more time.

Research suggests that people with more money do not spend their time in more enjoyable ways on a day-to-day basis.  People with more money tend to spend their time on more stressful activities, such as working and commuting, instead of enjoyable activities.  

Those who are so focused with saving every penny don’t take the time to enjoy life. Rather than getting caught up on making or saving money, focus on making more time for yourself to enjoy doing activities and seeing people who make you happy.

In conclusion, once you have your basic needs met – food, water, shelter, clothing and the feeling of safety, then money won’t buy you happiness. It won’t help you increase your baseline happiness. 

It’s up to you to build meaningful relationships, live in an attitude of gratitude, enjoy the little things in life, and start spending your money on experiences and other people rather than material things.  These are the things that will help you live a more joyous life.

Finally, one proven way to improve your happiness and life satisfaction is to focus on goals that truly matter. To get started, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals .

Scott Colby is an adventure lover who has always created businesses around his passions. Although he has spent over a decade in the fitness industry, helping people create transformations, it was a trip to Guatemala that inspired him to create his latest brand – Say It With Gratitude .

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Can Money Buy Happiness? It Depends on Why You’re Spending It

Imagine that someone gives you a cash gift and tells you that, instead of saving or investing it, you need to spend it right now. What should you put your money toward if you want to make yourself happiest?

According to past research , we’ll be happier if we spend money on an experience than if we buy a material object—like traveling or going out for a meal instead of buying the latest product we see on social media. For example, people report more gratitude when they spend on experiences rather than possessions.

On the other hand, we can all probably think of times when we’ve spent money on an experience that ended up not being worth it. Maybe you bought pricey event tickets to avoid missing out, only to realize on the day of the event that you’d much prefer a cozy night at home. Or perhaps you went out to dinner with a friend at a fancy restaurant, only to find that your friend was more focused on posting the meal to Instagram than having a deep conversation.

It turns out that there might be another factor at play beyond whether we spend money on an experience or a material item: According to a new study published in the British Journal of Social Psychology , it may also matter how our purchases align with our goals.

In the study, researchers asked 452 participants in an online survey to describe a recent purchase. They were asked to write about something they had spent money on in the last three months (ranging from about $60 to $1,200), excluding everyday expenses such as bills and groceries. After describing it, people were asked to indicate the extent to which the purchase helped to fulfill different goals. They also noted how much they felt the purchase contributed to their happiness and life satisfaction.

According to self-determination theory , goals reflect our intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Extrinsic goals are things that other people expect for us: for example, working hard at a job not because you’re passionate about the work, but because you need the money or want a high-status job to impress others. Intrinsic goals, on the other hand, are ones that we have a strong internal motivation to pursue. In the survey, extrinsic goals included gaining wealth or social status, whereas intrinsic ones included cultivating relationships, helping other people, and contributing to growth, learning, and development.

The researchers found that, the more a purchase reflected people’s intrinsic goals, the more they thought it improved their well-being. In other words, the greatest well-being occurred when people spent money on something that was personally important to them.

To compare this finding with past research, the current study also asked participants to indicate to what extent their purchase was an experience or a material item. As in past research, participants did report higher well-being from experiences. However, when the researchers looked at both factors together, they found that how much a purchase reflected intrinsic goals explained more of the differences in well-being than whether something was material or experiential.

So, what does this research mean for our spending habits? Olaya Moldes Andrés, lecturer at Cardiff University and the study’s author, points out that we’re under a lot of pressure to spend money these days; just think about the number of targeted ads you see each time you open social media. However, this pressure to spend has a downside: In past research , Moldes Andrés has found that people who are exposed to more materialistic messages have lower well-being.

Before purchasing something, she recommends pausing to think about the reason for our purchase, and what use we will get out of it. If we’re spending money on trying to impress people or project a certain image (in other words, extrinsic goals), the purchase may not actually be worth it.

So, next time you’re planning to buy something, take a moment to think about whether it’s something you’re buying because you feel it’s what’s expected of you—or whether it’s truly something that you want.

About the Author

Elizabeth Hopper

Elizabeth Hopper, Ph.D. , received her Ph.D. in psychology from UC Santa Barbara and currently works as a freelance science writer specializing in psychology and mental health.

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Can Money Buy Happiness Speech

This speech will explore the complex relationship between money and happiness. It will delve into how financial stability can contribute to a sense of security and well-being, while also discussing the limitations of material wealth in achieving true happiness. The speech will reference psychological studies and philosophical perspectives, examining how factors like relationships, fulfillment, and personal values play a significant role in one’s overall happiness. It will also address the concept of diminishing returns with increasing wealth and the importance of finding a balance. At PapersOwl, you’ll also come across free essay samples that pertain to Happiness.

How it works

“Money is not the only answer, but it makes a difference” – Barack Obama.

Although it is injustice to poor people when we say that money can buy happiness. But still money is the basic amenity for each and every individual. As we can clearly see that average number of people are more than satisfied when they have money while comparing to the situation when they don’t have it. According to Blanchflower and Oswald (2011) review of international happiness they stated that money is not the only factor of happiness as there are other factors too like age, gender, education, marital status, diet, other personal characteristics, region characteristics, country characteristics.

But on the top of that as stated by Neal M Ashkanasy (2011) review Blanchflower and Oswald are saying that subjective happiness remains constant in a developed country. And from the developed county it is clearly stated that the country is economically strong and stable. So this statement of Blanchflower and Oswald contradicts their own findings that money can’t buy happiness. In this paper I will be arguing about the fact that even though it is against our cultural or moral ethics of believing money as the factor of happiness in one’s life but still people having money don’t seem to be crestfallen. On the other hand people who don’t have struggle for their life too.

• 1 Money for Amenities
• 2 Money for Objective Happiness
• 3 Money for Ill-Use
• 4 Conclusion

Money for Amenities

After studying the article of Peter M. Ruberton (2016) it is clearly evident that the amount of money available in your bank account is directly proportional to the quality of life and greater the satisfaction in life more joyful and happy your life would be. As each and every individual in the society require food, shelter, clothing. Life without any one of them would be miserable as hell. Money here is considered for the basic amenities not for the luxurious lifestyle. The ratio is same if the amount of money in someone’s life is increased then the demands will be more high. Resulting in more happiness. Buying a new phone or a new car will bring a happy feeling in ones life. Apart from this high ends requirement if one is not able to afford to send his children to school, buy clothes or food. This makes a person not only sad but his life becomes depressing by knowing that he is not capable to provide the life like other children because of the lack of money in his life. It’s not always about being happy or sad with or without money but it is also about how life can change from zero to hero by having the most powerful thing in this world which in known as money. As the whole world is running after money at some point of life.

Money for Objective Happiness

Each and every penny matters and it can change anyone’s life any day especially in this 21st century where money speaks louder than any other thing in this world. According to a recent study by an economist David Clingingsmith at Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western University that negative feelings or sadness depends upon the amount of money people have in their life. Negative feelings increases with the decrease in the bank balance of an individual. Earlier bank balance was not the factor for these feelings but now with the increase in industrialization and urbanization money has become the most important and crucial factor in one’s life.

According to the science also many researches have demonstrated that the level of stress and depression is so less with the higher income of an individual. Approximately $70,000 gross income results in higher level of objective happiness on an average (John Rampton,2018).

There was another survey by the Princeton University that people having gross income more than $75,000 will be satisfied in their lives as compared to the people who have less than this (p. 2).

Money can reduce poverty and scarcity in the society when it is spend in a good deed as a generosity for the poor people by the rich ones. That is the ultimate happiness and desire for the pauper.

Money for Ill-Use

Many people think that money is just a medium for luxurious lifestyle but it cannot provide us happiness in a longer term. It is true that it is used for having bed of roses but this point is use when a person is having the money in abundance. But ultimately it is providing happiness only. Apart from this if we look in a broader perspective it should be included as the basic utility apart from food, shelter and clothing. As all the three of them are interconnected but the root is money for them.

Money or happiness should not be confused with the greed. Although this thing cannot be ignored that if this feeling comes inside someone then it will bring out bad intentions of stealing and robbery. But it differs from person to person and their upbringing. So the thing here is money do provide happiness but this greed factor depends upon the psychology of the person. And that is a different area to talk about.

We have noticed people using money for making their work done from others. But the person who is doing the work and when he will get paid for his hard work that thing will make him happy. So, at the end it’s the money that will make a person happy. Otherwise people won’t be working for anyone else if they will not get paid for their work. This thing will bring disappointment and sadness in people’s life.

As every coin has two sides. So, similarly this topic also brings two arguments with average number of people saying it brings happiness while the other disagreeing with the narrative. Money provides the basic amenity of life. Not only the amenities but also making their loved ones happy by providing them presents makes a person joyful. Happiness itself is a vast topic to talk about money here is just the medium which is helping to enable it. One can’t associate the entire happiness with a single word money. But this can also be not denied that money played a vital role in bringing happiness in ones life. In truth, this generation is grown in the era where happiness is associated with the materialistic things which is possible when you have the money in your hand.

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Money Can’t Buy Happiness Essay for Students and Children in English

Money Can’t Buy Happiness Essay: The proverb “Money Can’t Buy Happiness” states that money can buy all the materialistic things like cars, houses, and also you can live a luxurious life too but having all the materialistic things surely will not give happiness. Money can be used to buy anything in the world but there is no shop where you can walk and buy happiness and so they say money can’t buy happiness.

When it comes to the question of whether money can buy happiness or not the answer here is that money is just a tool to buy things that give us luxury which in turn will give us happiness. But it doesn’t necessarily increase our happiness. Buying more and more luxurious things won’t really bring you more joy. More money isn’t going to improve your mindset, nor will it bring peace to mind. In other words, you can say that more money can’t buy happiness. There are many aspects which money can’t give.

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Suppose you think a new 24” LED TV will bring you happiness but after having the same 24” LED you see a better option and it makes you feel sad. You want to have better than this. It is not actually the tv that gives you happiness, it is the human nature of having more. A human being is one who is never satisfied. Happiness is actually the state of mind which cannot be achieved by materialistic things. There are many reasons which prove that money can’t buy happiness.

Buying stuff won’t make us happy, because we tend to compare it with others. Comparisons are ridiculous and quite often harmful to us.

What is Happiness?

Is it a big car, a luxurious house, or a big-screen LED TV?  Buying any new stuff feels great at first.  But gradually months and years later, the excitement decreases. The bright, shiny, newness will eventually go down and you’ll want a new one or more.

Happiness is a feeling. Feeling that money can’t buy. If someone asks are you happy, what will you answer?.

Happiness means satisfaction. Be satisfied with what you have in your life.  Not to crave on the things that you don’t have.

Reasons Why Money Can’t Buy Happiness

There are some very good reasons why having more money doesn’t necessarily make a person happier. It can actually turn the opposite. Many wealthy people, for example, are actually under stress.

Here we mention few reasons why money can’t buy happiness

More Stuff More Work

Many think that if you get more luxurious stuff our life would be happier but that isn’t true. The more the stuff, the more work it takes to take care of it. Day by day everything has become larger. Today people want larger houses to live in but keeping it clean and maintained is again a challenge. It takes more time and effort to keep your mansions neat and tidy.

More Stuff Less Free Time

As you own more stuff, you will get less free time because you’ll be spending time in the maintenance of the things you bought. Time is very important for everyone, but much of our free time is spent doing house chores and taking care of our stuff. You can use the money to hire maids but that is not possible in every situation.

More Stuff More Expenses

The more stuff you own, the more money you will have to spend to maintain it.

For example, bigger houses need more repairs than smaller ones. Unfortunately, repairs are a necessary part and can be expensive.

The more stuff you own, the more work and money is spent to maintain it. Having less stuff can free up some of your time to do things you enjoy. So money cannot always bring you happiness.

Materialistic things give Temporary Satisfaction

Money can buy temporary happiness. Everyone experiences themselves on cloud nine when they’ve bought something they’ve been desiring. These feelings of happiness are usually temporary. This happiness soon fades away and that new thing is no longer interesting.

Scientists have proved that we get more happiness from our experiences but not from materialistic things. And also they don’t cost much.

Time spent with your loved ones will give you more happiness than buying a costly item that you were eyeing for a long time.

Money Can’t Buy Family, Friends and Love

Family, friends and your loved ones are the people who will make you special. They are the people whose surroundings will make you happy. And definitely, money cannot buy these relationships.

When people are dying and taking their last breath they don’t want to see the things they own or the achievements of their life. All they want to see are their loved ones.

It’s their relationships that really matter but not stuff.

True love doesn’t care whether your loved one is rich or poor. That person will value you for who you are and not money.

Money Can’t Give You Peace of Mind

A person can live without a big house, he can survive without driving a car but cannot live with a stressful mind. True happiness has nothing to do with the bank balance. More money also sometimes steals away the peace of mind because of insecurity.

Changing our outlook for money is the first step in achieving true happiness, the kind of happiness that comes from being satisfied with what you have.

In conclusion, once you have your basic needs like food, water, shelter, clothing and the feeling of safety, then money can’t buy happiness.

It’s up to you to build meaningful relationships, enjoy the little things in life, and start spending your money on experiences and other people rather than materialistic things.

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Faculty & Research | 2.14.2018

Money Can’t Buy Love, But Here’s What Can

New research proves that couples should spend money to increase quality time spent together..

Photograph by LuckyBusiness/iStock

After the shopping buzz around the holiday season fizzles out, Valentine’s Day is a much-needed boost for businesses, which bombard consumers with gift ideas for spoiling their loved ones. But as it turns out, no box of chocolates or bouquet of roses can outweigh the ultimate bliss of time spent together, according to new research from Harvard Business School.

Previous research  by assistant professor of business administration Ashley Whillans indicated that spending money on time-saving purchases can increase individual happiness. To figure out the secret to happy relationships, detailed in a new working paper, Whillans surveyed more than 3,000 individuals who were married or in marriage-like relationships and who spent money on time-saving purchases. One couple paid movers $200 to handle the labor and time-intensive task of moving all their belongings from their old apartment into a new one. Another couple outsourced their laundry to a service that handled the tiresome washing and folding for between $40 and $50 a visit. But Whillans found that it wasn’t simply the act of minimizing the number of chores that led to relationship bliss. For example, moving to a professionally managed apartment and therefore no longer needing to mow the lawn isn’t enough to bring couples closer together. Only when couples consciously elect to turn the time saved from outsourcing a task into quality time spent together—by going out to the movies or cooking dinner together—does Whillans’s study show a positive correlation between outsourcing chores and relationship satisfaction.

The study also found that couples who elected to spend part of their income on time-saving measures were more resilient when it came to dealing with the inevitable conflicts associated with any committed relationship. “It’s sort of like a social-support idea,” Whillans says. “If you’re stressed, a healthy coping response can be to seek out a friend or family member to help you deal with that stress. Time-saving purchases are like another kind of social support––maybe your in-laws are coming over and the house is a mess, so you need a cleaner. Or maybe you and your partner are both working really hard and don’t have time to clean. We find that when couples respond to those kinds of stressors by purchasing support, they experience greater relationship satisfaction.”

 She warns, however, that time-saving purchases are not the be-all-and-end-all key to relationship satisfaction. The benefits of time-saving purchases appear primarily when couples are faced with controllable stressors, such as too much laundry to fold. When faced with an uncontrollable stressor, such as a death in the family, couples who spend their money instead on distracting, uplifting experiences––a dinner date, a short vacation––are likely to be happier.

 Of course, hiring cleaners, signing up for a laundry service, or outsourcing lawn-mowing can all end up costing much more than material gifts. Ximena Garcia-Rada, a doctoral candidate in marketing, has good news for couples who wish to achieve higher degrees of relationship satisfaction but have limited disposable income. Based on research done by working with Brierly professor of business administration Michael Norton, Garcia-Rada posits that relationship rituals are highly valuable in and of themselves. The researchers define a ritual as a task that is repeated over time, but continues to have symbolic meaning for the couple. Bringing one’s significant other coffee every day doesn’t count if he or she takes that coffee for granted, but going to the movies together every Friday night can establish a romantic ritual. Garcia-Rada says that her preliminary findings have interesting implications for the commonly held notion that scheduling intimacy is less romantic: “Couples who actually schedule time to cuddle, for example, end up developing a ritual to do so. That indicates a commitment to the relationship, and commitment is a key driver to satisfaction.” 

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