5 Reasons Why Money Isn’t Making You Happy

Dealing with money is an essential part of living in a modern society.

We need it to pay our bills, buy the clothes we wear, and purchase the food we eat.

The necessity of money makes some people believe that having more of it will automatically lead to happiness.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. In fact, having more money can often be the cause of unhappiness.

Here are a few reasons why money isn’t making you happy and what you can do about it.

#1 – Money won’t improve your relationships

One of the most common misconceptions about having more money is that it will somehow fix relationship issues.

Many people believe “If I just had more money I could buy my partner the things that he or she wants”.

Having more money can often worsen the quality of your relationship.

You only need to look at the many stories of lottery winners who found that becoming wealthy tore their families apart.

The only way to improve your relationships is through honesty, empathy, respect, and love.

If you promote these qualities within your relationships, you will experience a level of joy and happiness that money cannot provide.

#2 – Money can only buy things, not experiences

Having money will allow you to buy the latest gadgets, a holiday house, fancy cars, jewellery, and other luxury items.

While these items can certainly bring some happiness into your life, it tends to be temporary.

After a few weeks, your sports car is just another car that you drive around in.

Experiences are much more valuable than ‘things’ and you don’t need much money to create great experiences.

You don’t need any money to have a fun time with a trusted friend or enjoy a romantic evening with your partner.

In fact, having money can make it more difficult to have these experiences because of the negative effect it can have upon your relationships.

To  have truly joyful experiences, you only need to be open to trying new things and focus on caring for the people around you.

You will obtain much more enjoyment from star gazing with your loved ones than you would from driving a new Lamborghini for the 100th time.

#3 – Having money may be fuelling your worst compulsions

When you have plenty of money in the bank, it seems silly to deny yourself simple pleasures like an expensive bottle of wine or a luxurious dinner.

You can shower yourself with pastries, chocolates, expensive Scotch Whiskies, jewellery, clothes, and whatever else tickles your fancy.

The downside of having easy access to these luxuries is that you will quickly reach a point of over-saturation.

The luxurious items that were once thrilling become ‘normal’.

You won’t get excited about a £500 seafood banquet for your friends and family, you will demand a £5,000 one to feel excited.

That £2,000 watch will look bland compared to the £200,000 one.

Having easy access to luxuries can also fuel compulsions like greed, gluttony, hoarding, and jealousy.

This can damage your physical and mental health, worsening your overall quality of life.

You also lose the joy brought about by enjoying occasional pleasures.

The excitement of opening a nice bottle of wine once a week to enjoy with your partner is lost.

It becomes a daily event without any excitement or significance.

#4 – Money doesn’t give you a sense of purpose

Human beings need a real sense of purpose to thrive.

So, if you are spending most of your day working a job you hate or sitting around the house procrastinating, then you will probably feel unfulfilled and unhappy — regardless of how much money you have.

You need to look deep into yourself and discover what you enjoy and what motivates you.

It could be as simple as caring for your family or working in a specific field.

It might be some kind of artistic endeavour.

Only when you identify your purpose and pursue it will you be happy.

#5 – It won’t improve your health or give you more time

When you really think about it, the utility of money is actually quite limited.

It can’t buy the things that are most important for your happiness — good health and more time.

Every person, rich or poor, will have to work hard to maintain their health and make decisions about how they use their time.

If make the wrong decisions in life about how you care for your body and use your time, you may find yourself unhappy regardless of the size of your bank balance.

Article by Rami Cassis.