Does money make YOU happy?

[JimTripper]

Your mistake was letting others know, not the money.

 

It only makes you unhappy if it changes your relationships. Most of it is envy from others. One of the most destructive sins that looks to tear you down. It’s based in anger. Do some damage control now as much as possible.

 

1. Refuse to talk about money or what you do with people you know or anybody who knows who you are (word spreads like wildfire). Find other subjects to talk about when people ask. Fun stuff, like cooking or rowing.

 

Little by little the people around you will either distance themselves from you, or stick around. You don’t even need to do much, just refuse to discuss it. Don’t lie (I got the watch as a gift, etc) or make excuses, that leads to other problems.

[1FinickyOne]

15 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

the thai ladies approve of your post and asked for me to get your LINE ID  ????

They already have it - - trust me... 

 

though as Bill Maher once said - when ladies go shopping for shoes, it's not that they don't have shoes, they want new shoes... and men want new ladoes.

Edited September 1, 2023 by 1FinickyOne

[Surasak]

I'm happy when I go to the bank and there's more in there than I expected!

[1FinickyOne]

10 hours ago, bignok said:

Do shrinks look happy? If not why take advice from them?

The word on shrinks was always that they were the most screwed up people and they became shrinks to figure out what was wrong with themselves.. 

[crazykopite]

I never discuss my wealth when people ask I tell then I am comfortable it’s pointless telling an untruth as they know I own a beautiful beach front property and drive an expensive car . I choose to live on my own but I do have a few lady friends who I like to spoil when in the mood The main thing is that at 72 I’m rich in health and that overrides any amount of money or items that I own 

[1FinickyOne]

16 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Don't stop there, what was the best thing that happened to you with your clothes off?

A bit of a perverse request... but...

 

Vini Vidi Vici - - - though not in that order and vini vini vini etc... of course, never as much as .000009 

[Tropposurfer]

20 hours ago, bob smith said:

ive been dirt poor and ive been quite rich.

right now i have more than enough money to last me the rest of my life.

but somehow I see my happiness level slowly decreasing as my personal wealth accumulates. 

 

Does anyone else notice this?

when i was dirt poor i was free in many ways that i am no longer.

when you have money you are a slave to everyone who wants to get it from you.

slave to the latest IPhone, fastest car, newest Rolex etc

when you are poor none of that matters.

you just don't care.

 

I tried explaining this once to a Thai girl. she told me her dream was to marry a rich man and I told her that money wont bring her happiness.

She looked at me as if i had farted. she was extremely offended by this notion and almost got up and walked out of the restaurant. 

 

So, does money make you happy?

If so, how?

 

I find that money is a tool to use whenever you need it. but as for bringing one happiness?

i've yet to experience that.

Before I had money (enough to never worry again about or wonder if I could afford the things I wanted, wished for or desire) life was a systematic round of work with some moderate, calculated, finite play.

(I came from a lower middle class single female parent family when there was no governmental help for women with kids), so not having money and working to save a little, borrow to buy cars, house etc and live a reasonable simple but pleasant life was my lot.

 

I have found, now that I have more than enough cash and possession makes me busy, not intrinsically happy. (Thank you dearest John C ???????????? for telling me this before I too became well-off was wisdom shared indeed). 

 

We enjoy my money, and we share it.

I like having my beautiful custom made golf clubs, boating, and all the other wonderful things we can enjoy.

 

Today I/we practice more philanthropy, and give anonymously more too, with random humble non-attention seeking kindness with our money.

I am aware of my large 'I' or 'ego' as Uncle Sigmund coined the notion of the self so anonymous helping others is really good for me.

 

We also get hands on helping others rather than simply tasking others to do so with our money.  

Covid and many other events have given us ample opportunity to share our good fortune which brings us exponential increases in happiness and meaning.

 

In my professional vocation I found tremendous richness and bounty coming to my inner meaning, which I 'pay forward' as a matter of my normal daily life.

Despite having retired from my profession (but always working to some degree in managing my money day and year in and out now - with great personal helper staff) I still see much opportunity to share the emotional/spiritual, and material gifts I have been showered with. 

 

In short I don't find myself bored very much or depressed pathologically, I used to and I too can find myself sad and looking back inside myself at the things I still carry grief about.

 

I am a very fortunate man indeed as I have many clinical colleagues (deep friends) with whom I can talk, cry ????, show my anger ???? to, and laugh till my gut hurts ???? 

My darling wife is one of my very best friends and we practice this openness with each other too which makes life very rich and satisfying.

 

I learnt that being depression is what we put in the place of our right to experiencing our legitimate suffering. Once felt and processed we can once again be present in the now and available to ourselves and others.

 

If I can share anything of my life experience and the modicum of wisdom I may have developed and absorbed with others who come after me (I'm 67 now so getting along) I would say;

Practice gratitude, deflate the huge 'me myself and I', nurture the child within you, look at the larger picture, express emotional energy and don't bottle it up, practice self honesty and humility, don't take the 'self' too seriously. Give to others what you wish for yourself (this is a really massive power!!!), don't gossip no matter how tempting and delicious it may taste.

Be with those who lift you up not mire you down.

Love and cherish yourself and each moment as much as you can. When not, stop, look inwards to what prevents you from being present and spontaneous, own it as fully as you can and make a decision to do something different that expands you not contracts you.

i.e. Listen to and become aware of and familiar with your internal dialogue.

 

Develop loving boundaries with yourself and others.

When you are tired and depleted rest and nurture yourself ... BIG!

 

Stop giving you power over you to others or letting them steal it ... yes we have emotional vampires amongst us.

 

Stop!!!! telling yourself you are less-than, be kind and gentle in word and deed to self and others, encourage others to be the best they can be too. Compliment others. 

SMILE genuinely, if asked; 'how are you feeling?' try answering honestly e.g. 'I'm excited and feeling playful and goofie, I feel n think I'm heavy and weighted down right now'. 

 

Do a kindness no one ever knows you have done at least once a day for someone else e.g put the neighbours garbage bins out, maybe wash their car, mow the neighbours grass when they are out ????.

 

As Kahlil Gibran said; 'When all about you are loosing their heads keep yours' (paraphrase).

 

 

[1FinickyOne]

1 minute ago, crazykopite said:

when people ask I tell then I am comfortable

So, a guy is walking the streets in NYC and gets clipped by a speeding car - he falls to the sidewalk and cuts his head open... a passerby props him up and bandages his head... and asks, "Are you comfortable?" And he answers - "I'm okay, I make about $100,000 a year." 

[MadMuhammad]

If money doesn’t make one happy one has never had enough 

[BE88]

Frivolous question, then try living with little money and see if you are happy.

[Datsun 1200]

20 hours ago, chuang said:

Money makes the world goes round.

It's better to be crying in a Rolls Royce that be happy on a bicycle.

No it is not "contentment/happiness" on a bicycle is far superior to crying in a Rolls Royce, 

especially if that is all you do in the Roller ; )

 

I did have a Mercedes 500SL Sports (hard top removable so is also a convertible)

That is the most happiness a car has bought me so far. 

 

It's not the money, it is what you buy with it (on your bucket list), that defines how happy 

it makes you....

A really killer "man cave" helps, if that is on your list....

 

 

IH

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, Trippy said:

I'm going to be very very happy when I win the Thai lottery tomorrow for 12 million.

I am not saying it hasn't happened, but in my 16 years here, I have never heard of any farang winning 3 million let alone 12 million.

[Trippy]

32 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

I am not saying it hasn't happened, but in my 16 years here, I have never heard of any farang winning 3 million let alone 12 million.

In my 30 years of coming here, I haven't either.

But the news only shows a lottery winner once in awhile, most are kept private. There's a 1 in a million chance of winning the big prize, there's over 70 million Thais, if just 10% of them buy 1 ticket, it means there are 7 big prize winners every draw, and we don't hear about more than 90% of them.

[bignok]

1 hour ago, Datsun 1200 said:

No it is not "contentment/happiness" on a bicycle is far superior to crying in a Rolls Royce, 

especially if that is all you do in the Roller ; )

 

I did have a Mercedes 500SL Sports (hard top removable so is also a convertible)

That is the most happiness a car has bought me so far. 

 

It's not the money, it is what you buy with it (on your bucket list), that defines how happy 

it makes you....

A really killer "man cave" helps, if that is on your list....

 

 

IH

Fake photo

[bignok]

1 hour ago, BE88 said:

Frivolous question, then try living with little money and see if you are happy.

Students live cheaply. Happiest days of their lives. I lived on beer and 2 min noodles.

[BE88]

7 minutes ago, bignok said:

Students live cheaply. Happiest days of their lives. I lived on beer and 2 min noodles.

And what about your current life?

[richard_smith237]

9 minutes ago, bignok said:

Students live cheaply. Happiest days of their lives. I lived on beer and 2 min noodles.

And they'd be a lot happier if they didn't have to live so cheaply... !!!!! 

[Iamloki]

On 8/31/2023 at 1:17 PM, bob smith said:

ive been dirt poor and ive been quite rich.

right now i have more than enough money to last me the rest of my life.

but somehow I see my happiness level slowly decreasing as my personal wealth accumulates. 

 

Does anyone else notice this?

when i was dirt poor i was free in many ways that i am no longer.

when you have money you are a slave to everyone who wants to get it from you.

slave to the latest iphone, fastest car, newest rolex etc

when you are poor none of that matters.

you just dont care.

 

I tried explaining this once to a thai girl. she told me her dream was to marry a rich man and I told her that money wont bring her happiness.

She looked at me as if i had farted. she was extremely offended by this notion and almost got up and walked out of the restaurant. 

 

So, does money make you happy?

If so, how?

 

I find that money is a tool to use whenever you need it. but as for bringing one happiness?

i've yet to experience that.

Money does not really make me happy Bob, though I do enjoy the freedom of choice it sometimes provides. I will say that lack of money definitely makes me sad.

[bignok]

5 minutes ago, BE88 said:

And what about your current life?

Chocolate and pork

[TimeMachine]

You see,  the trick is to become stable but avoid being overtaken by greed.  When you have no limitation to what you can obtain you are left with trying to obtain the unobtainable, like being taller,  getting a super model to truly fall in love with the size of your pecker. That is what makes you feel bad.  May i suggest just get out and give some of the money to those who truly need it.  Not so it puts you outa whack.  Just what you wont miss too much. 

[Mark Nothing]

Money in and of itself is another false dream.

 

As the decades pass I am pursuing health and vitality, and mental state control. 

 

I look at it like a series of plateaus.  Money can only elevate you so much.  To achieve the Nirvana you desire more is required.

 

I have been experiencing a great deal of success integrating natural products into my life, and reducing unatural products.  As the tangible benefits keep accumulating, I keep progressing.

 

My results indicate an omnipotent force is present elevating my life to whatever my intuition desires. The only limitation being my mental programs instilled since birth.   As each is eliminated, a new round of success results.  An unexpected pleasure.

 

[Wobblybob]

Money does not necessarily make you happy, but I'd sooner be miserably rich than miserably poor. ????

[BE88]

50 minutes ago, bignok said:

Chocolate and pork

Chocolate in Thailand ? Where you can find decent chocolate in Thailand ?

[khunPer]

Most girls/ladies wish to marry up – don't forget that diamonds are a girl's best friend – so, it's quite normal that girls are dreaming about marrying a millionaire (today a billionaire).

 

I have as you tried to be almost penniless and also having some funds. I appreciate the latter and i feel more happy with enough; I wasn't happy or had less problems, when I was penniless...

 

I still look forward to my EuroJackpot, so I can afford even more happiness...????

[newnative]

     Money might not make me happy but it definitely gives me more options to do different things, which may lead to making me happier--I'm a pretty happy person with or without money.  And, it can certainly contribute to peace of mind, which can also contribute to being happier.  

     I remember for so many years living paycheck to paycheck in my low-paying job, praying that something major and expensive to repair did not break that month--and then hoping the same thing the next month.  Will I have enough money to pay the rent this month?--always on my mind.  (Perhaps that is one of the reasons I've always liked owning the roof over my head.)

     Finally scrapped up enough money, along with a small loan from my Dad, to secure the down payment  to buy my first condo, which I fixed up and later sold, paying Dad off.  Did that a few times, making some profit on each, which was plowed into the next condo.  And then, I had a big condo sale, netting $70,000.  

    $70,000, of course, is peanuts to many but at the time I was only making around $30,000 a year, in very expensive northern Virginia, and I had little in the way of savings.  So, it was a huge windfall for me, and I remember it to this day.  Suddenly, I could breathe.  Suddenly, I didn't have to be constantly worrying about being able to pay a big repair bill--or anything else unexpected that might come up.  I could take a trip.  I could trade-in my old clunker for a better car.  As I said in my first sentence, having some money, for the first time, opened things up for me and gave me more options in my life, which made for a happier me.

[BE88]

This is no chocolate, full of sugar to alter the taste of the chocolate.

 

To my knowledge, it is impossible to find real chocolate such as Swiss or Belgian chocolate on Hua Hin and around.

Edited September 1, 2023 by BE88

[ravip]

On 8/31/2023 at 11:47 AM, bob smith said:

ive been dirt poor and ive been quite rich.

right now i have more than enough money to last me the rest of my life.

but somehow I see my happiness level slowly decreasing as my personal wealth accumulates. 

 

Does anyone else notice this?

when i was dirt poor i was free in many ways that i am no longer.

when you have money you are a slave to everyone who wants to get it from you.

slave to the latest iphone, fastest car, newest rolex etc

when you are poor none of that matters.

you just dont care.

 

I tried explaining this once to a thai girl. she told me her dream was to marry a rich man and I told her that money wont bring her happiness.

She looked at me as if i had farted. she was extremely offended by this notion and almost got up and walked out of the restaurant. 

 

So, does money make you happy?

If so, how?

 

I find that money is a tool to use whenever you need it. but as for bringing one happiness?

i've yet to experience that.

when you have money you are a slave to everyone who wants to get it from you.

slave to the latest iphone, fastest car, newest rolex etc

 

This is an issue specific to an Individual. 

A rich person can enjoy the luxuries available without being a slave. 

[ravip]

Money will make you happy if you know how to manage it properly  - if not, disaster is inevitable. 

 

"a fool and his money are soon parted" is very true!

[xylophone]

24 minutes ago, ravip said:

when you have money you are a slave to everyone who wants to get it from you.

slave to the latest iphone, fastest car, newest rolex etc

 

This is an issue specific to an Individual. 

A rich person can enjoy the luxuries available without being a slave. 

This is an issue specific to an Individual. 

A rich person can enjoy the luxuries available without being a slave. 

 

I agree with your post ravip, and as the original post says, "Does money make YOU happy", then my take on it is that money can give one the comfort of knowing that they can buy anything they want which makes them happy.

 

As someone once said, "money in itself doesn't make me happy, but the things I can buy with it do".

 

As other posts have touched on, there are rich people who are mean and miserable and there are poor people who are just the opposite, so it's up to the individual concerned.

 

[xylophone]

24 minutes ago, ravip said:

when you have money you are a slave to everyone who wants to get it from you.

slave to the latest iphone, fastest car, newest rolex etc

 

This is an issue specific to an Individual. 

A rich person can enjoy the luxuries available without being a slave. 

This is an issue specific to an Individual. 

A rich person can enjoy the luxuries available without being a slave. 

 

I agree with your post ravip, and as the original post says, "Does money make YOU happy", then my take on it is that money can give one the comfort of knowing that they can buy anything they want which makes them happy.

 

As someone once said, "money in itself doesn't make me happy, but the things I can buy with it do".

 

As other posts have touched on, there are rich people who are mean and miserable and there are poor people who are just the opposite, so it's up to the individual concerned.