Citing a study, the Wall Street Journal says that a $75,000 per year salary can make you happy. Hmm. That’s pretty good money. Way more than I ever made working as a print reporter! Can money buy happiness? Being broke sucks, this I know. I think money can make you feel more secure and confident about your lifestyle. You don’t have worries about affording food, clothing and shelter. However, money isn’t enough to be fulfilled. Health, friends, and love are all important factors needed for happiness.
What’s your “happiness salary?”
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I think that, living in the community I live in, I’d be happy in the $75,000 range. That is, I’d have plenty of money to vacation, etc. Right now, we’ve just become a one-income family with my husband in law school, so we’re getting used to having considerably less income than we used to. But, I’m still happy right now, even with less money.
I wonder what city they were in. 75k in Florida and 75k in NYC are vastly different. But no, money can’t buy happiness. It can buy freedom, and choices, but happiness is free. Funny how some of the hardest things for people to obtain are always free.
I could definitely see the dollar to happiness ratio beginning to plateau after 75K. I think it started to taper once I could comfortably afford all of the basics and a few luxuries.
I need to look at that study more closely, because I’m wondering if they mean $75,000 per person or per family? To make $75,000 as a nurse, I would have to work full time plus overtime.
And this my friends, would make me most definitely unhappy.
Then again, I’m a bit of a freak, as I derive pleasure from finding pennies on the ground.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”