Jonathots Daily Blog
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I am a “young married,” age 25 and my husband is 26. We both work, have student loans and other debt we’re trying to pay off. We’re working really hard to become financially solvent. It seems like all my friends are in this same boat. So I found myself wondering–what is the connection between money and happiness?
Let me start off by saying that money is a commodity and happiness is a state of contentment.
So it is difficult for me to answer this question unless I know how the commodity of money affects your state of contentment.
For some people it does and for others it does not. So I will answer briefly for both arenas.
{By the way, there are many people who counsel on financial matters and do it much better than I can. Just punch up on the Internet “Balancing Budgets” or “Creating a Family Budget” and you’ll be inundated.}
My answer will be more general: how much is money involved in your state of contentment?
Give yourself a quick test. Two questions:
1. When I have enough money for my needs, do I feel more grown-up and delighted?
2. Do I have an occasion when I haven’t had money and still felt delighted?
And I should probably add a third question:
3. What do I find that delights me most of the time?
If money gives you an aura of well-being, you shouldn’t be ashamed of it, but you must create a budget that is always achievable, because this will determine your peace of mind.
If money is something you can handle in small or large quantities, with equal affect on your psyche, then you can vary your budget, allowing yourself a week to splurge and a week to go without.
Feeling dependent on money is not a bad thing. After all, it is the love of money that is the root of all evil. Money itself is not only essential, but is quite pleasurable.
Now, keep in mind, though–you have a second person involved. Your husband. His sensations may be completely different.
So the first thing is for both of you to sit down and discuss what money means to you, what you feel about the pressure of bills, and whether you are more comfortable earning more money or trimming your budget.
These will be the two choices.
For magical checks don’t come in the mail, banking institutions don’t suddenly become generous and give you lower rates of interest and no pot of gold has ever been found at the end of the rainbow.
“Will we be more content earning additional money to satisfy our desires, or will we be equally happy with less money, trimming our budget and buying Brand X popcorn instead of Orville Redenbacher?”
There is only one thing to remember in life: if you try to live off somebody else’s experience, you will end up devastated.
- What does money mean to you?
- What do you really require to feel content?
- And are there ways to achieve that magical amount of money by either working harder or cutting the budget?
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Jonathots Daily Blog 