By: Ixchel Gonzalez

Have you ever heard someone say “Money doesn’t buy happiness?” That couldn’t be further from the truth–they just obviously didn’t know what to spend their money on. Most can agree that money doesn’t buy happiness and that happiness is only evoked by real-life experiences; yet, there are things that money can buy which do bring people joy.

Material:

When people argue that money can’t buy happiness, they usually argue that buying material things such as clothes, bags, shoes, cars, and houses will only keep you content for a short period of time. Yet, materialistic things can be anything ranging from books and vinyl to even food. Buying books and buying CD’s to build up my CD collection are all things that make me happy. They are fulfilling since the books I buy, I tend to reread, and the music I buy on CD’s I enjoy on a daily basis.

Quality of Life:

Most people say that money can’t buy happiness and that even people in the most dire situations can find happiness, yet they might not be in those dire situations if it wasn’t for a lack of money. 

Take the example of living in a developing country; wouldn’t you think that someone living in a developing country might be happier if they had money for a better quality of life? Something we can’t deny is the equation that money=resources. When people have more money, it opens the door to more resources, such as better healthcare, education, financial security, and safety. All of these factors have a great impact on our happiness. A person who suffers from mental illness and doesn’t have the sufficient funds to cover for therapy will be less happy than a person who has enough funds to pay for therapy, 

Experiences: 

Having money lets you experience new things such as skydiving, snorkeling, traveling to different countries, attending concerts, attending sporting events.These activities bring excitement, fulfillment, and joy to one’s life. Like most things in life, these experiences cost money. Sometimes, they cost a lot of money, but it can still buy happiness which is priceless. If I had the chance to go to a Formula One Race and have a paddock pass, it would 100% buy my happiness and, without a doubt, bring me joy because I love Formula One and the experience would leave me with lasting memories.

Time:

Money can also buy time. Imagine not having to work extra hours at your minimum wage job if you already had enough money…with all of the free time now available, you are able to do things you actually enjoy doing and are not trapped in working for the rest of your life. Make sense? Having more time to spend with loved ones or having more time to figure out who we are is a direct effect of money being able to buy time.

So, why can’t money buy happinesseven if it is for a short amount of time? Just like most things in life, everything is limited and nothing is constant. Being happy with what money can buy is not shallow; rather, it all depends on what you end up spending your money on. Seeing that money is embedded into our everyday lives, who’s to say that the cup of coffee we bought this morning shouldn’t make us happy? Or that the movie ticket we bought won’t bring us joy? In the end, happiness can be brought to life by the experiences we choose to buy and as much as you’d like to disagree, you know that I’m probably right.