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What does it take to be happy? About $75,000.

Slartibartfast

Slartibartfast

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What does it take to be happy? About $75,000. - chicagotribune.com

Does happiness rise with income? In one of the more scientific attempts to answer that question, researchers from Princeton have put a price on happiness. It's about $75,000 in income a year.

They found that not having enough money definitely causes emotional pain and unhappiness. But, after reaching an income of about $75,000 per year, money can't buy happiness. More money can, however, help people view their lives as successful or better.
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"More money does not necessarily buy more happiness, but less money is associated with emotional pain," the authors wrote. "Perhaps $75,000 is a threshold beyond which further increases in income no longer improve individuals' ability to do what matters most to their emotional well-being, such as spending time with people they like, avoiding pain and disease, and enjoying leisure."
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Interesting, I guess money does buy happiness after all.
 
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Yeah, $75k would make me pretty happy.
 
Deuce said:
Yeah, $75k would make me pretty happy.
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And you can have a wife and three kids to go with it. Not tell it's tons.
 
American said:
And you can have a wife and three kids to go with it. Not tell it's tons.
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What?

(your second sentence...)

(edit: also, while your post is incomprehensible I suspect you were trying to inject partisanism into a completely non-partisan discussion. awesome)
 
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If I had 75 large, right now, I would very much hooked up and very happy with my situation. 75 large would make me purdy much debt free and the IRS completely satisfied. So, in my current situation, 75 grand would buy a ****load of happiness.
 
Sigh. That wouldn't even pay for a full year of school.
 
Deuce said:
Your school isn't worth what you pay them.
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Actually I lied. It does. When I read my bill I didn't see that they had both Spring and Fall into one. It doesn't pay for two years though.
 
Interesting report. See Obama and others are right.:mrgreen: The rich don't need more than 75K, the govt. needs to take the excess and give it to the ones that don't make 75K. Then we all can be happy. :lamo Only kidding. If I made over 75K, I would still be content. Not sure I am buying the findings of the report.
 
mike2810 said:
Interesting report. See Obama and others are right.:mrgreen: The rich don't need more than 75K, the govt. needs to take the excess and give it to the ones that don't make 75K. Then we all can be happy. :lamo Only kidding. If I made over 75K, I would still be content. Not sure I am buying the findings of the report.
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Actually I get the idea. 75k puts you out of the vast majority of real financial pressures, the sorts of things that cause a lot of stress on a family. Yeah, it's not like you're buying each of three children a new car and putting them all through private schooling/college, but given reasonable financial habits even a good sized family can get by on that. That's what they're saying by "happiness."
 
The more money you have the easier life is.
 
Johnny said:
The more money you have the easier life is.
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Not true.

At a certain point you spend a lot of time just controlling the money. Investments, savings, and just basically making sure the money makes money.

Then after you buy a lot of crap, you have to protect it.

I can see the point of 75k is about right to not worry about the bills getting paid and having a little bit to live on and take a vacation.

Not much more is needed
 
Money doesn't buy happiness. But being broke brings pain.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
You're getting ripped off.:(
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Maybe, but my parents are happy with the school and they are the ones paying so...

Plus I get to say one of the best chants to that terrible other Comm Ave. school ever. Their chants sucks.
 
I hate studies like this because it makes people think all things are equal.

$75,000 a year living back home in Roanoke Va would feel like I'm living like a king. I'd have little worries with regards to finances and mandatory spending, and even emergency spending, and would have a fair bit left over for "fun' expenses. I would be beyond comfortable, having a decent little bit to throw around.

$75,000 a year where I'm living now in Northern Virginia and, with shooting for the same living condition as in Roanoke, I'd probably be far closer to the underside of comfortable than the high side.

Right now my fiance and I combined make probably about $80k and just in a town house and I'd say with various debt from student loans we're at a few steps beyond month to month but not near to the truly "comfortable" or "happy" range yet.
 
soccerboy22 said:
Maybe, but my parents are happy with the school and they are the ones paying so...

Plus I get to say one of the best chants to that terrible other Comm Ave. school ever. Their chants sucks.
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I like you and you're a cool guy, so please don't take it as me being rude.

Post secondary education can be a big scam, depending on which major you choose.
If your parents are happy with it, then that's cool.
 
Zyphlin said:
I hate studies like this because it makes people think all things are equal.

$75,000 a year living back home in Roanoke Va would feel like I'm living like a king. I'd have little worries with regards to finances and mandatory spending, and even emergency spending, and would have a fair bit left over for "fun' expenses. I would be beyond comfortable, having a decent little bit to throw around.

$75,000 a year where I'm living now in Northern Virginia and, with shooting for the same living condition as in Roanoke, I'd probably be far closer to the underside of comfortable than the high side.

Right now my fiance and I combined make probably about $80k and just in a town house and I'd say with various debt from student loans we're at a few steps beyond month to month but not near to the truly "comfortable" or "happy" range yet.
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Couldn't agree more. I can't believe they didn't account for various costs of living in this "study", how stupid is that?
 
Zyphlin said:
I hate studies like this because it makes people think all things are equal.

$75,000 a year living back home in Roanoke Va would feel like I'm living like a king. I'd have little worries with regards to finances and mandatory spending, and even emergency spending, and would have a fair bit left over for "fun' expenses. I would be beyond comfortable, having a decent little bit to throw around.

$75,000 a year where I'm living now in Northern Virginia and, with shooting for the same living condition as in Roanoke, I'd probably be far closer to the underside of comfortable than the high side.

Right now my fiance and I combined make probably about $80k and just in a town house and I'd say with various debt from student loans we're at a few steps beyond month to month but not near to the truly "comfortable" or "happy" range yet.
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Actually, I agree. I am making about 62k/yr right now with my wife not working and I am able to free up around 1k/month to pay off student loans. I live in the country though. If I was in Atlanta, than I would have trouble making ends meet.

I thought the article would bring out interesting discussion though since its not a standard political subject.
 
Binary_Digit said:
Couldn't agree more. I can't believe they didn't account for various costs of living in this "study", how stupid is that?
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I think you're reading too much into this.
 
soccerboy22 said:
Maybe, but my parents are happy with the school and they are the ones paying so...

Plus I get to say one of the best chants to that terrible other Comm Ave. school ever. Their chants sucks.
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I can't get my head around the idea of paying thirty-seven-and-a-half THOUSAND dollars a year to send someone to college. You having one-on-one tuition 30 hours a week or something? That's unbelievably, outrageously expensive.

Tuition fees to go to Oxford University, as a UK student would cost you $5,000 a year.
 
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Andalublue said:
I can't get my head around the idea of paying thirty-seven-and-a-half THOUSAND dollars a year to send someone to college. You having one-on-one tuition 30 hours a week or something? That's unbelievably, outrageously expensive.
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It is actually closer to 40 thousand dollars a year, but that is tuition plus room and board. And part of it is the reputation of the school. Another part is outside of the intro level courses I do have a pretty good relationship with my professor.
 
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