“You can’t buy happiness.” Bologna! (Well, sort of.) Money can allow us to have moments we treasure. Happiness does not come from money, rather happiness comes from memories.  Most people who go on cruises look happy, and they are making memories. Isn’t that part of happiness; enjoying life. So, in this aspect, money does effect our happiness.

In part one, the statement “A simple life does not mean a poor life” was made. We are often quick to judge people who live on an economically sound budget. What makes us judge others by what they drive, what they wear, or where they live?

It is human nature to size ourselves with others. This is how we evaluate how we are doing in life. Not everyone grows out of this stage. But for those that do, life begins to make sense and happiness is found. This brings me to a quick interjection.

There are only two things to do in life:

Live life. This means work, pay taxes, AKA adulting. Go to local festivals, museums, or parks. Try new experiences. Read educational books to continue learning. You get the picture.

Be happy. That’s all. Just be happy. I had to learn how to be happy. I could take any situation and tell you how terrible it was. I don’t know exactly when it hit me, but I decided to change my perspective. What if there was no negative; just yes and not yet. By abstaining from looking at the negative side I learnt how to see the positive in every situation. Yes, I became “that guy”.

Anywho, back to money-talk. Whether we make a lot-of-money or a little-of-money, we need a budget. No one with good sense goes without a budget. We cannot just look at our bank account and say “oh look I have money, I can afford it.” Don’t do that.

So, let’s pretend we do not know how to budget. Trust me, none of us come into this world knowing how to balance a check book. Each bill or expense is an eager nemesis waiting to devour our pay check. Our job should be to save our pay check from being totally devoured. By allotting a percentage to each expense, we allow for growth.

Table time.

The table above is an example I like to use. One budget does not fit all so please feel free to change any variables. This only an example. Remember, a person making $7.25/hr is going to have less to spend than someone making $15.00/hr. I know this is common sense. However, I am always surprised with I see someone trying to live outside of their means. Doing this will always set us up for failure. This is why we need a budget.

Money has a huge impact on our potential for happiness. I say potential because in the end, whether we have money or not, our happiness is dependent on us. Our financial budget will give us peace of mind that bills are being paid, if we are within our means. We will also have the opportunity to save up for recreational moments (concerts for example). By staying on a budget we may feel as though we only work, eat, sleep. However, our happiness is a reflection of us. We control our emotions. Yes, times can get tense. This is why it is important to stop and relax. (As stated in part three of this  blog series. It’s all coming together Bwhahaha!)

Until the next blog, live life, be happy, and find life’s happiness.

at1_retired@yahoo.com

Steve Curtis