“I wish everyone could experience being rich and famous, so they’d see it wasn’t the answer to anything.” – Jim Carey
I once thought that I needed more money to be happier. But, when my saving has reached ten times higher than what it was three years earlier, I was not overjoyed. My happiness level is quite similar compared to the happiness level when I was poorer.
Then I read about “hedonic treadmill” term. The term means that an individual’s level of happiness will remain the same despite good fortune or negative life events that someone has. Related to wealth, an increase in material wealth does not necessarily mean an increase in a person’s level of happiness.
So, yeah, I could understand why being richer didn’t really make me happier.
If happiness level could arise from wealth or farm, the famous actor Robin Williams might still be alive today. If then so, the famous designer Kate Spade might not have committed suicide. Rich and famous, two things that people would do anything for, right?
But, here is the harsh truth. In his phenomenal book, The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel writes that people don’t care about the luxury clothes that you wear or the fancy newest car that you have. They even rarely notice. So, it will be futile to brag your affluence to people.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, there is a prominent saying, “Whoever said money can’t buy happiness isn’t spending it right.”
So, should we start to question, where or how to spend the right money to make us happier? Here are some things I found about happiness on my daily life.
We Are Happier When We Can Choose
Several years ago, I had a Cesarean section. I could have had it for free since I had national healthcare insurance (BPJS) cover the surgery expense. But, I decided to pay with my own money regardless the insurance. It costed me about 28 million rupiah, a quite expensive amount.
But, I have nothing to regret. I could choose all female team for my surgery and I experienced almost no pain during surgery and recovery.
In return of the money I spent, I got the freedom of choice. The power to choose was something that made me happier during labor time, the tough one.
By having more money on your pocket, you are able to make more choices in your life. If you have enough money to travel by plane, you can reserve a plane ticket quickly or a bus ticket if you want to experience a road trip. But if you have no choice rather than travel by bus, that is the only choice you have. Yes, money makes the difference.
How To Be Happier With Money
In his book “Just Keep Buying” Nick Maggiulli believes that the only right way to spend money is the way that works for you. He stated research conducted by Cambridge University that the individuals who made purchases that better fit their psychological profile reported higher level of satisfaction than those who didn’t.
But, is there anything we need to know about how to maximize money for happiness?
The answer is yes. Happiness concepts have attracted many researchers. Here are some better ways to spend your money so that you can be happier in life. I have proven these tips on my daily life.
Making more choice that fits your profile
Just like my earlier story about my Cesarian section, Daniel H. Pink has shown in his book titled Drive. He said that autonomy (being self-directed), mastery (improving your skills), and purpose (connecting to something bigger than your self) are key components to human motivation and satisfaction.
You can apply this concept to maximize your happiness. Make more choice that really fits your psychological profile. For example, you can buy yellow car instead of black one, without worrying that the yellow car won’t sell if you need to sell it later.
Buying time
Some studies have found that we can boost our happiness level by spending on things that can save our precious time. The richer people, the more they appreciate their time better.
Yes, indeed, I feel happier whenever I can take taxi and spend less time than taking a bus. I feel happy to take laundry rather than wash dirty clothes to save more time on my daily life.
Spend on Others
We, as human, have tendencies to be altruistic. And the act of giving goes beyond measurement. We feel happy when we can help people who are in needs. Some experiments support the idea that giving will make us happier, lower blood pressure, and even result in greater well-being.
Next time you feel unhappy with your money, try to help someone financially.
More than 99% of my wealth will go to philanthropy. I couldn’t be happier with that decision – Warrent Buffet
There is a happiness that released whenever I spend money to whom I know they need it the most. The feeling is pure.
Focus on human connection
As social creature, people like to connect each other. Purchases that help maintaining our social relationship bring longer-lasting happiness.
For example, you can buy cycle with your money, and then you can socialize with other cyclists. That human connection to make you happier is real.
By having money to register some courses, I can gain valuable knowledge, experience, and human connection. No wonder I enjoy becoming ‘courses hunter’.
Source : Pexels
Invest in Experience
With the same amount of money to spend, which one you choose? The material possession like newest smartphone or the fancy vacation?
You can have phone for longer time since material thing can be hold. But the experiences you have from vacation will make you happier over time. Like when I took luxurious vacation to Labuan Bajo. It costed much, but I felt so satisfied with the rare experiences I had there.
On my daily life, I try to spend more money that can give me more experiences.
In this digital era, it is necessary to have great experiences with internet. We send chat, watch movies or even work with internet. Therefore, great internet provider is a must. In my home, I use IndiHome as internet provider since it provides high quality internet with reasonable price.
The Reasons to Make IndiHome Your Internet Provider
Stable and fast connection
Internet provider must provide at least two things as bare minimum : stable and fast connection. Internet fixed broadband has advantage than mobile connection that is its stability.
IndiHome is the most popular Internet Fixed Broadband provider in Indonesia
The market share of IndiHome as internet fixed broadband provider is about 80% of total market share. It shows that IndiHome has offered the best quality among others.
IndiHome is part of Telkom Group
As one of the most popular state-owned enterprise, Telkom Group has IndiHome. It tells about credibility IndiHome as part of big company that will value its consumers.
Unlimited and has many choices
The internet provided by IndiHome is unlimited. I can choose the package that suits my need.
Therefore, I feel satisfied having IndiHome as the internet provider I can rely on. Internet is one of big resource that support my daily life, the day by day I spend my money in the pursuit of happiness.
How about you? What things that can maximize your happiness by the money you have?