The Joy of Money
Are you happy with your money and your financial life? If not, did you know that you can be, and that you don’t have to be rich to make it happen?
You can absolutely be happy with your money.
Charles Dickens had it right
Charles Dickens had it right when he wrote, “Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.”
Or in today’s terms, living below your means brings happiness. Spending more than you earn brings misery.
What it takes
Experiencing the joy of money is really about arranging your life in a way that allows you to be content. That takes planning, patience, and the ability to figure out what matters most to you.
It’s about embracing the idea of enoughness instead of constantly grasping for more, believing that “you’ll be happy when…”
Aligning your money and your life
All that means aligning your money and your life do that you spend on what matters to you, and so that you’re not constantly under financial stress. Use a spending plan, prioritize, and get out from under the crush of debt.
If that sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it can be. But it’s work that’s worth it.
You’ll experience the joy of money — one that allows you to live the life you love.
Very true! One thing to remember though is while it’s good to live below your means and be happy where you’re at – you should always be trying to improve both financially and as a person!
Thomas
Good point :)
Learning, growing, and improving are excellent constants to have in life.
Happiness is what you make it. Wealth doesn’t necessarily equate to happiness. You have to be happy with yourself first. You’re right, figure out what you want and what you don’t really need and get on with your life.
Oh, you said it with “You have to be happy with yourself first.” That is so true.
Awesome awesome post – what a great reminder! It isn’t the recession, or the century, or your stage of life. You can be happy no matter what your economic state, and you can always find reason to be thankful and live well within your means. Thank you for this!
And I think you actively feel better too, even if you’re in what anyone would agree is a bad situation, if you actively look for things to appreciate and be grateful for.
People can really get messed up over money and finances. There are even ‘Financial Therapists’ now to help you muddle through your money issues. http://brokeprofessionals.com/2012/05/30/financial-therapy/
Huh, I hadn’t heard of that before but it sounds like it could be beneficial!
CD had a way with words. It’s the baby steps towards change that are worth it too. Too many times things look overwhelming but aren’t because the process is ongoing. The outcome is scary when looking at it from the beginning.
So true :)