Happiness is Free

by David@MoneyNing.com · 8 comments

More often than not, the times we cherish the most don’t involve dollars and cents. It isn’t an earth shattering discovery of course, but one that most people forget all the time. Instead, we try to buy our way into happiness. Oh that iPhone will do. That expensive glass of wine would really be nice too. Why can’t I afford it? I need to find a way to obtain it.

Focus on how to have a happier time, and you will. Focus on what you want to buy next, and who knows whether you will be happy or not.

Emma and I had a talk last night. A really long talk. I got to know her just a little bit more as we shared our daily lives of the past few weeks. We laughed and had fun, more fun than another other activity of recent memory. It wasn’t at a fancy restaurant, nor did we go on vacation. We just decided to sit by the pool in our apartment complex. The place was quiet and the chairs were comfortable.

No one really ever comes here. Maybe they forgot about it, or perhaps they are still working overtime to pay for last week’s night out at the bar.

Don’t be a slave. Be happy.

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{ read the comments below or add one }

  • Car Insurance Guy says:

    I went to Target with my gf yesterday thinking it would be a waste of time/money. We ended up buying nothing, but had a great time goofing off. Definitely unconventional but fun.

  • marci says:

    Provided you don’t mind being a squatter, you still CAN live without money … it just takes a lot of hard work and resourcefullness… and not too many people would be willing to do it anymore. But it was a way of life for thousands of years.

  • Ann says:

    Know why I subscribed to your blog? Because what you say is real and doable. My son and I spent the afternoon yesterday foraging wild greens. I got enough to put some in the freezer and they’ll be delicious for two reason. 1 – Free free free.
    2 – You just can’t get them in January.

    We had a great time, too.

  • Wilson Pon says:

    Money isn’t the whole in our life, but without money, we cannot live even a minute, Ning.

    However, I need to admit a fact that money cannot buy happiness.

  • Best Savings Account Girl says:

    yeah relaxing by the pool is always fun – reminds me of college days when I lived with my college friends.

  • marci says:

    We spent the weekend in the woods cutting and splitting firewood – hard work – but fun, and took our picnic lunch along as usual. No one around – and a quiet time to enjoy life and each other as well as get the firewood in. Later we just relaxed in the sunshine (so rare here) in the backyard on the hammock and beach towels with some beer and wine…. Nice, enjoyable, quiet times…. it doesn’t get much better than that. πŸ™‚

  • ObliviousInvestor says:

    Agreed. πŸ™‚

    My wife and I are currently reading (to each other) a copy of The Lord of the Rings that we recently received as a gift. It’s been an absolute blast so far. And at 1,000+ pages, it’s keeping us entertained for many hours.

    (And, of course, if we hadn’t gotten it as a gift, we could just as easily have gotten it from the library…)

  • DDFD @ DivorcedDadFrugalDad says:

    You make good points here.

    My view is if you can’t be happy without money, having money won’t change that. The temporary thrill of spending fades quickly.

    My wife always says, “Money just makes you more of what you already are . . . be it happy or miserable ” Think about it.

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