How Much Money Is Enough Money?

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Every day I read or hear a story about income inequality. I got to thinking — is money really the issue when we are talking about equality? People who don’t have money believe that those that do have a single goal of making more. They feel that those people are never satisfied with the amount of money they have and constantly work to always make more. Those same people feel that the only way to get more is to screw someone else and take theirs.

What Can Money Buy?

Money buys many things. It buys materials things like cars, houses, jewelry, jet skies, and yachts. There are many things money can’t buy. It can’t buy good health, it can’t bring loved ones back who are gone, it can’t buy true love, and it can’t buy happiness.

If I Only Had Enough

If I only had enough money life would be great. I hear that a lot. If I just had a little more I could live a happier less stressful life. So what put you in the condition where more would be better?

What we’re really talking about is life’s decisions. If you are living paycheck-to-paycheck what caused that? Chances are you made some bad decisions and continue to make them.

I’ll be happy today if I buy the big screen TV on my credit card then pay 26 percent interest for it over the next five years. That’s a bad decision.

Looking around my living room I have no idea what I paid for my recliner, the sofa, big screen, dvd player. What I do know is that I don’t have any debt on any of those items. I budgeted for those things and purchased them as my economic circumstance allowed — without creating a monetary hardship down the road.

Can Money Buy Really Buy Happiness?

I have a saying that I’ve learned from personal experience. “Money doesn’t make your life better; it makes your life easier.” Having money left over at the end of each month is a lot better than getting a double power bill the following month.

It’s not really the amount of money that brings a less stressful life. It’s how you manage the amount of money you have. If the bills are paid and you can do some of the things you like to do I think that would bring a certain amount of happiness to most people.

Some Final Thoughts

Most of us have a plan for a better life. Get that promotion at work. Move up the income ladder as rapidly as possible. Money makes the world go round. The more I have the better things will be. Unfortunately that’s not always true.

Doctor’s waiting rooms are full of those with high blood pressure, obesity, heart problems and other ailments caused by the stress of chasing the almighty dollar.

Is a fat bank account really worth all the physical and psychological problems that come along with it? I would say no. But, no house payment, no car payment and no credit card payments sure makes life more comfortable. I would work toward that kind of lifestyle and the great things is — you can have that at almost any income.

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