Does Money Really Make You Happy?
Written by Stacy Francis
Many people feel that if they just had more money, they could be happier. Often, however, this is not really the case. Once you have achieved your financial goals, having more money will not necessarily make you a happier person. The best way to make yourself truly happy is to develop relationships with others as well as determining how much you need to earn.
Work Out How Much Money It Takes You to Live Comfortably
Living comfortably doesn’t necessarily mean having the latest car, the biggest house, or other expensive things. It doesn’t mean having all the money you could ever want and more. Living comfortably means having enough food to eat, a comfortable home, clothes to wear and perhaps one or two luxuries. What living comfortably means may be different for each person but about $40,000 per annum is usually sufficient for most people.
Who is Important in Your Life?
Are you married? Do you have children or grandchildren? Studies show that family is often the greatest contributing factor to a person’s happiness. Are you investing enough time in your family for your own happiness? Some of the happiest moments of your life can be expressing your love to your spouse or sitting playing with your grandchildren. But what if you are not married, don’t have children or grandchildren, perhaps you do not even have a partner? Each one of us also has friends and if you do not have family, determine whom you consider to be your closest friends and how much time you are investing in these relationships.
Have You Got the Right Balance?
Some people tend to work so hard that they neglect their families and destroy this very important area of their lives. If you are working sixteen hours a day and never spending time with your family, chances are you will soon not have any relationships to keep you happy. Money, on the other hand, cannot be neglected all together. Learn how to earn the money you need while still maintaining healthy relationships.
Money may make you happier if you are in real poverty or earning below $40,000 per annum. Studies have shown that for those earning in excess of $40,000 per annum, it is relationships and family that make most people truly happy. Learn to get the balance right, earn what you need to live comfortably but do not neglect your family or other special relationships.
Stacy Francis
www.savvyladies.org
Article author
About the Author
Stacy Francis, CFP®, CDFA™ is founder and president of Francis Financial, Inc. (FFI), an independent, feeonlyrnwealth and finance advisory firm In New York City. FFI specializes in a holistic, consultative approach
to exploring, educating and providing guidance to clients so they can make wise and prudent financialrndecisions resulting in their financial freedom.
Ms. Francis possesses a broad range of expertise, competencies and experience unique to the financialrnplanning business world. In addition to her passionate commitment to a holistic methodology, as a NAPFArnregistered financial advisor, Ms. Francis is legally obliged to put the interests of her clients above her own.
She neither sells products, nor accepts commission from any financial institution, company orrnorganization ensuring her clients receive unbiased, expert financial advice.
Prior to starting her own company, Ms. Francis was employed as Director of Investment Relations asr
Robinson, Lerer & Montgomery, a leading strategic communications firm providing counsel to seniorrnmanagement of leading US and global corporations across a broad range of industries. Additionally, Ms.
Francis was formerly employed by Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation, a securitiesrnunderwriting, investment and merchant bank providing financial advisory services, investment research,
venture capital and interactive brokerage services and asset management.
Ms. Francis, a published writer of several articles on Women & Biz (www.womenandbiz.com), appearsrnfrequently on major television programs such as the Nightly Business Report on PBS, The Today Show andr
CNBC, and she is often asked to contribute her expert opinion on various subject matters dealing withrnfinancial planning for articles in leading business and industry publications such as The Wall Street Journal,
The Daily News, Investment News, Money Magazine, BusinessWeek, CNN Money, Dow Jones Newswires,
Reuters and many others to.
Ms. Francis founded the ADFP New York Chapter (Association of Divorce Financial Planners) in March
2008 and serves as Co?Chairr
Ms. Francis attended the New York University Center for Finance, Law and Taxation, where shernsuccessfully completed CFP® education requirements and CFP® certification exam. Ms. Francis is ar
Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA™) via the Institute for Divorce Analysts™ and has completedrnspecialized training in the financial issues of divorce through the College for Divorce Specialists. Ms.
Francis has a B.A. in International Economics and in French from Middlebury College where she graduatedr
CUM LAUDE.
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