Money Can’t Buy Happiness — Or Can It?

The next time someone says it doesn’t buy happiness, share this

Every time someone says that money doesn’t buy happiness, I sort of want to take a rolled newspaper and slap them with it. This impulse is innocent enough as I don’t have newspaper on hand, and hitting someone with the newspaper on my phone would be inappropriate.

It could injure my phone.

Plus, I’m not really a violent person. I settle for a violently dramatic eye roll instead. Because money does buy happiness in its way. At least, it buys many things that support happiness. Anyone who says otherwise is living in a bubble of privilege and lacks empathy. Here are a few things that money buys that might not be happiness but definitely supports that objective:

1. Healthcare

We can say that money doesn’t buy happiness, but it can pay for healthcare. In 2022, the average U.S. citizen spent $13,493 per person on healthcare. That’s an expense many households just can’t afford. Money can allow us to afford health insurance, medication, and even preventative care. We can get the testing we need when we have concerns, and we can access our health providers for antibiotics when we’re struck by illness. Without healthcare, our quality of life suffers.

I’ve been a person who has had to go without health insurance. I couldn’t afford to go to the doctor when I was sick. An emergency room visit could be detrimental to my finances. Preventative care? That felt impossible.

I developed a chronic illness. At the time, I was fortunate to have the income to afford health insurance and supplemental care. For several months, I had a doctor, a massage therapist, a chiropractor, and even a naturopath. When I lost my health coverage due to disability discrimination, I found myself without access to the most basic care — not to mention the supplemental aids I had been using to manage chronic pain. Money might not be a direct exchange for happiness but being without pain and having my medical condition managed certainly made me more content.

“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

2. Mental Healthcare

We can’t talk about the affordability of health care without mentioning mental health. Therapy is finally more prevalent, but that doesn’t mean it’s affordable or accessible to everyone. Many providers no longer accept insurance, and not all health insurance covers mental health. The average provider charges anywhere from $65 to $250 per session, and someone with major depression could easily spend over $10,000 per year for treatment.

Trauma and mental health issues impact our quality of life. Without the funds to get mental health support, we’re left managing it alone. A lack of mental healthcare can lead to issues as extreme as homelessness. Then, there’s the body-mind connection. Poorly managed stress and mental illness can be detrimental to our physical health, too. Money allows us the freedom to address any mental healthcare issues — from purchasing self-help books to seeing a therapist.

“It is a kind of spiritual snobbery that makes people think they can be happy without money.” ~Albert Camus

3. Safe Housing

Many of us have the privilege of safe housing in safe neighborhoods. Bear in mind that it is a privilege — one that costs money. The average home price in the United States is currently over $400,000. With a housing shortage and mortgage rate increases, many families are priced out of home ownership and must elect for overpriced rental units.

Many low-income families live in substandard housing or in unsafe neighborhoods. It’s not a matter of choice but of circumstance. Our culture might promote the idea that hard work equals achievement and success, but it overlooks the many demographic factors that influence opportunities. I can guarantee people in safe houses in safe neighborhoods are likely happier than people who live in unsafe conditions or in neighborhoods where they’re afraid to go out to walk the dog or take a stroll with friends.

“There’s no way that Michael Jackson or whoever Jackson should have a million thousand droople billion dollars and then there’s people starving. There’s no way! There’s no way that these people should own planes and there people don’t have houses. Apartments. Shacks. Drawers. Pants! I know you’re rich. I know you got 40 billion dollars, but can you just keep it to one house? You only need ONE house. And if you only got two kids, can you just keep it to two rooms? I mean why have 52 rooms and you know there’s somebody with no room?! It just don’t make sense to me. It don’t.” ~Tupac Shakur

4. Nutritious Food

Some social media nutrition accounts like to overlook the fact that healthy food isn’t always the most affordable or accessible to families. Not everyone is within driving or walking distance to the nearest Whole Foods — and many families couldn’t afford it if they were. While good food doesn’t always lead to happiness, it can impact our overall health.

Right now, a family of four should pay over $1,300 each month on groceries according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Yet, that’s a steep cost for groceries — equivalent to the rent or mortgage in many areas. For families living paycheck-to-paycheck, the reality is that nutritious food becomes less of a priority over affordable food.

I’m a person who enjoys growing my own food, and I often think it would benefit every family to be more self-sufficient. But it’s important to note that even having a garden comes with costs. My indoor kitchen counter salad garden wasn’t free — nor were the seeds I plant in it. When I garden outdoors, I often end up buying seeds, starter plants, soil, mulch, and fertilizer to maintain it. It helps to grow our own food — especially when we use organic and sustainable methods — but it’s also a luxury to be able to do so.

“Money does not buy you happiness, but lack of money certainly buys you misery.” ~Daniel Kahneman

5. Gym Memberships or Athletic Equipment

One year, I bought a Peloton. Suddenly, I had the gym membership experience without the creepy staring that sometimes comes with it. It came at a cost, and I know that it isn’t affordable to many households. I do think it’s worth the investment, but even if we manage to save for a piece of athletic equipment, many of them — like Peloton — have monthly maintenance fees for access to their apps with classes and programs. That is yet another financial hurdle we have to leap in order to participate in this part of health culture.

A gym membership or a Peloton doesn’t equate to automatic happiness, but as I’ve mentioned before, being healthier tends to make us happier. Plus, we get all those endorphins from exercising. It’s a privilege to be able to have athletic equipment in our homes or to have a gym membership.

Did you know the average gym membership could cost as much as $40 to $70 each month? While there are gyms that only charge $10 or $20 for memberships, they might not be accessible to all homes. While walking, running, and online fitness videos might be free, it’s important to remember that even decent walking shoes that won’t injure our feet comes at a cost.

“It’s easy to say you don’t care about money when you have plenty of it.” ~Ransom Riggs

6. Better Quality Items

One thing that always strikes me as ridiculous about socioeconomic differences is that wealthier people can afford to buy better quality items that last longer and won’t need to be replaced as often. Low-income individuals tend to have to buy something of lower quality that’s affordable — and that will need to be replaced more often. The people who need the items to last longer are the people who can’t always afford to get them.

I’m not saying that materialism makes us happier. I’m saying that we can feel happier when we aren’t constantly having to buy replacement items because of the natural wear and tear experienced. It’s a cycle that keeps our income lower. We buy what we can afford when we can afford it, but it doesn’t last. Having money solves this issue and allows us more access to quality products and services.

“Nobody wants to fall into a safety net, because it means the structure in which they’ve been living is in a state of collapse and they have no choice but to tumble downwards. However, it beats the alternative.” ~Lemony Snicket

7. Relocation Possibilities

One factor that isn’t often talked about is the possibilities for relocation. If we’ve got money to burn, relocating isn’t outside the realm of possibility. We can be unhappy in a community or neighborhood and have the means to find somewhere new to start over. When money isn’t plentiful, we might not be able to afford the costs of relocation or the many deposits that come with such a big life change. The average cost of a local move is $1,250 for a two-bedroom home. Imagine what it might cost for a larger home and a cross country move! We can tell people to make their lives what they want, but we have to look at access, affordability, and privilege as factors that influence what changes can be made.

This also includes relocation as we age. Money can afford us better living conditions in our retirement years. People who live in poverty often end up in nursing homes while wealthy people have the option for assisted living spaces. There’s a vast difference between them, and quality of life can be dictated by what we can afford.

“Wealth is not about having a lot of money; it’s about having a lot of options.” ~Chris Rock

8. Travel/Cultural Exposure

Having access to disposable income can make travel and wider cultural exposure a possibility. We aren’t limited by the zip codes we grew up in. If we can travel our country or the world around us, we’re going to be exposed to diverse worldviews. It’s a huge advantage — and one that goes beyond posting extravagant photos on social media.

I was an adult before I took my first trip on a plane. It would be years longer before I could afford an international trip. I always wanted to travel, but I honestly believed it was for other people — not people like me. The first time I disembarked from a plane, I wanted to cry. I had achieved something that I had once felt impossible. It gave me the feeling that I could do anything.

It seems so small and silly, but when we haven’t been given that opportunity, we miss out on so much of the world around us. My children have been on plane rides and traveled with me. I know it’s a luxury to have taken those trips, but I like to think I’m doing what I can to give them a broader view of the world. Travel brings me happiness, and my kids feel that way, too. Guess what brings travel? Money.

“I willingly allow that money does not guarantee happiness; but it must also be allowed that it makes happiness a great deal easier to achieve.” ~Pierre A.F. Choderlos de Laclos, Les Liaisons dangereuses

9. Adequate, Reliable Transportation

For the first time in many years, I am driving a car that doesn’t have any warnings on the dash. Not a single one. For years, I drove around with a Check Engine light on that I couldn’t afford to fix. Adequate and reliable transportation was compromised because I was on a budget that didn’t extend to a newer vehicle or fixing the laundry list of repairs. When we’ve got money, we can afford reliable transportation. Not being stranded on the side of the road or having a way to get to the grocery store makes most of us very happy indeed.

“The really essential factors of success in any undertaking are money and opportunity, and as a rule, the man who can make the first can make the second.” ~Dorothy L. Sayers, Whose Body?

10. Opportunities for Change

Relocation isn’t the only thing that requires money. So does changing careers. Many people are dissatisfied with their work but can’t afford the cost of education or retraining — or simply don’t have the time away from work to be able to do either one even if the money wasn’t an obstacle. Many people blame COVID financial support for why so many people left the service industry, but I think more people finally had the time and opportunity to retrain for better jobs.

I’ve been using DoorDash recently, and I have to say that Americans are supposed to be good at tipping. It’s our culture, right? Only so many people think the delivery fee is enough to cover the costs of delivery. When it says “tipping optional,” it’s actually a hint that gratuity is standard. If I have to drive a few miles to pick up an order of fries and then drive somewhere to deliver them, a tip is appreciated. It doesn’t matter what the cost of the food was; it’s important to recognize the act of service that picking it up and delivering it involves. I’m constantly astounded by the audacity of small food orders, long drives, and zero tips at the end of it. No wonder people are leaving the service industry in droves!

We need money in order to afford more opportunity, and yet, that’s often underestimated. Someone might genuinely have the aptitude and desire to retrain for another career but not have the funds to manage that transition. We can’t just undertake an apprenticeship and learn a new skill. Everything has a cost — and too many people can’t pay it.

“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” ~Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own

11. Leisure Time and Experiences

Last but not least, we have to factor in the leisure time and experiences that come as a result of having money. I’m feeling this one right now. When I’m not writing, I’ve been doing deliveries. I would like to enjoy some leisure time, too, but lately, my bills have demanded that I exchange my leisure for work in order to close an income gap.

Being able to indulge in a hobby or take time off can be a privilege that not everyone gets to enjoy. It takes some financial freedom, or at least flexibility, to be able to manage more of a work/life balance. This balance can help ease life stressors and contribute to our overall happiness.

“The art of economics consists in looking not merely at the immediate but at the longer effects of any act or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups.” ~Henry Hazlitt

Money, Happiness, and the Truth

There are two kinds of people who say that money doesn’t buy happiness:

• The first kind are the people who have money and privilege and don’t realize the many benefits that come with it. They’ve never had to live paycheck-to-paycheck and have no idea the toll it takes or how one small household emergency can begin a tidal wave of financial devastation.
• The second kind of people who say this are the ones who have no money and need to believe that they wouldn’t be better off if they did. I don’t know if that’s optimistic or delusional.

The truth is that having money can make us happier. I’ve been the person who lived paycheck to paycheck and panicked in between about how the bills were going to be paid and the groceries bought. I’ve been the person with an emergency savings account, money to pay the bills, and extra money for lunches out and little luxuries. I’ve been the person who lost it all and had to start over again, scrimping and saving to make it. I can tell you that having money was a major stress reducer, and anyone who says it doesn’t buy happiness is living in ignorant bliss.