You spend your weeks busting your chops at work to receive a half-decent paycheck at the end of the month, before realizing that most of that wage slip will actually have to go on your rent, your bills, and buying the cheapest groceries in the store because you have absolutely no money left. Ah, the life of an adult, am I right? Not having money to socialize with friends, go out for dinner with your significant other, or even to be able to afford Cap’n Crunch for breakfast can really affect your happiness and your mental health. You’re living to survive, rather than to thrive – and that sucks. Luckily, there are ways to squeeze the most happiness possible from the money that you have!
Spending money on ‘things’ doesn’t always make you happy
Because you don’t have the ability to magically add a few zeros to your paycheck every month, you have to try and make do with the money that you do have. This means budgeting your money to pay all of the necessities, to ensure that you can survive for another month. When you do have a few spare dollars in your bank, you may feel compelled to buy something for yourself in an effort to cheer yourself up and to help you feel like life isn’t so glum. You might buy yourself a few new items of clothing; you might buy yourself a new car, you might even buy yourself a brand new television. However, scientists and psychologists have found that spending your money on ‘things’ doesn’t always make you happy – at least, not for a long time. While these shiny new toys will make you happy for a week or so, the excitement of these new gifts will wear off sooner rather than later.
Spending money on experiences will give you lifelong memories
While material goods will not give you lifelong happiness, it’s been proven that experiential purchases will provide you with months or even years of the stuff. These purchases include booking vacations, booking trips away with your friends and family, or just having a weekend to yourself. Rather than spending your money on material goods, these experiences will allow you to create long lasting memories that will stay with you forever and give you a chance to really unwind, explore new places, and experience happiness unlike any other you’ve ever experienced – or will ever experience from material goods.
If you book in advance, you’ll have months of happiness to contend with
Although we don’t need much persuasion to book a vacation away, scientists have come up with an interesting way to make sure you can squeeze the most happiness out of the money that you have – and the vacation that you book. They note that if you book months in advance, you’ll have months of happiness to contend with. For example, if you book your vacation six months in advance, you have six months of feeling excited and ready to go at the prospect of going away. You get your suitcase ready, you research all of the places that you would like to explore, and you feel the effects of the vacation without even leaving the house. What could be better than that?
Trying to stay happy and content with little money in your pocket can often feel impossible, but there are ways to make sure you can squeeze the most happiness from the money you do have – and that’s to book a vacation for the next few months! So what are you waiting for? Book your tickets now!
