“Whoever said money can’t buy happiness didn’t know where to shop” – this witty line from Gertrude Steiner refers to all of us when we spend money on our favorite things. Some people might say money can’t buy happiness, and that's may be true up to some extent. In reality, it doesn’t have to buy you happiness; rather it can be an instrument for being happy. Let's discuss some of the best ways to spend money for happiness.
What is Happiness?
Many of us spend almost the whole life in pursuit of happiness. Happiness is something that can’t be defined easily. In simple words, happiness is a positive emotional state where you feel contented, satisfied, and joyful.
From scientific the viewpoint, release of hormones, like dopamine and serotonin can make a person happy. These important neurotransmitters are primarily associated with the expression of happiness in a human body. More to say, these hormones can leave a positive impact on both body and mind. They can accelerate and motivate a person towards the state of mental serenity.
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How to Spend Money for Happiness?
Experience over Things
Are you planning to buy a new furniture or gadget and thinking that it will bring you happiness? Well, think again. Even though a materialistic good may give you some pleasure initially, it will eventually turn into a decorative piece few days later. Research shows that people tend to derive more happiness from experiences; rather than spending money on material goods.
To buy experience, you can spend money on tours and fill your bucket list. The concept of gathering new experiences, may include visiting a new place, or meeting new people, or trying new cuisine. Such experiences may unleash possibilities of deriving delights and happiness that will exist in your memory for a long time.
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Spend On Goods That Alleviates the Experience
This might sound contrary to our previous point. Spending money on certain goods can truly bring you happiness. Some material goods can help to alleviate your boredom.
For instance, instead of buying an expensive showpiece or furniture; try to spend on something that can connect you to an experience. It can be a new pair of headphones or a musical instrument or a new phone that improves your online experience.
Here, the key idea is to derive pleasure from the instrument; in lieu of making the instrument the mode of happiness.
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Getting Gifts for Others
You might be thinking how does that help your happiness? Well, the human mind works in surprising ways and one of them is deriving happiness from doing things for others. You don’t have to spend a lumpsum amount to gain pleasure. Some small acts of kindness or little gifts may help your brain to release dopamine to trigger happiness. So, the next time when you wish to give something to your friend or family, just go ahead and do it.
Donating to Charity
Philanthophic activities like charity work is another great way to find happiness. Donating to a charity or someone in need can leave a long-lasting impact in mind. This is in line with our previous point that a human mind is instinctively helpful. So doing things for others or helping people in need is bound to bring happiness.
But a question may arise against that where to donate money? During the pandemic situation, numerous people have lost their jobs and shelters. You can do research and find some benevolent organizations who are working for the underprevileged people. The thought of doing good naturally triggers happiness and this feeling is perpetual.
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Find Small Pleasures
Instead of spending or splurging on lavish items once in a full moon, get in the habit of finding small pleasures. What we mean is, find small expense sources that can give you pleasure rather than going after something that might break your bank.
A fancy dinner night is sure to give you a lot of pleasure. Alternatively, you can frequently enjoy coffee or snacks with your favorite friends or family members. These moments can bring you more happiness.
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The key here is the perpetual feeling. You should maintain a small and constant source of happiness rather than something that comes once in a while.
Get yourself Time
This point isn’t directly related to spending money; rather it focuses on the accumulation of money. In today's world most people spend time to earn money. Money can bring you happiness in many ways. However, sometimes, you need to sit back and relax a bit. Take some time off from your work to focus on your life and destress. Taking a short break from your regular life-routine, you can rejuvenate your soul and bring more happiness in your life.
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Avoid Financial Stress
The gist of this article is all about spending money to get happiness. However, in pursuit of happiness, you should not spend too much. You need to balance your expenditure cycle considering the limit of your earnings. While searching for happiness, you sure don’t want to add up more stress in your life? You should spend as per your wish, just make sure you are spending sensibly.
Travel
There is nothing more exciting like making memories in a new place. Travel memories are something that you will cherish forever. They will be a constant source of happiness and remembrance. The tour experience can be as per your budget. It does not mean that you have to splurge and travel to an exotic location. You can also go somewhere close, or any nearby place that’s an escape from your everyday life. This is honestly one of the better ways to spend your money for happiness.
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Start a Garden
Well, this will require some dedication besides money. Plantations can be a great source to induce happiness in your life. You can start a small garden on your terrace or your balcony. This can give you a new purpose to live a healthy and happy life. It can also serve as an escape from the stress of work or relations in everyday life. The joy of creating lives (plants) can take away the monotony from your routined life and cherish your soul.
Share a Meal
Sometimes the simple act of sharing food can give a person limitless happiness. This is something that you can feel instant. Human beings are naturally inclined to be sociable. A simple way to share happiness is sharing a meal. Try it next time with your friends or colleagues.
During the pandemic situation many people can not afford food. You can also share food with a distressed person sitting beside your favorite food store. Such activities will not cost you huge money but you can feel immense happiness in return.
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Bottom Line
To sum things up, there are a lot of ways that you can get happiness by spending money. We truly encourage and appreciate you in the journey of deriving happiness. But, we also suggest that you should be a responsible spender in order to avoid financial stress. We hope that this article helps you to get some ideas about finding happiness. So which one are you going to try next?