Gretchen Rubin, Buy yourself a little happiness Whether money can buy happiness is an old argument one that

doesn t just go back t o Paul McCartney and The Beatles singing about how money can t buy love. It goes a s far back as the 6th century BC pretty much when they invented the stuff. Bibli cal references cite money as the root of all evil, although this widely held princ iple is really a misquote, as the real reference is the love of money is the root of all evil. Money in itself isn t evil. While of course the lack or abundance of money can help foster the types of socio-economic factors that contribute to cr ime and drug abuse, it is not a direct cause, as not all poverty-stricken people resort to crime. Like not all rich people are greedy or power-crazed. In a year-long study of happiness around the world, New York-based writer Gretch en Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, spent a month researching how money c ould contribute to happiness and discovered that while money alone can t buy happi ness, if used wisely, money can help buy happiness. Rubin learned that in general, money contributes to happiness in the negative, b ecause the lack of money can lead to insecurity and anxiety. She argues that whe n people have money it is often taken for granted, noting, the fact is, people ar en t made deliriously happy by the luxuries of salt and cinnamon (once so precious ), or electricity or air-conditioning or cell phones or the internet, because th ey come to accept these once-luxury goods as part of ordinary existence. This makes sense if viewed in terms of psychologist, Abraham Maslow s theory of hu man motivation, which is based on tiered levels of need. He theorised that there is an order of importance that is universal among humans, and that unless these are met, the individual will not be concerned with the next level. Maslow sugge sted that once aspects such as food, water, and safety are met other concerns ta ke on more prominence such as love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualisation concepts such as respect, creativity, etc. A team of researchers from Arizona State University used new findings and theory based on evolutionary and developmental psychology and neuroscience to update M aslow s hierarchy of needs. The researchers argued that many of the needs overlap and can be interchangeable for instance while you may be thinking about love, if you were threatened, the need to self-protect becomes prominent again, etc. These researchers also controversially withdrew self-actualisation from the tabl e of needs, stating that these concepts fall under other biological needs such a s mate acquisition and retention. Their premise is that the desire to create art is really in order to attract a mate. While their theory is contested (many psy chologists disagree that creativity is simply a biological urge to impress a mat e), the truth remains that fulfilling a particular need can contribute greatly t o happiness. In this way, we could then argue that money can contribute to happiness in the p ositive so long as it is used to support needs such as spending more time with f amily and can go a long way to upping your happiness. For instance, if your long commute to work causes you to miss quality time with your family, buying a home closer to work can help you to spend more time with t hem. Likewise, taking an art class can help you to become more creative. Rubin advocates spending money on modest splurges that further your happiness go als (where you can, of course). For example, you may buy all your groceries at o ne shopping centre that may save you money, yet you really enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables from a market, so by spending a little extra at the market, you make yourself healthier and happier.

Other modest splurges could be investing in some new pens if you enjoy writing l etters or new utensils if you enjoy cooking. Rubin suggests that these purchases are things that are unique to your own values and enjoyment and they should be something done only occasionally. She adds, Because money permits a constant stre am of luxuries and indulgences, it can take away their savour. This also comes down to what you re spending your money on and what your motivatio ns are. For example, someone who spends hundreds on a new gym membership and wh o buys top of the range workout gear and never uses it, won t make themselves happ ier. In fact, the splurge, if unused, will probably result in guilt. Therefore i f exercise is an important happiness goal, finding other ways to help you fulfil it like negotiating more flexible working hours, working from home, or playing a sport you enjoy and will then make time for, may contribute towards it. It s imp ortant then, not to view money as a quick fix especially if it may cause added s tress. Rubin suggests, If money is used to enhance your happiness, it must be used to su pport aspects of life that bring happiness to you. Which means that whatever the psychological debate as to what needs are universal and which are not only you c an really know what is important to you. Our advice would be to use money on things that you know you really enjoy, to en hance your joy of them. By using money to support the important things in your l ife, to add to your needs and enhance your joy, you can help buy yourself some h appiness. And we re sure that even The Beatles would agree that that will make you feel alright.