Can Money Buy Happiness? It Depends on Your Perspective

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Currently, I'm reading All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know About Getting and Spending by Laura Vanderkam. This the second book I've read by Vanderkam. I blogged about 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. You can read that post here.

I enjoy reading Vanderkam's books because even if I don't agree with everything she writes, she makes me think and serves up a fresh platter of perspective.

All the Money takes so much of what I've read, heard or experienced about making and spending money and twists it topsy-turvy. Vanderkam confronts the popular "frugality approach" to saving (cut out all non-essentials, eat rat-lip bologna for every meal and cut coupons like a crazy person) head on, boldly suggesting (and proving with data) that in the grand scheme of fiscal responsibility, penny-pinching in the small areas really doesn't make that big of an impact to the bank account, but it can certainly drain the happiness account.

Instead of asking the traditional question, "How can I save more?" Vanderkam looks at money through the lens of "How could I make more?" She also encourages readers to step back and shine a new light on their financial choices (past, present and future)  As with 168 Hours, Vanderkam's book is well-researched and peppered with anecdotes of people and families who altered their perspective of money with some amazing results.

I'm already thinking of ways I can pull down some green while doing activities that interest me.  The book isn't an easy read, but it's not rocket science, either. And while I skipped or skimmed the sections and chapters that were irrelevant to me, the book is thought-provoking, intelligent and useful. Check it out! And I mean that both literally and figuratively (I borrowed my copy from the local library - frugality at its finest!). Cha-Ching!

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing ... Keep It Real.

My List of 100 (ok ... 45) Dreams

In my last post, I wrote about the time management book, 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam. She encourages readers to create a List of 100 Dreams to help them determine their core competencies and possibly reveal how they would like to spend more of their time. It’s a motivational tool designed to get people thinking about what they would like to do more of, less of and accomplish in their lifetime.

Have you ever done something like this? I tried it. And … I’m stuck at 45. It’s a much tougher task than I anticipated. I created an interesting concoction of dreams I could accomplish now if I put my mind to them, dreams I could knock out in the short term, and dreams require a longer span to accomplish (some people call these “pipe” dreams. I prefer ‘long-term” dreams. It’s more optimistic.).

I also created two others lists naming activities I could tackle in either 30 minutes or 10 minutes or less. It’s really amazing the tasks you can knock down by chunking them this way. The activity helped me discover ways to productively fill small pockets of time with something other than Facebook, television or fribbling.

Perhaps I’ll publish my List of 100 Dreams when it’s complete. Would anyone be interested? Here’s the other tricky thing about this quest: it’s ever-evolving. Tastes and interests change and dreams either morph, find fulfillment or fade.

I’d love to read your List of 100 Dreams. Or 10 Dreams. Even 5. Share, please?