The saying “money can’t buy happiness” has been argued for years. Some say happiness is an emotion and question the logic of money buying a feeling. Well, happiness is defined as a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Mostly everything in life that gives people this feeling, ranging from contentment to intense joy is bought with money. So essentially, money can indeed buy happiness.

Dan Gilbert, who is a psychology professor at Harvard University, conducted a survey that revealed 57 percent of people reported to have gained happiness from experience and 34 percent were happy with their material purchases.  This study shows that spending money on experiences that last in your memory are more likely to have a longer lasting “high” of happiness rather than spending money on tangible items that tend to lose their excitement after a while. The most efficient way to “buy happiness” is to invest in a vacation or family activity.

Recent studies have also shown that giving money to other people is an emotional booster and improves the physical well-being of that person. Giving money to someone in need or even just a friend can make a person feel so content with themselves. Warren Buffet is one of the wealthiest people in the world and he decided to donate 99 percent of his wealth to charity and commented, “I couldn’t be happier with that decision.” Buffet gave almost all of his money away and doing so brought him happiness that he might of not gotten anywhere else.

Every day, kids are encouraged to get an education so they can obtain a stable job and earn a good living. This is completely understandable, because the more money that one has, the better he’s living! We strive for a better job and a better chance at increasing our pay. Money makes the world go round, and people work endlessly just to make enough to keep a stable home. Money is a necessity to everyone’s life. Without it, one cannot even afford to have the basic needs of survival.

Going back to the main question of discussion, can money buy happiness? Yes, psychologists say, but many people don’t know how to spend for maximum happiness. Most studies show that spending money towards a vacation or some sort of experience in effect gives us the most contentment we’re going to get out of money. Putting our income towards material goods just keeps us wanting more. People will always want more in life, and money is there to keep satisfying our wants and needs. Money can buy happiness, but it’s up to the individual to keep that feeling alive.