Win Money v. Happiness in Ten Easy Steps!
The Green Eyed Monster
i blame hip hopRegistered User regular
i blame hip hopRegistered User regular
Here is a brief exercise I found in this New York Times article:
The guy apparently wrote what sounds like a fairly terrible book about how all our purchases are designed to make us more attractive to potential mates (groundbreaking and truly, truly novel insight, that), but I figured the brief exercise about consumption might be fun.
I'll respond below, and honestly I doubt I can count 10 on both sides of the column, so obviously if you need to fudge it down to 5 or 7, there's no real strict rules, it's just for fun (and possibly some insight).
Also, I just noticed -- including "taxes"? Cmon, obviously that's some of the most money I've ever spent, but how do you measure the "return" on something like that? I mean, I love my country, I suppose ... anyway ...
Geoffrey Miller wrote:List the ten most expensive things (products, services or experiences) that you have ever paid for (including houses, cars, university degrees, marriage ceremonies, divorce settlements and taxes). Then, list the ten items that you have ever bought that gave you the most happiness. Count how many items appear on both lists.
The guy apparently wrote what sounds like a fairly terrible book about how all our purchases are designed to make us more attractive to potential mates (groundbreaking and truly, truly novel insight, that), but I figured the brief exercise about consumption might be fun.
I'll respond below, and honestly I doubt I can count 10 on both sides of the column, so obviously if you need to fudge it down to 5 or 7, there's no real strict rules, it's just for fun (and possibly some insight).
Also, I just noticed -- including "taxes"? Cmon, obviously that's some of the most money I've ever spent, but how do you measure the "return" on something like that? I mean, I love my country, I suppose ... anyway ...
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Wedding Ring
Laptop
Bicycle
Cat's vet bills
Xbox 360
Uhh... those are at the top of both my lists, basically... I don't have a lot of expensive things.
Wait, "taxes" count? Okay, put taxes, rent, medical bills, tuition at the top of my first list if you must, but that's retarded.
College degree Year abroad in Denmark Summer abroad in Spain My bicycle Traffic ticket (on my bike) Xbox 360 (no joke, I'm a big spender) CD collection (should we count "collections"?) DVD collection TV should we count my cellphone bill?
Items which bring me the most happiness:
CD collection Xbox 360 (video games in general) Books, various (although this is a big ticket, if we add them all up) My bicycle Booze Travel experiences in general Christmas beanie given to me on my birthday Baseball cap given to me on my birthday My ping pong paddle Glow in the dark unicorn puzzle? oh no, probably the beer puzzle
So using his scorecard, I'd say I got 4/10, which doesn't seem all that bad. If I really reflected, a college degree is pretty central to my happiness, as it's a lynchpin of what I've learned, thus who I am, and where I'm at in life, but the actual experience of going to college wasn't all that enjoyable for me, so how do you score that?
Anyway -- actually working through it, I think this exercise is either targeted toward consumers way outside my income bracket, or I have successfully embraced the ethos of not trying to find happiness in materialism (probably a little bit of both, in all likelihood). Not super worthwhile for me.
House ($300k)
Condo ($117k)
Toyota 4Runner ($16k)
Honda Civic ($14k)
Other 4Runner ($10k)
42" HDTV ($2k)
50" HDTV ($1500)
Past that, I'm not sure how to count things. I dropped a grand on a trip to Disneyland with the family - is that a single item? I spent $1500-ish on my wedding. Beyond that, I've bought lots of things in the sub-$1000 realm that I can't think of off the top of my head.
How about I stick the wedding and trip on there, and leave it at that.
Now, the homes and cars up there certainly haven't given me the Most Happiness. I liked them all, sure, but they were purchases of necessity. And buying the condo actually saved me money, because my mortgage was less than my previous rent. Does it still count? I dunno. I wouldn't count any of those as my Most Happiest Purchases, but those strike me as special cases. It's not like I can just not have transportation and not have a home.
Discounting those, let's see if I can come up with, if not my Happiest Purchases, then at least 10 Purchases That Made Me Really Happy, and in no particular order:
Julie's engagement ring: $650
John Pitre serigraph: $500 at the time I bought it
Sapphire necklace for Julie: $250
50" Television: $1500, seriously wonderful TV set
Sega Genesis: $150 - first console I bought myself, and I saved up for months
That trip to Disneyland: $1000, great fun
Xbox 360: $400 - I don't think I've ever enjoyed a console more than that one
Recent collective expenses bringing my home theater to its current state: $1500: Watching movies now is one step shy of a transcendental experience for me.
Thing is, few of those things - on either list - really represent my happiest moments, because my happiest moments usually have little to do with things I've bought.
Girlfriend
A small, very old, stuffed dog
Porn
and I've never paid a dime for any of them! (costs of girlfriend-maintenance notwithstanding) I rule.
Although, if I had one, the top of both of my lists would probably be a dishwasher. Clearly the common unit to compare Cost and Happiness is the dishwasher.
"I'm so happy I graduated from law school!"
"Does that make you happier or not as happy as a dishwasher? I hope happier, because it cost a lot more than a dishwasher."
I guess I can add those to both lists.
EXPENSIVE SHIT
1. rent. $450/mth
2. car $850 and then recurring insurance + gas
3. bills $50-60/mth, $150-160/mth in the winter
4. computer $500
5. food
6. alcohol
7. movie rentals
STUFF I LIKE THAT HAS COST MONEY
1. computer
2. internet bills
3. alcohol
4. food
5. orange box
6. civilization 4
7. uh...my rice cooker?
I mean, my list is probably:
My degree: $8,000
My trip to Greece I took my mother on: $6,000
All my furniture, appliances and the expenses of moving into my first apartment: ~$5,000
The downpayment on our family's first car: $2,000
My computer: $2,000
Trip to England and France in high school: $2,000
Everything else are small electronics and/or musical instruments that cost >$500
Honestly though, those are probably the greatest things in my life. The trips were wonderful, memorable experiences. I've used that car and computer for years and they're great additions to my life. Moving out on my own and being financially independent was something that I put off for a long time so it was fantastic when it finally happened. And I loved university and my degree, so it was money well spent.
I mean yah I loved my boyfriends and friends and pets I've had, and their associated costs, but that's not really tangible as an object to spend money on. I don't feel that any big, one time purchases in my life have been a waste. In fact, they've probably signaled life changing moments, so I'm grateful to have experienced them.
That said, it's still amazing to see how the person who wrote this book (in the article I linked) takes the "insight" he gained from analyzing this group of people and put it forth in a book which attempts to answer consumer behavior in general.
And really -- maybe this is too much of an aside -- but it does get me thinking about many of our popular consumptions about consumer culture, and many of the remedies which are mentioned for our current economic malaise, which is indeed very strongly tied to consumer spending, and how much the attitudes of consumers might be shifting in the blind spot of people like this. Anyway, I'm probably just too stressed about the economic situation in general...
Maybe the best way would be to estimate the marginal cost of things? You could assume that, yeah, you need a car to get to work, but you COULD get there in a junker that costs 2k. Any extra you spend after that is for extra car-related happniess. Likewise, you need a place to live, but you COULD buy a small shack for 100k instead of a nice place for 300k. Then just sort of... do your best to estimate how much extra happiness you get from that.
Which is the problem with shit like this, as many very expensive things don't so much bring us happiness as they help us avoid horrible unhappiness.
Rent
Car
Taxes
Motorcycle
Travel
Things I like the most:
Motorcycle
Rent (my apartment is great)
Taxes (I like parks and roads quite a lot)
Travel
Bicycle
So it went from car->bicycle? Boring.
What's the difference?
The difference between Really Bad and Double Plus Ungood.
When was the last time a neighboring country razed your village or warlords raped your family members? Now how much is that worth to you? Done. :P
In seriousness, I think I'm (generally) pretty good about spending money on things that make me happy. The most expensive things I can think of that I've purchased (not counting rent or taxes):
-College Degree
-Ford Ranger
-Bigass Traffic Ticket
-Couple computers that cost a lot
-Bigscreen TV
-The Rest of my Home Theater
-Trips to Florida in the summer
-Honeymoon
-Trips to California with the Wife
-Wife's Wedding/Engagement Ring
Things that brought me great happiness:
Most of the above, absent the Ranger, the Ticket, and the Ring (though she seemed to like it!).
Either a lot of people buy stupid expensive shit that doesn't make them happy, or I'm doing something wrong here. Part of it is that much of what makes me "happy" is either time spent with people or hobbies I enjoy, and most of the things I buy relate directly to one or the other. I don't own a $50K penis-on-wheels, nor am I ever likely to.
Pretty soon we'll be spending like $180K on a house, and I'm sure that will make me pretty damn happy, too.
Also he seems to be ignoring a lot of things that have great utility, and are necessary. My $5K truck is probably one of the more expensive things I've ever bought, and no it doesn't make me particularly happy but I'd be pretty fucked without it. Which, I suppose, would make me unhappy. So yeah, indirectly my truck brings me great happiness. Same with, I don't know, our washer and dryer. These things are expensive, but damn would life suck without them...but it's not like they spring to mind on the "things that make me happy" list.
This whole thing seems dumb.
Absolutely, but much of the United States (and the world) seem to think buying a bunch of stuff makes you win at life.
The condescension makes me want to fucking throw up.
House
My current car
My wife's current car
My wife's undergraduate education
Our wedding
My undergraduate education
My first car
My graduate education
Honeymoon to New England
Five-year anniversary trip to Washington D.C.
With the exception of the honeymoon (don't ask) and my wife's car (a PT Cruiser? Really, honey?), that'd be pretty close to a list of the purchases I've received the most enjoyment from , although kittens, computers, and books would probably also make the enjoyment list.
True. I guess I'm pretty good at doing the Money:Happiness calculus on the fly...like when I bought my iPod as a graduation gift to myself. I looked at the Classics and Touches, but swiftly realized that the Nano did everything I wanted it to for a lot less money...it was like 99% of the happiness for half the price.
It's also why I laugh when people show me their spiffy new phones and shit like I'm supposed to be impressed. I paid $0 for mine, not counting the contract (which they signed too), and it makes and receives texts/calls. If you derive utility from your phone that makes it worth what you paid, awesome...but I think some people are honestly fishing for jealousy, and it just ain't happening.
Well, that goes back to the earlier posts regarding happiness versus lack of misery. I can agree that money doesn't necessarily make you happy, but the lack thereof can certainly make life suck and having it certainly makes it easier to be happy. Yeah you can be rich and miserable, if you try or if you're a generally miserable person (or if what you do to get the money makes you miserable).
But if somebody transferred $100M into my bank account tomorrow? I'm pretty sure my happiness quotient would skyrocket pretty fucking quickly.
We fly every summer down to Florida to stay in a million dollar (probably more) beachfront condo that some relatives on the wife's side own and let us use for a week or so. When I'm there, I can't help but think that money sure as shit makes it easy to make yourself happy.
EDIT: Anybody here ever watch Desperate Housewives? Well I do, so shut up. Anyway, one of my favorite lines ever was when somebody says to Gabby that "money doesn't make us happy," and she replies, "Honey, that's just a lie we tell poor people so they won't riot."
Sounds like he just didn't know how to use money.
Step 1: Get the fuck out of West Virgnia
Money can't buy happiness. But if your gonna be miserable, isn't it better to be miserable on your own private island in the Caribbean, surrounded by scantily clad, nubile serving women?
$$$:
Plane tickets to and from Australia
Macbook
Surround sound system
Suit
Fancy 1-year anniversary dinner
Rock Band
Website hosting (1 year's)
1/4th
Macbook
Website hosting
Rock Band
Surround sound system
1/4th
Fancy 1-year anniversary dinner
Suit
(Haven't actually gone to Australia yet)
Dammit, I forgot all the other video game consoles I've bought. Screw this.
It may not be a sufficient condition but it is certainly a necessary one. The idea of the virtuous poor is an idiotic one. There's an incalculable amount of human misery in our country that can be directly traced to the lack of a basic minimum of the security, freedom, and comfort that money provides.
Car
Car
Wedding
Computer
TV
Trip to Germany/Switzerland/France/England
Trip to Italy
Computer
Computer
They didn't necessarily make me happy in that same order, but I don't regret paying for any of them.
I would absolutely love to be able to call the people I care about up and say, "HI! How would you like a fully paid-for education at the best university you can get in to?"
False.
There is a point of diminishing returns, but that beachfront condo in Florida? I'd be happier if I owned it. And if I had a private jet I could use to fly to it, or to Europe, or to wherever I wanted whenever I wanted. And was able to share both with friends and family at will.
EDIT: And an Acura and in-ground pool would also make me happier, because they would make my time more enjoyable. Would they make me $100K happier, or however much they cost? Depends how much money I have, and what I'm having to give up to have them. But if I could just sign my name and have them at will? Yeah, I'd take them in a heartbeat.
That doesn't differentiate the 2 though.
Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?
Did you go to college? If so, how did you pay for it? If not, did you ever get any training at all that allowed you to perform your current job?
At what age did you move out from your parents?
Did you get any kind of financial assistance or windfalls from your parents in your late teens or early 20s? Did they help you with rent on your first apartment, or did you have investment money that they saved for you from birth, or anything else like that?
What did you do early in your adult life to keep costs down?
The reason I'm asking these questions is because between all the people I've known, the only ones who haven't ended up in debt by their mid-20s were the ones who got substantial windfalls - their parents bought Intel stock in 1994 in their name, or they got a trust fund from a deceased relative, or they got a settlement from a lawsuit. People say "I don't buy a lot of shit I don't need," but when I was 21, I had to take out debt to pay rent and utilities in addition to my student loans and I don't think my story is entirely uncommon.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
If that's who they are I don't want to care about them anymore so it's win/win.