re: money is not the key to happiness

quote:

---

Money is the key to instant gratification but not caring what others think is the key to true happiness in my opinion.

---

It's a lot easier to not care what others think when you're not spending a good portion of your day wondering where rent money is coming or how long your car can run before it dies and how to afford a new one. Or an example that I used with my wife a while back when we had to pay a large vet bill. There were customers that same day who had to beg for a payment plan to have their animal treated for like a $150 bill, and we dropped over $1k without any worry or concern about how this affects our day-to-day life or financial future.

THAT makes a huge difference in how enjoyable life is. I can't imagine having to let my dog die because I couldn't afford to have him treated, and all the stress and guilt.

I grew up relatively poor and it sucked. I only now really appreciate what my mom sacrificed and how little we knew about some close calls with unexpected bills that almost had her lose our house and put us on the street. Being poor fricking sucks and makes happiness incredibly difficult b/c of all the pressure and stress and uncertainty.