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yboris an hour ago

A classic paper worth a read:

If money doesn't make you happy, then you probably aren't spending it right

by Elizabeth Dunn, Daniel Gilbert, & Timothy D. Wilson

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S10577...

Includes explicit recommendations (even in the short abstract)!

throw0101d an hour ago | parent [-]

Books on happiness (research) have become a bit of a thing in recent years, but Dunn seems to have published one of the earlier ones in 2013:

* https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15803098-happy-money

I'd also recommend Morgan Housel's various writings:

* https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/231148075-the-art-of-spe...

He had an interesting observation: the popular saying "don't spend money on things, but on experiences" only goes so far. Spending on things can bring about experiences: the big house/cabin/cottage per se may not bring you happiness, but if it's a place that you can gather family and friends, that can bring happiness/meaning. His first car didn't bring him happiness because it was a car (and not even fancy), but because of all the road trips he did with his friends in it.

MattSayar 21 minutes ago | parent [-]

I just finished reading this book while taking a train for a weekend vacation. To your point, he mentions that if spending money doesn't make you happy, it's because you're spending it on the wrong things. You shouldn't spend money to get the respect of others, because it's fleeting, causes envy, and is the fast food of getting respect. You need to spend money in ways that give you new experiences until you discover what kind of spending DOES make you happy.