Tyler Patton Patton 1
Professor McNamara
ENGL 1101-103
September 24, 2014

How Money Can Buy Happiness

Can money buy happiness? How much money does one really need to endure happiness? These are questions some people ask themselves every now and then. Some turn on the TV and see videos of celebrities and entrepreneurs having fun with close friends and relatives. And that’s when the questions come to mind; can money give me this type of happiness? Truthfully, it could. All it takes is managing money and spending it wisely on things that are actually beneficial. There are multiple ways to bring happiness into a person’s life with substantial income, such as going on vacations, using money in a pro-social way and seeking needed medical attention.

Many people say that happiness can’t be bought over a few dollars. Some may feel this way because when money is being spent, most of the time it’s going towards materialistic items that will only produce temporary happiness. Although this may be true under certain circumstances, if money was being spent correctly and wisely, it could bring some people true and genuine happiness into their lives.

Paying for a vacation or a getaway such as a vacation to Stone Mountain Pak for a camping trip or a getaway to Destin, Florida is common way money could buy happiness. According to the article Happiness Through Vacationing: Just a Temporary Boost or Long-Term Benefits? Researcher Jeroen Nawijn Conducts an experiment where he asked over one thousand people “Does vacationing add to our happiness in the long run?” ( Nawijn, 651). Research shows that majority people agreed that in fact, some people are happier when they are on a getaway. (Nawijn, 651) People think back on all the vacations where everything could’ve went right. Where people enjoyed most of the things that city or state, they visited, had to offer. Those are the type of vacations some people grow to appreciate later on; because it was most likely a stress free situation and you had the finances to enjoy yourself and the company of others.

As an example as to how I’ve experienced happiness by going on a vacation, is when my family and I flew to Washington, DC for my eldest sisters graduation at Howard University. That same weekend my twin sister and I celebrated our 19th birthday. We stayed at this lovely hotel in Georgetown, which was definitely one of the most impressive hotels I’ve ever stayed in. While in DC me eldest sister took us to all of her favorite restaurants throughout the city. We even rented this bikes that we took all around the city while looking at all the monuments. The next day we flew to New York to celebrate mother’s day. We stayed at a hotel that was exactly one block from Times Square. We went shopping in Times Square and on 5th avenue. We also went to visit the statue of liberty and went all the way to the top, the view was amazing! That was an experience I’m sure me and my family will never forget. If my parents didn’t have the finances to support those trips, I doubt we would’ve had that much fun.

Spending money in a pro-social way could potentially make someone happy for many years. Spending money on other people such as helping a family member pay for rent knowing that they are in a tough position in their life and