Nice words/thoughts. Experiences rather than goods, this is similar to the one cited before on doing versus having. There is something else: a two phase model of happiness seems to be playing: we have bottom line happiness that is associated with bottom line level of money and then we have advanced happiness when it can only be satisfied through realizing oneself. Remember one guy was saying that for happiness, forget your passion. I think for bottom line happiness, think of surviving is good but once past that level, only meeting passionate guys and tasks can do the trick!
Daniel Gilbert (author of the bestseller Stumbling on Happiness) spells out 8 ways we can spend our money to increase happiness:
(1) “Buy more experiences and fewer material goods.”
(2) “Use their money to benefit others rather than themselves”
(3) “Buy many small pleasures rather than fewer large ones”
(4) “Eschew extended warranties and other forms of overpriced insurance”
(5) “Delay consumption”
(6) “Consider how peripheral features of their purchases may affect their day-to-day lives”
(7) “Beware of comparison shopping”
(8) “Pay close attention to the happiness of others.”
via 8 ways that money can buy happiness: – Barking up the wrong tree.
jwuventure 