Spend yourself happy

1 Splurge on other people

It’s not called ‘retail therapy’ for nothing. There’s no doubt we get a shot of pleasure when purchasing items for ourselves. The problem is, it’s usually short-lived and may be followed by feelings of guilt or emptiness. Once we get our coveted items home and integrate them into our lives, they fade into the background and we revert to our emotional ‘set point’. When we spend on others, though – whether it’s a bunch of flowers for mom, drinks for friends or clothing for someone in need – the ‘high’ is much more likely to last.

2 Acquire experiences, not things

What are your happiest, shiniest memories from the past year? Odds are, they do not include the day you purchased an iPad or drove home in a new car. More likely it was a magical anniversary date, a family holiday or a birthday party. That’s because experiences, rather than things, are more likely to make a lasting impression on us.

3 Work less and enjoy more

We get so absorbed in the daily race to earn money, we forget to give ourselves enough time to enjoy it. ‘Try turning around the old maxim “time is money” and look at it this way: “we pay for money with our time”,’ say Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin, authors of Your Money or Your Life. ‘Those hours on the job are what bring money into our lives. Money, by definition, is simply something for which we choose to trade hours of our life – what we’ll call “life energy.” While money has no intrinsic reality, our life energy does – at least to us. It is precious because it is limited and irretrievable, and because our choices about how we use it express the meaning and purpose of our time here on earth.’
So use your money to buy time. Take the day off and spend it with your kids. Say no to a new client and use the time to work on a passion, such as writing or painting. Hire a cleaner or an assistant to take care of daily chores and admin. If you can make more time to reconnect with your partner, meditate, exercise, make love, go on holiday, enjoy a family meal, spend time with your parents and friends… you’ll have the perfect recipe for a happy life.