Maybe Money Can Buy Happiness

Depends on what you buy

So, apparently money can buy happiness – you just have to spend it on the right things. Cambridge University researchers spent time giving test subjects a personality test and looking at their spending habits. It turns out those who spent more money on things that matched their personality were happier than the rest. For instance, someone who scored well for “agreeableness” would spend more on charities and pets; and the more they spent, the more likely they were to be happy. People considered to be “highly conscientious” spent about $175 more each year on health and fitness than those who had a poor correlation to those personality traits. Those who identified strongly with a “neurotic” personality type were likely to spend a lot of money on traffic fines and gambling. In short, spending in the right way mattered more than total income or spending.

 Image via KMR Photography on Flickr.