Money is, undoubtedly, a very important part of our lives. We use it daily to get food, pay for shelter, security, commodities, utilities, and so on. Therefore, it’s common for people to confuse their priorities and start thinking - even subconsciously - that money is all that matters. It’s an understandable confusion, after all, money does buy all the symbols of happiness: a house, a car, a PS4, whatever yours is. But what we need to understand is that working just for the money is a very backwards way of thinking.
So let’s put our philosopher’s hats on and try to get what this “money” thing is all about.
It’s not your money - it’s “the” money
The money you currently own has one single purpose: to be owned by someone else. Don’t worry too much about having money, because you never really do.
You see, money didn’t grant these men happiness; money didn’t bring them a sense of security. The pursuit of money—the blind quest for more—crippled them, transmogrified them, actually made them less secure. I knew guys who earned half a million a year but who were such a financial mess that they couldn’t get a loan for a Toyota Corolla. And all these men had one other thing in common: many moons ago, they too thought they’d be different. - Joshua Fields Millburn
Money is just this thing that exists, constantly changing values and names, jumping from hand to hand and, in a way, never actually going anywhere.
To visualize this, imagine you own a dollar. Now imagine that you paid for coffee with that dollar. A week later, your friend gives you a dollar he owed you. Will you think of that dollar as the same one you paid for coffee with the week before? Of course not, that a completely different dollar, right? Right?
Money can’t buy happiness
This is a cliché discussion, but the philosophy behind it is very important. Money can buy you an XBOX, a laptop or a nice coffee maker - all things that can make you happy - but don’t be fooled by this notion: happiness is, like every emotion, temporary. And there’s nothing wrong about that. You can say you had a happy life, but surely not all days were happy 24h- you just balance it out.
“Money can purchase the symbols but not the causes of serenity and buoyancy. In a straightforward way we must agree that money cannot buy happiness.” - Alan Watts
Money is nothing more than means to an end
Your goal when working should never be the money itself, but the things you want to use it for. Whether you want to buy a car, go to college or simply pay the bills.
Consider this: how much money would it take to make you fully happy with everything in your life? Sounds like a simple question, but most people have no idea or can’t quite put their finger on the right amount.
Focus on what you need, not what you want
Like every money-related advice, this is often hard to follow, simply because not always our needs lead to the cheapest, smaller thing. But it’s good advice nevertheless.
The thing about money though, is that it doesn’t buy you freedom. When you’re doing things purely for money, you’re a slave to it. And it becomes your master. You’ll find yourself slaving away for him, in exchange for something that won’t be able to buy the things that truly matter. Things like love, friendship and time. - Pikaland
There’s this myth that if you start NOT worrying about money, you’ll cease to be financially responsible. It’s not the same thing. We all need to be financially responsible, but by doing that, you don’t necessarily have to worry.
For example, most people are told by their parents or financial educators that they need to have three to six months worth of savings that covers living expenses. It’s a lot of money, but most people also get this wrong - these savings should not account for those 100 channels you never watch, the XBOX monthly subscription, Steam Sales or a pair of sneakers you thought were real nice. Don’t misunderstand: you can get all those things if you have money. But when we’re talking about your savings fund, it should account for only the basics: food, shelter, energy bills, medicine, and utility bills. Don’t expect your savings fund to pay for all your current life standard.
Balance is important
No one is telling you money doesn’t matter or that it isn’t important. In the world we live in, it’s simply part of our lives. Of course you’re going to worry about money. The only important is that you worry for the right reasons, and with the right focus.
“There are quite profound reasons why we should care simultaneously about having and doing. Both are connected to flourishing.” - Anais Nin
In conclusion
Caring less about money is actually just a matter of caring more about the experiences that money can provide, rather than the things it can buy. Experiences become a part of your life, part of who you are, and generally make you feel a lot happier than anything you could buy. You can read more about this idea here: Unveiling the Secret to Happiness.
Money always leads to very interesting discussions - be sure to leave your thoughts on the comments and share all this money talk with your friends on Facebook!
