$60K a year can make you happy
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Mark Nischalke wrote:
$60K a year can make you happy
I wonder what century that survey was done in? Try living in NYC on $60K/yr. The homeless people probably make $60K/yr!!! Marc
Marc Clifton wrote:
The homeless people probably make $60K/yr!!!
That reminds me of something that happened to me about ten years ago. Once or twice I gave money a few times to some "homeless" guy in a parking of my local grocery store. Later, I saw a news story about the guy. They had their reporter dress like another homeless guy and talked to him using a hidden camera. They found out he was making about $30K/year in cash, had a three room house, and took his boat out to the lake every weekend. At the time, I was technically making more, but because I had to pay taxes and he didn't, I was actually taking home less money. (Guess that's why they call him "homeless" :laugh: ) I was so infuriated - made me wonder, why the **** was I bothering to work for a living? (Don't get me wrong - if someone's going to a shelter every night, they need the help. But those guys on the freeway exits and in the parking lots? They are scammers!)
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http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/02/11/ted.big.ideas/index.html?hpt=C2[^] $60K a year can make you happy Psychologist and Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman says millions of dollars won't buy you happiness, but a job that pays $60,000 a year might help. Happiness levels increase up to the $60K mark, but "above that it's a flat line," he said. "Money does not buy you experiential happiness but lack of money certainly buys you misery," he said. But the real trick, Kahneman said, is to spend time with people you like. And Bill Gates is so miserable with all his billions. ;P
I know the language. I've read a book. - _Madmatt
Mark Nischalke wrote:
And Bill Gates is so miserable with all his billions.
I think he's above the 60k mark. RTFM.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Mark Nischalke wrote:
And Bill Gates is so miserable with all his billions.
I think he's above the 60k mark. RTFM.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
Mark Wallace wrote:
RTFM.
:confused: :confused:
I know the language. I've read a book. - _Madmatt
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Marc Clifton wrote:
The homeless people probably make $60K/yr!!!
That reminds me of something that happened to me about ten years ago. Once or twice I gave money a few times to some "homeless" guy in a parking of my local grocery store. Later, I saw a news story about the guy. They had their reporter dress like another homeless guy and talked to him using a hidden camera. They found out he was making about $30K/year in cash, had a three room house, and took his boat out to the lake every weekend. At the time, I was technically making more, but because I had to pay taxes and he didn't, I was actually taking home less money. (Guess that's why they call him "homeless" :laugh: ) I was so infuriated - made me wonder, why the **** was I bothering to work for a living? (Don't get me wrong - if someone's going to a shelter every night, they need the help. But those guys on the freeway exits and in the parking lots? They are scammers!)
Hired Mind wrote:
a. They found out he was making about $30K/year in cash
There was an article in the paper when I was living in San Diego with similar stories. I agree--quite infuriating! Marc
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Anybody who tells you money is the root of all evil is also getting the quote wrong. Edit to add: The original quote, not the Boiler Room quote.
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Mark Wallace wrote:
RTFM.
:confused: :confused:
I know the language. I've read a book. - _Madmatt
'"Happiness levels increase up to the $60K mark, but "above that it's a flat line," he said.' That doesn't mean that Gates is miserable, but that he would have been just as happy at 60K. It ain't rocket surgery.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/02/11/ted.big.ideas/index.html?hpt=C2[^] $60K a year can make you happy Psychologist and Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman says millions of dollars won't buy you happiness, but a job that pays $60,000 a year might help. Happiness levels increase up to the $60K mark, but "above that it's a flat line," he said. "Money does not buy you experiential happiness but lack of money certainly buys you misery," he said. But the real trick, Kahneman said, is to spend time with people you like. And Bill Gates is so miserable with all his billions. ;P
I know the language. I've read a book. - _Madmatt
It's all about getting whatever it is that you want. So, no matter how much money you have, a baseball player with no arms will probably never really be happy. However, considering the majority of the population probably prefers to satisfy their inante and gluttonous desire for an accumluation of "things", money usually does the trick. Money can buy you happiness. Though, of course, it all depends what it is that brings you that happiness. ;P
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Mark Nischalke wrote:
$60K a year can make you happy
I wonder what century that survey was done in? Try living in NYC on $60K/yr. The homeless people probably make $60K/yr!!! Marc
that is a "chicken and egg" scenario. If everyone in NYC made 60K/year then it would be easy to do so. The only reason it costs more than that is because people have the money to spend. There is nothing inherently about NYC that makes it more expensive to build houses or more expensive to run a grocery store.
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http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/02/11/ted.big.ideas/index.html?hpt=C2[^] $60K a year can make you happy Psychologist and Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman says millions of dollars won't buy you happiness, but a job that pays $60,000 a year might help. Happiness levels increase up to the $60K mark, but "above that it's a flat line," he said. "Money does not buy you experiential happiness but lack of money certainly buys you misery," he said. But the real trick, Kahneman said, is to spend time with people you like. And Bill Gates is so miserable with all his billions. ;P
I know the language. I've read a book. - _Madmatt
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http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/02/11/ted.big.ideas/index.html?hpt=C2[^] $60K a year can make you happy Psychologist and Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman says millions of dollars won't buy you happiness, but a job that pays $60,000 a year might help. Happiness levels increase up to the $60K mark, but "above that it's a flat line," he said. "Money does not buy you experiential happiness but lack of money certainly buys you misery," he said. But the real trick, Kahneman said, is to spend time with people you like. And Bill Gates is so miserable with all his billions. ;P
I know the language. I've read a book. - _Madmatt
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Mark Nischalke wrote:
$60K a year can make you happy
I wonder what century that survey was done in? Try living in NYC on $60K/yr. The homeless people probably make $60K/yr!!! Marc
But is anyone who lives in NYC happy anyway? NYC probably had to be excluded from the study as an anomaly... Move somewhere cheaper and be happy. Or you could just adjust the 60K figure for relative COLA in your location.
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http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/02/11/ted.big.ideas/index.html?hpt=C2[^] $60K a year can make you happy Psychologist and Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman says millions of dollars won't buy you happiness, but a job that pays $60,000 a year might help. Happiness levels increase up to the $60K mark, but "above that it's a flat line," he said. "Money does not buy you experiential happiness but lack of money certainly buys you misery," he said. But the real trick, Kahneman said, is to spend time with people you like. And Bill Gates is so miserable with all his billions. ;P
I know the language. I've read a book. - _Madmatt
As a popular saying here in Brazil: "Money doesn't bring you happines it pays someone to do that for you!" - Unknown
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http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/02/11/ted.big.ideas/index.html?hpt=C2[^] $60K a year can make you happy Psychologist and Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman says millions of dollars won't buy you happiness, but a job that pays $60,000 a year might help. Happiness levels increase up to the $60K mark, but "above that it's a flat line," he said. "Money does not buy you experiential happiness but lack of money certainly buys you misery," he said. But the real trick, Kahneman said, is to spend time with people you like. And Bill Gates is so miserable with all his billions. ;P
I know the language. I've read a book. - _Madmatt
OK, to put this into perspective a US job that pays $60k puts you almost exactly in the top 20% of US income earners. (assuming that you have a job and are over 25) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal\_income\_in\_the\_United\_States In fact, it puts you in the top 40% of household incomes. So if you make $60k+ and your husband stays at home and watches the kids, you're still making more than the average family. And you probably have a University degree or better. If you exclude some of the outlandish parts of the country (NY, LA), then $60k + health benefits provides you a very comfortable quality of life. And if you're like most earners in this category, there's a very good chance that your spouse also works which bumps you up even higher. If you make 60k and your spouse makes even $10 / hour (i.e.: 20k), that puts your family into the top 20% of US households. So is that going to make you happy? You can probably afford to travel once / year, own a relatively new car, maintain a mortgage (at 2000 rates) and be a step or two behind the bleeding edge of new toys. Well look at the numbers and then picture the life. You go to a church with 100 families and you're in the top 20 for income. In fact, your top 20 group probably makes up 50 to 75% of the church funding. It sounds selfish, but that's a pretty comfortable feeling. If you're in this group, your kid is likely one of the richest 4 or 5 kids in their class. When the kids want to hang out, they want to hang out at your place b/c you have the good TV, the good games, the good snacks and the space. That provides some solid comfort. I know these are shallow definitions. But these things would probably make most people happy. Is 90k better than 60k? Probably. But the passions & hobbies you can afford at 90k were probably available at 60k. Numerically it's a 50% bump, but socially it provides a limited benefit. And if you're the type who's not happy with being in the top 20%, then how much further do you need to go? Top 10%? Top 5%? I mean really, 60k for one job is so far enough "ahead of the game" to keep happy those that can be kept happy. (now I will admit that I haven't seen the talk, it's not up yet, these are just my initial reactions)
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Yet recruiters advertise some of the lowest rates in the nation right there in NYC. As if someone actually wants to live their for the privilege. I live in South Florida and I could maintain a healthy life-style on 60k a year. However ... I like toys.
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
I live in South Florida too, and I definitely could NOT live comfortably on $60k a year. Prior to the recession, it was more like $120k a year, due to the cost of housing. Now it's more like $80k a year, but even with the recession, $60k is too little. You'd have to live in a very rural place to feel comfortable making $60k a year.