Monday 11 February 2019

Happy Go Money: Spend Smart, Save Right and Enjoy Life by Melissa Leong



Mothers who took more than three years off earned 30% less than childless women at age 40, one Statistics Canada report says.



Scientists in neuroeconomics (the study of how we make economic decisions) break happiness into two types: 1. Life satisfaction: an evaluation of your well-being as a whole (the kind of happy where you're pleased with life in general).  2. Day-to-day mood: the highs and lows.



How happy are you on a scale of one to ten? Now think about how much money you have in the bank, your salary.  How much more money would you need to be a perfect 10?



Neighbours of lottery winners are more likely to declare bankruptcy within a few years of the big win.



Each American throws away 7.1 pounds of garbage every day and 102 tons in a lifetime.  At the end of our lives, we'd need one grave for our bodies, 1,100 for our trash.



To help you achieve maximum joy with your dollars, I'm going to suggest three types of things to spend on: 1. Experiences 2. Time Savers 3. Anticipation.  These things, according to research, will make you happier in the long run and give you a greater return on your investment.



A (not so) secret of mega-successful people: they continue to invest in themselves.



Buying anything that improves the way you spend your time is money well spent.



I often hear people say that they'd love to work with a financial advisor but they're waiting until they have more money put aside or until their debt is paid off.  That's like saying you'll hire a running coach after completing your first marathon.



Look at problems as solutions waiting to happen.



Debt is one of the biggest predictors of relationship strife.  Every 10-fold increase in consumer debt is associated with a  7% increase in the likelihood of divorce.