Can money buy happiness? According
to a new survey, the answer is yes. And, it might not cost
as much
as you think. An annual household
income of $50,000 is enough
to increase the likelihood of people feeling happy and satisfied in life.
Researchers at Marist College in New York surveyed
1,235 Americans last month. They asked people to rate
their level of
satisfaction in the following areas:
family, neighborhood
safety, housing, spiritual
life, health, friends, work, free time, finances, and community
involvement. They also asked them to identify their annual household income.
They
found that households with annual incomes of less than $50,000 were less happy
than those who earned
more than $50,000. People who earned more than $50,000 were more satisfied with
their housing, relationship with friends, and life in
general.
“Money may not directly buy happiness, but our study clearly shows that it is an important factor
in satisfaction with quality of life,” said Paul Hogan, who led the survey.
Then who were the
least happy people? The saddest Americans were the unemployed, followed by people who were recently
separated but not divorced. | | |