They don’t call them your ‘golden years’ because
of the fortune that you’re likely to have amassed by the time you reach
retirement. Although it is hardly a revelation that not having enough money
will make most people miserable, having bucket-loads is no guarantee of
happiness either. Money has the power to make you miserable if you let it.
Studies show that a person’s day-to-day happiness
increases in line with their income up to approximately £50,000 ($80,000),
after which it plateaus. The message is clear: although money can’t buy you
love, it can buy you happiness up to a point after which you’ll need to rely on
something else to put a smile on your face.
A 2004 study published by the National Bureau of
Economic Research found that increasing the number of sexual encounters from
once a month to once a week boosts a person’s happiness by as much as a £31,000
($50,000) pay rise!
