Can Money Buy Happiness?, Ctd

by Patrick Appel

A reader writes:

One thing missing in the discussion is that money can buy us freedom from the things that weigh us down. I’ve been broke before and now I’m not (I’m not crazy rich by any means, but certainly affluent), and while I don’t deprive myself of the things I really want, I could consume much more conspicuously than I do. But I also know that if I never put another penny away my kids are going to go to good colleges. I know that I don’t have to worry about paying for health insurance, or putting food on the table, or having reliable transportation. When my roof leaks, I call someone to fix it, I pay it, and I think nothing of it.  When my mother (who has gone through some really tough times in recent years) needed a car, I bought it without financing.  I never spend a second worrying about my family’s needs.  I know that they’re provided for.  That’s remarkably liberating.  And it adds substantially to my happiness.