Finances and Happiness?

As my husband and I face uncertain times - with the pending sale of his business and me wasting away at a job that pays like a Wal-mart greeter - I find myself searching more and more for any kind of information, enlightenment, biting sarcasm about money.  How to get it, how to keep it, and why it's such a damn hassle to hit that sweet spot of having enough, but not too much.

And then I stumble upon this article.  It's an interview with Laura Vanderkam, who has a book out titled All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know About Getting and Spending.  I feel like I must read this book.

I often wonder what job would bring me the ultimate happiness...which often directly correlates to how much money I would make in comparison to the amount of work I would have to do intermixed with the level of pleasure and personal satisfaction derived from said work.  According to Laura, there is a sweet spot:

The "how happy are you right now" question and what your current mood is -- that seems to max out at about $75,000 a year, which is probably the point where people have solved most of their day-to-day worries of a car breaking down, or an unexpected bill or paying a mortgage. But past that, people's day-to-day happiness does not go higher.

So, I need to make $75K to feel my most happy.  I would tend to agree with her...just enough money to buy a few frivolous things here and then.  Plenty of money to stash away for an unforeseen emergency.  And more than enough to live in the house and drive the car I need at this point in my life. 

People should save far more money than they do. Instead of saving for retirement, save for now. If money doesn't buy you love, what it does buy is freedom. More assets give you more options in life. You have the ability to walk away from a job that's not making you happy, and if you do like your job, if you have assets in the bank, you can push back. You can say, "I don't want to do this" or "I'd like to do something else." What's the worst they can do? Fire you? You don't care.

Indeed...my issue with most jobs is the feeling that you "need" to be there.  Even when they abuse you, or just take you for granted, you really can't tell them where to shove it.  Apparently that kind of power can be had for just $75,000 a year.  With the amount of time and money I've spent on my education, and the (wo)man hours I've put in at less-than-glamorous jobs, I think I deserve that $75K. 

Now, on the important stuff...save more money.