Money Doesn't Buy True Happiness, But it Can Sure Make You Less Sad

I've always struggled with finances. It's not something that I am proud of but it's a reality unfortunately. I used to be one of those people that used a credit card willy nilly, not thinking of the consequences. Kicking the can down the road as they say (much like government does). Well, reckoning time eventually arrives and the bill comes due. I thought by the age of forty that I would be comfortable with my finances. But it seems like whenever my wife and I get close, we end up being blindsided by a major repair event. That's just life I guess. I try to look on the bright side and realize that I do own a home, cars, and have a family. There are people much worse off than myself. But sometimes we struggle to figure out how we are going to buy groceries for the week, or how much we have left to pay for gas. To put it simply, we live paycheck to paycheck and each month can be a struggle. The leader of my work organization, which shall remain nameless, was shocked when informed that people live paycheck to paycheck. This person grew up fairly comfortably and between their salary and the salary of their spouse, they will never have to worry about finances. They even have a nanny. It just shows how the classes are separated within our society. The haves and the have nots. And the in-betweens such as myself; who make enough to survive but can never afford the luxuries that others enjoy. My car, as stated in a previous post, is fairly aged. I would love to buy a new Ford Bronco but that is an untenable prize at the juncture of my life. I'd love to be able to go to a store and just spend a couple hundred dollars without breaking a sweat. And it's not like my wife and I spend like crazy. We don't buy a lot of unnecessary items. Just the basics. We rarely eat out but we do enjoy the occasional DoorDash, which by the way is one of the greatest ideas of all time. I hate picking up food and willingly pay extra not have to leave my house. But most of the time we cook our own meals, which is certainly healthier but involves much more work. Vacations are also something that we don't have the pleasure to enjoy. Our last few vacations were with my in-laws and they paid for the rental house. I would love to be able to pay them back for this kindness but alas, I cannot. Being an in between means that my hobbies are somewhat limited. I would love to collect antiques and old toys but that would be nearly impossible at the moment. A vacation would be wonderful but again it's not possible. This is not a pity party at all. I'm just speaking for myself and a lot of other people. A lot of times we are forgotten within society as we aren't so poor as to warrant government assistance and we aren't rich enough to take advantage of tax loopholes. We also get screwed with taxes as they hurt the in between people the most. The rich can afford a higher tax rate and the poor typically don't have to pay it. Sometimes I do feel stuck and am overcome with a wave of depression. Mostly because I see how others live and envy their lifestyle. Also because none of this was anyone else's fault but my own. If I had someone to blame it on maybe it would be easier. Perhaps the quest to become financially comfortable is more fun because of the challenge and their is something to strive for. Once I had enough who's to say that I wouldn't want more? It's like when the great Lawrence Taylor won the Super Bowl for the first time. He stated, and I'm paraphrasing, "I've achieved the highest possible goal, now what". Ain't that the truth. But it sure beats losing the big game. Honestly, I'm not even sure if anyone reads these posts. I'd like to think that they do but there's just so many similar blogs and websites out there that it's difficult to stand out. But it is certainly therapeutic to write these posts. I do hope people read them as I do work hard on all of this, in between working full time and parenting two crazy kids. With all this being said, I'm still an overall happy person. Money doesn't buy true happiness. Happiness is a state of mind, which cannot be purchased. I see so many happy people that have so little. It really puts things into perspective. So, maybe money can make you less sad. I think that is a truer statement. It's sad to think that you can't feed your children, and thank the lord that we don't have to worry about that. But I'd like to enjoy my life a little more. So read my site, share it and enjoy my words of wisdom. I'd like to think that this goat has a lot to offer.