How To Buy Happiness

“Money can’t buy happiness” they say.

But ask if you can create misery with the way you handle money, and everyone will agree that you can.

If life satisfaction is a continuum from worse to better, then clearly we can influence our happiness with the way we work with money.

This humourous talk looks at how to use one’s existing financial resources to leverage one’s happiness.

Topics include:

• The human inability to predict what will make us happy, resulting in decisions that routinely take us in the wrong direction.
• The guiding influence of our own past. We have been conducting happiness experiments all our lives - but may have failed to look at what the data tell us.
• The distinction between temptation and satisfaction.
• The misery-inducing nature of unnecessary debt.
• The principle that “In order to buy happiness, we have to buy happiness.” We cannot scatter money randomly and expect to get happiness as a free bonus.
• Ways to increase one’s disposable income without actually getting a raise.
• The value of experiences over objects.
• How to use money to express one’s values and get happier at the same time.
• Strategies for purchasing freedom and time with money.

Depending on the host’s preferences and the length of presentation, participants can receive a 62-page personal workbook to accompany the talk - plus access to a 3-hour online course on the subject.

Formats: Available in 45-, 60-, 90-, and 120-minute versions, as well as half-day and full-day workshops. Shorter versions generally focus somewhat more narrowly, whereas longer versions afford the opportunity for participants to do more exercises and personal exploration. These presentations work best with visuals, so there is normally a screen with presenter’s laptop and host’s (or presenter’s) projector.