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IDIOMS

An idiomis a phrase where the words together have a meaning that is

different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words.

Idioms and idiomatic expressions are used in all languages in the world. Somepeople use idioms often in their daily life and this makes their speech richer.

How Money Affects the Way we Live, Does itReally Makes us Happy?

Many people say that money is everything in life; others argue the opposite: money does not make you

happy, money is not everything in life, it is the time you spend with your family and friends what really

makes you happy. Both arguments are correct to a certain point; the truth is that money plays an

important role in our lives; there is nothing wrong about having money, living a good life is honestly-

what the majority of the population wishes for; not in a selfish way, but having enough money to pay the

bills, to provide better education to our kids and pay hospital bills are the main motives of aspiring for a

better income.

If you still think money is not important; just ask yourself this question:If I could have any 3 wishes,

what would they be?I am sure that at least 90% would make a money-related wish. Money is a symbol of

freedom and independence, the only problem about wishing for more money is what you do In order to

get more that what we have; I am not talking about doing something illegal; in the majority of the cases,

we need to work harder; but does it really make us happy? There have been plenty of studies that showsthat the middle and upper class population live longer than the working class; however the main reason is

because they look after themselves better; they know the importance of a good diet and the impact of

exercise in your life; it does not mean that they are happier because they have more money; in fact,

according to many studies, the happiest population around the world tend to be the poorest one.

I was not surprised when I read a British newspaper at the beginning of 2011 with the title Nigeria is

beset by poverty, corruption and violence but a poll says it is the world's most optimistic nation[35]; in

a section of the article reads a global survey has confirmed it: in a 53-country Gallup poll, Nigerians

were rated at 70 points for optimism. By contrast, Britain scored a deeply pessimistic -44. Why so glum,

Britain? And what in the world makes Nigerians so happy?

When it comes to our finances, each of us has our own individual approach. Some of us are savers, some

are spenders, and others are somewhere in between. This continuum is a paradigm that our popular culture

uses to frame differences in the way people approach money.

I believe that the way we approach our finances goes beyond that particular behavioral characteristic. In

reality, I think our approach to finances can be viewed in more of a multi-dimensional setting, where

money has a different role in each our lives. For some, money means survival, plain and simple. For others,

money is something that is a part of their lives but rarely on their mind, regardless of the role it actually plays.

For yet others, money is an obsession, as accumulation signifies achievement. Some people view money as

analogous to insurance, or a defensive resource to protect against future setbacks. Some people want money

to provide a good home.or to contribute to the ability to have certain hobbies.or to provide something to

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bequeath to future generations.and so on. Sometimes the same person may view money differently in

different situations. The bottom line is that we each have our own relationship with money, and our own

conscious and subconscious needs for money, rooted in our value systems and cumulative life experiences.

This is an area of personal finance that has interested me for a while. Why do people behave the way they do

with respect to their money? Whats driving this behavior?

Of course, a starting point for anybody is to consider how you personally view things. Taking an introspective

approach, I have spent time figuring out my own take on money, and the role it plays in my life. What I have

determined is that for me, it fits into a framework that includes the following elements: Health, Wealth, and

Relationships. These are linked together as a part of a system.

Think about it: HWRHealth, Wealth, Relationships. Theyreall connected, and to the extent one is

strengthened, the others will be strengthened as well. If one is weakened, the others will be weakened as well.

For example, lets take 2 people: A and B. They are twins. A has good health, average wealth, and good

relationships. B has good health, average wealth, and poor relationships. Over time, all other things being

equal, I think that A will end up having a better overall quality of life. My reasoning is that As good

relationships will be good for his happiness and will lower his stress levels compared to B, which will give A achance to be healthier. As A is healthier, he will have a better chance to be wealthier, as he will be able to in

better position to earn money while having lower health care expenses. And while he is healthier, he in turn will

be in a better position to cultivate, keep, and grow relationships, leading to better chances to be wealthy, etc.

Circular, perhapsyet very symbiotic.

So to me, money is a part of the Wealth aspect of HWR. Beyond basic survival, money gives you the

opportunity to live a healthier life, with the time and means to have more positive relationships. One thing I

want to make clear is that I am not saying that money buys friends. Well, it could, but those arenttrue friends.

What I am saying is that the more money you have, on balance, the less stressed you are about it, and the

more time you have to do other things, such as cultivate true, genuine relationships that arent based on

money. Money is but a component in the system.

Of course, there is no right or wrong framework, each of us has our own specific one, whether we have

consciously thought about it or not. Yours might be entirely different than mine.

It would be interesting to get everyones perspectives onthe role of money in our lives, in relation to other

aspects. What do you think?

Note: I or iginally p osted thi s piece very soo n after Squirrelers was launc hed. Given the blogs

increased readership, I wanted to revise the pos t a bit and revisit this topic to get everyonesthoughts

Money ReasonsI like your point on balance thats suboptimal. Thats an interesting comment, and can be applied to my triangle

of health, wealth, and relationships as well. Once can have an equilibrium of all of these, but they can be settling for a mediocre life.

From that mediocre life (a terse/highly subjective way to put it, admittedly, but work with me here), i f one then improves health, for

example, it opens up hope and opportunity in other areas.

Theres an interesting story in Henry Hazlitts Economics in one lesson. Theres a couple of brothers who inherit a fortune from

their departed father; one takes the money and spends it out on the town, on expensive cars, clothes, apartments, etc and

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everyone loves him for it. The second brother is much more frugal with his money, spending only some of it, while investing and

saving the rest. He is despised by the others as a miserly scrooge.

As time goes on, the first brother eventually exhausts his supply of money and ends up broke, and all of his former friends desert

him. The second brothers savings and investments, while not being as conspicuous as the first brothers spending, nonetheless

help the economy just the same, and as his investments grow, his spending grows, too. Eventually, his spending surpasses the first

brothers, but he got there by building on real savings, rather than eating all of his stored nuts.

I believe that the lesson here is similar: money wont buy you friends or happiness, but proper management of it can certainly give

you much more ability to improve life for yourself and loved ones, and help out others at the same time by providing the economy

with much-needed savings.

FlexoEqually interesting perspective you have. I can see where youre going with it, and I can agree with much of the spirit of it.

For me, health and relationships are more important than money. I want to be healthy, and I want fulfilling relationships. Money is a

tool to allow us to get there, but its important. Without any money, were not going to have the time/energy/resources to focus as

much on health and relationships. Well be working long hours, eating whatevers availablefocusing on survival. With more

money, we can focus on whats most important health and relationships. Of course, being healthy puts one in a position to make

more money than if unhealthy, which can impact relationships and time spent on them, etc.so really these elements are

interrelated.

I agree with Flexos analysis of wealths place in the equation. I think the problem is that a lot of people feel the same way, but then

focus on the lack of wealth as the root issue that is holding back the ability to live a good lifeallowing one to focus on health and

relationships. So, we choose to foster and nurture our relationships and health as much as possiblewhere ever our finances may

be at that time. Although we are trying to increase wealth, it has to remain behind the scenes as a tool, it can not be the focus that

the other factors teeter on.