Will Having More Money Make You Happy?

By MAD21

I stumbled on an old article at MintLife called, "Why Rich People Aren't Really Happier." In this article, a few experts talked about why those who are 'rich' are really no happier than those living paycheck-to-paycheck. In fact, they are almost more stressed because of the desire to spend. The experts state:

"The ability to imagine — to try to predict our future state of mind — is what sets us apart from less-evolved species. It’s also the very thing that stunts our shot at true happiness.

We assume that a sportier car, a bigger house, a better-paying job, or that dress will bring us joy because, well, they did in the past, right?

Not really, says Daniel Gilbert, a Harvard psychology professor and the author of Stumbling on Happiness....

What’s so wrong with relishing and embellishing the good? It’s costly. Faulty emotional recall makes us do dumb things with our money, like buying cool new stuff that never quite satisfies.

In so many areas, we know when enough is enough. When we’re healthy, we don’t strive for extreme health. After a good meal, we’re sated — we don’t order another filet mignon to augment our satisfaction.

Yet our “pause” button shorts out when it comes to money. The brief pick-me-up that accompanies a raise or windfall (think of it like a caffeine buzz) drives us to want more. We get a raise, spend it, adapt to our improved circumstances, and seek more money, working up a sweat on what University of Southern California economist Richard Easterlin calls the hedonic treadmill."

We all have to realize that happiness truly lives in being thankful for what we already have, with where we are. That doesn't mean we don't strive to be in a better place, but we need to watch our motives. Wanting the bigger house, the more expensive car, or the latest toys are all things that helped cause our economic state today. People living above their means. Looking for happiness in some thing, instead just being happy with what they already have.

So the next time you find yourself wanting to by the next newest thing, stop for a moment and ask yourself, "Can I afford it?" "Do I really need it?" "Why do I want to buy it?" and "Will it still be important to have it in a few months?"

Homeschooling In Tough Times

By Sandra

I’ve been talking to my children lately about the economy and why we need to prioritize, cut back, or consolidate car trips around town to make good use of our gasoline.  The country’s economic plight has provided a framework for regular discussions at our home--practical lessons in conserving, planning instead of doing things impulsively, and seeking wise counsel before making big decisions.

Friends of ours, fellow homeschoolers, have been struggling with finances over the past six months, and now find themselves grappling for a “Plan B,” due to the now-likely scenario of job loss.  What happens to homeschooling families in these times?  How does a financial earthquake rattle the foundation of a family, even a tightly-knit one, during unstable times?  Is my family prepared for this kind of curve ball?

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Why Should Christians Care About Economics, Part 3

By Jason, M.Ed., M.A.R., Headmaster

Government Spending = Government Control

At the end of August, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released revised estimates of government spending for the current fiscal year. The numbers show that the federal government will spend $30,958 per household. Where will they get this kind of money? $17,576 per household will come in taxes (paid mostly by the top 10% of US households) $13,392 per household will be borrowed, adding over $1.6 trillion to our national debt.

Looking at these same numbers another way, the federal government will increase spending by 22 percent this year. Isn’t everyone else cutting spending because we’re in a recession? Even more significantly, federal government spending will reach a peacetime-record 26 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). Our federal government is spending more than ¼ of all of the wealth in America on its programs. This spending is not just temporary surge due to the recession, a “stimulus” for a troubled economy. President Obama has plans to keep annual spending $5,000 and $8,000 per household higher than it had been under President George W. Bush.

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Why Should Christians Care About Economics? Part 2

By Jason, M.Ed., M.A.R., Headmaster

Crowding Out

Imagine you live in a small town with a corner hardware store, grocery store and pharmacy. These small, privately owned businesses form the heart of your town’s small shopping district. One day, you read in the local paper that a Wal-Mart Supercenter is going to be built a few miles away near the Interstate. It is certain to draw customers from all of the surrounding towns, including yours. As soon as you read this, you’re excited by the prospect of having such a convenient, one-stop, low-priced place to shop close-by. Then you’re also concerned for the small stores in the center of town, because now they have to compete with a bigger, more powerful store and they may be pushed out of business.

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Why Should Christians Care About Economics?

By Jason, M.Ed.. M.A.R., Headmaster

Christians and Economics, Part One

A woman operates a small coffee stand in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of a big city in Bolivia. She sells coffee and earns a regular income to feed and clothe her children and build a decent home for her family. She opened her coffee stand thanks to a $500 loan, a loan which she easily and quickly repaid because it was small and she used it to secure a dependable income. This is the world of microfinance, a movement transforming lives in the developing world.

In a middle class suburb in America, a man charges dinner out with his family. He then goes shopping and buys a new suit for himself, putting another few hundred dollars on his Visa. Soon, he has taken on more personal debt in an evening than the coffee-stand entrepreneur in Bolivia. Yet his debt was not incurred in the pursuit of income to help his family. His was spent on convenience, pleasure and fashion.

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