Ever hear the song about the magic penny? The one that says if you give it away you’ll have more, but if you hold it tight you won’t have any? Well, I can’t verify that giving away money will bring more, but by citing someone else’s work I can verify that giving it away will make you happy. Elizabeth Dunn and her colleagues (Aknin & Norton) have done research on money and happiness for years. In a study that I read recently, they were able to show that how people choose to spend their money is at least as important as how much money they make. AND (and here’s the kicker), spending money on someone else – a friend, a charity, etc. – promotes happiness more than spending money on oneself.
Here’s the link to the article so you can read it yourself:
“Spending Money on Others Promotes Happiness”
How lucky that I came across this article just in time for the Give MN Give to the Max day! That’s right – this is a poorly veiled attempt to encourage you all to make yourselves happy by giving to Growing Up Healthy through the Give to the Max day. Just click and give on Wednesday, November 16th.