Shawn Wilson- Guest Writer: 6 Cheap Ways To Be Broke And Happy

Six (6) Cheap Ways To Be Broke And Happy

"Happiness is a state of mind; not a state of possession" -Unknown

I'm broke as hell. There's no money in my bank account, and the assets I have value a couple thousand. Other than that I have nothing on a church mouse.

My poverty, however, hasn't got the best of me. I'm not stressed out ..., and I’m fairly happy. Well ... sort of.

Reason being, I've learnt the Buddhist art of "no attachment", and how to live within my means. (Hard lessons I learnt while I was in college.)

Here are some other things I’ve learnt.

#1. That money doesn't buy (much) happiness...

...And the "little" that it buys doesn't last.

Studies show that after earning a certain amount of money per year, the rush one feels about money disappears.

Remember how you were excited when you got your first bicycle/...? And remember how quickly the excitement went? It's the same with money.

Along with "stuffs" here's what money can buy.

#2. Big experiences

But you don't need money to have quality experiences.

Watching a beautiful sunset is a quality experience. Going to the river with your friends is a quality experience. Getting a good night's sleep is a quality experience. Having a good laugh is a quality experience.... And the list could go on and on.

I know you’d rather go to Dubai and Paris, and I would too..., but, umm, unless you can buy such an experience, forget it. (You probably wouldn’t buy it if you could, anyway.)

#3. If you can't afford “it”, don’t buy “it”

You can't afford it if you can’t buy more than one of it. At least, that’s my principle.

I can afford something only when I can buy two or three of that thing, and still have enough money left over.

#4. Don't try to keep up with the “Joneses”...

...Because you can't. You're broke. The “Joneses” are wealthy. That's why the grass is so green on their lawn. But don’t forget that that's why their water bill is so high. And you can't afford their water bill, much less their light bill.

Do this instead. Work on your lawn. Now.

Meaning work on yourself: Be healthy. Stay healthy. Get smarter; and smarter. Think big –and different –and hard.

Read More Here: 

https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140913065641-335942314-6-cheap-ways-to-be-broke-and-happy

Written by: Shawn Wilson 

Research Assistant at Biblical Manuscript Research Center