money isn't everything but everything needs money essay

Money Isn’t Everything. 8 Things That Are More Important

Steve Cummings

August 30, 2023

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As I get older, I realize money isn't everything. People talk about the importance of money. Money can buy you things. It has value to bring about the worldly items we may need to sustain us. A history teacher always quoted the famous song “Money Makes the World Go Round.” from Cabaret , a popular musical. Our teacher mentioned that all wars and conflicts come from money, so we must learn that to understand the history of the world.

We put a significant value on money because many of us have a cultural background of not coming from money, so money is valued. As we look at literature and theatrical performances, we learn from many characters about the value of money.

Money Isn't Everything in Literature

We read the stories of many famous characters that are so obsessed with money they do not realize the actions they take can ruin so many things. In the story, A Christmas Carol , we see Ebenezer Scrooge learn about his impending death and how his reputation was of someone that was always cheap or stingy. As he realized money isn't everything he knew to be generous with it.

From Greek Mythology, we learn of King Midas and his golden touch. The pride he felt as he could touch anything and everything, and it turned into gold. This was a magical touch that people would wish to have. He knew he was cursed when he realized even the food and drank that he would touch turned to gold.

My wife and I finished watching the movie The Wishing Dragon on Netflix, and the dragon throughout the film pushed the main character Din to wish for all the money in the world. As the movie progresses, you see that the dragon realizes life is not about money. It is about the relationships you create with others.

These are just a few examples. As you watch movies and read books, there are many examples of how money can corrupt, and the essential things to live life are not surrounding money. We need to realize that there are more important things to value in life than money.

Money Isn't Everything to Me

As I live my life, I realize that the relationships I build and the people who come into it are more important. Money does not control my actions. The things I value control my actions.

I valued the relationship I have with friends and family. They are so important to me and I continue to build those. My wife is also another important relationship to me. Every day I hope to make it stronger with greater bonds.

Being healthy is so important. I have watched many people allow health to wither away as they strive for money or success. Health to me is vital, so I can accomplish many things in my life. I want to hike, climb, swim, and play outdoors. If my health has been compromised due to money obsession, it will be a waste.

As I have learned these many things, I want to share a couple of items that are more important than money with you.

Here Are 8 Things That Are More Important than Money:

1. living life.

The realization that we live life not just for money, but for living life instead. Yes, money can create avenues for success, but it is not what life is about. Life comes with problems, but with blessings as well.

Many different things can cause problems in our life. Money is not the solution to these problems at all. We cannot live for it to solve our problems. Life is a bit more complicated than that. If you feel that life is boring, money will not solve that problem. It will give you avenues to make it more exciting, but living for it will not solve these problems.

Life is about enjoying experiences, learning new things, having meaningful relationships, and valuing things outside of the realm of wealth. Money isn't going to bring some of these important things into your life. It will be a tool to make these things happen, but it has to come from something inside you.

2. Relationships Are More Important

Relationships come first in life. Living life without friends or family only for the sake of money is a lonely experience. It brings on resentment, regret, and a feeling of solitude. We see this perfectly in the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. His relationships were thrown away for money, and therefore he missed out on a possible love of his life, and the people around him mock him for his penny-pinching ways.

As we build relationships with others, let's not look like the cheap person that will choose not to spend time because of money, but let's desire to be the person that is generous with our time and money. Money isn't everything, and it is evident in the people we spend time with.

3. Time is More Valuable

You have heard the saying “Time is Money.” That is the truth of it. Money can buy us time, but if we are constantly working to achieve more money, we are spending our time, and it is hard to get that back.

Time is a commodity that cannot be bought. As life goes on, we spend our time. It is the currency that people want to buyback. As we sit in our old age, we have to wonder if we waste our time or spend it doing things we love?

I think back to the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Ben Stiller plays the part of Walter. He takes an epic adventure to find the last picture for the magazine. As you watch, you know that his learning to live his life through an experience that changes how he views his time.

Remember not to obsess and chase after money. Time is more valuable than the amount of money you have at the end of your life.

4. Happiness is more Important

We are under the impression that the more money you have, the more happiness that will come with it. A study said that the most happiness would come from a salary making around $75,000 . The more money you made would not make you that much happier.

As you work for money, do remember that often we have to work longer hours. True happiness does not come from sitting in an office all day and night working away to obtain more money. As we gather even more money, it cannot provide the additional dopamine we need.

Something that would bring us more happiness is freedom. Freedom from the constraints of money is our goal to live life.

Money isn't everything, but freedom is everything.

5. Health is More Important

Another reason money isn't everything is because of what it does to our health. The stress, the world, and the obsession over obtaining money can strain our health. We lack the motivation to go and exercise. Cooking at home becomes a lost art, and we prefer to indulge in unhealthy snacks and take-out food.

If your sole purpose in life was to go and get as much money as possible, you would eventually start sacrificing your health in the process. It is also essential to take care of the mental status of your health. Stress can cause unnerving mental fatigue. Being healthy is way more important than money.

6. Being Generous

Money isn't everything, especially when we have been given so much. It is time to be generous. With much money, you can give more away. You can provide this money and time to people. Being willing to give is a huge thing.

My wife and I are Christians, and we believe that God has given us so much and it is good to give back. Being generous can include so much as giving your time, money, and talents to help those around us. It can be as easy as spending a day with the homeless just listening to their stories. You could even invite some of your closest friends over for dinner. Giving is caring.

7. Experiences Are Better Than Money

It is amazing how much experiences can affect your life. Travel, experiencing the world, and learning from new things can bring about great value into your life. These experiences will bring about more to your life than money will ever.

Learning from people and exploring the places around us give us opportunities to grow. These experiences are pivotal in shaping who we are. Money can buy a lot of things, but experiences stay with us much longer.

Stop buying possessions and start buying experiences. This is something that will outshine money in the short and long term. The memories will last you until you can no longer remember them.

8. Life Is Better Than Dying With Money

No matter how rich you are, the money cannot come with you in the afterlife. People believe the more money they have, the greater they will be. Once you die, it no longer matters. That amount of money will never be able to go with you to the grave.

You have a choice. Either you make money a priority or make everything else higher on the list, like relationships. Relationships with people will affect people for generations. At the same time, cash will die off when you die off. The choice is yours.

Final Thoughts:

Money isn't everything. It is a tool we use to make things happen. We can use it to create wealth, help people out, and experience many things in the world. It is not what life is all about. We need to realize that life is not about money.

To many people, money can help life them out of all sorts of poverty. The thing is, you need to know how to manage it. 78% of pro-NFL football players lose everything and go broke. It is not because they didn't make enough money. It is because they did not know how to manage it.

Learning to manage money will also help you understand that money isn't everything. There are plenty of things that are in life to strive to reach. For instance, time, relationships, generosity, and your health can be items that have a far greater value on your life than money. It is time to see what do you value.

Do you put money above everything?

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” Spend less than you make, stay out of debt, and invest the rest”

money isn't everything but everything needs money essay

I’m Steve. I’m an English Teacher, traveler, and an avid outdoorsman. If you’d like to comment, ask a question, or simply say hi, leave me a message here, on Twitter (@thefrugalexpat1). Many of my posts have been written to help those in their journey to financial independence. I am on my journey, and as I learn more I hope to share more. And as always, thanks for reading The Frugal Expat.

7 thoughts on “Money Isn’t Everything. 8 Things That Are More Important”

Money sure isn’t everything. This profound idea was engraved into my head when I was watching an episode of Suits when one investment banker told his boss, “we can still get money from the deal, all you have to do..” and the boss cuts him off and immediately says “there isn’t enough money in the world to ever trust you again”.

I applied that lesson when a coworker asked me if she could have the option to stay with me during her rotation and I politely told her no. At that point, even if she offered me a billion dollars per month to pay as rent, I would have still said no.

Great list, Steve! It’s good that personal finance bloggers are getting this idea out there to the world.

Thank you David. I know as Finance bloggers we talk about delaying gratification, saving money, stop spending so much money, and invest more. The thing is that we also need to realize that even without money how would our lives be like. I believe in using my time to have experiences and spend time creating relationships. These relationships are paramount to life.

That is a great example from Suits . You really do have to have a moral background and be the person to give that polite “no”

Spot on. I think (hope) I’ve done a good job of balancing a priority for experiences with my savings goals. In fact, I tend to pick up too many tabs once those first couple beers go down haha. But I do need to work on other relationships and spending the appropriate amount of time (and money) to make them work. If this last year has taught us anything, it’s that nothing matters without your health–something many people take for granted until they have no choice but to confront it.

I see health as a great thing to focus on. What’s the point of money if you die young due to stress and money issues. I see my father that is overweight, and he knows and works on his health, but at some point it becomes more important for us to live a better healthy life than chase after money while sitting at our desks for 40+ years of our lives.

Relationships is another important part. As I can see, you are creating relationships. It is important to foster relationships with people. My wife had her birthday today. She decided to buy lunch for everyone in the office. She just felt it was great to be generous to her colleagues, and in that type of fashion, they felt the same way and gifted her with cake.

These are great things to learn and hear from so many people. Thank you for this.

Steve, to piggyback off your insights.

The best things in life are not thing$. The best things in life are not thing$ you buy.

I have some money, but I have always felt rich (oddly enough). I have been ever mindful that most of the world’s population goes to bed hungry, no AC, no microwave, no stereo, no refrigerator, no car, no indoor plumbing.

I think this perspective of feeling grateful has helped me over the years.

Gary, you are right. It is amazing to see what we have and the feeling of gratefulness for being blessed. The best things in life are not things. They are the relationships, experiences, and things you just cannot buy. I love your perspective and agree 100%.

Money is 100% just a tool for us to navigate life in the best way we can for us. Relationships and health are far more important than money. We are trying to get to a position where we can work less and be generous with our time and volunteer. Great post Steve!

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Is Money Everything? Here’s Why You Should Care About It

Money isn’t everything, they say. Money can’t buy you love, health, or happiness – or can it? We are often told that there are so many more important things to pursue in life than accumulating money. But what if money really is everything (or just about everything)?

It can certainly buy you almost everything you need to improve your quality of life and reach new levels of happiness. It turns out, the more we think about it, the more it seems like money just might be everything.

Let’s answer the age-old question, “is money everything?” and highlight why you should care about it.

Why is money everything?

Broadly speaking, money is everything because of what it can buy you: security, freedom, health (to an extent), and even happiness. If you want those things and more, money is a tool that can be used to get them.

Basically, no matter what it is you care about in life and what you want, having money can help get you there. We’ll go over in detail why money is everything next.

First and foremost, money is security. In our society, you absolutely need to have money to meet your basic needs (we’re talking food, water, shelter, and clothing). Without it, we simply cannot survive.

Once your basic needs are met, money can do so much more. Importantly, it can buy you time and the ability to pursue meaningful work.

Having money means you can spend less time doing things you don’t want to, and more time doing things you do want to do. Whether that means spending time with the people you love or doing the things you love, having money allows you the freedom to choose how you spend your time.

Money also gives you the ability to do meaningful work. Instead of grinding away at a job you don’t like, just because it pays a living wage, you can choose to spend your time working on what you do love.

It gives you the ability to work a job of your choosing, or in some cases, not work at all. Imagine being able to quit a low-paying, stressful job that you hate. Having money gives you the ability and freedom to do just that.

Money can help you achieve good health

It won’t magically make you healthy and fit, but it can be used to improve your health. If you use it wisely, money can improve your health in so many ways, such as:

You can work out and stay fit on any budget , but having money can certainly help facilitate your fitness routine. It can buy you that new gym membership or Peloton bike you’ve been eyeing, which certainly helps. (Unfortunately, it can’t get you to get onto that bike every morning – that part is up to you.)

Like fitness, money can’t magically buy you a good diet. But it is a tool that allows you to purchase things like healthy food and an appointment with a nutritionist to come up with a customized diet plan just for you.

3. Access to health insurance and medical care

It’s no secret that the cost of healthcare in the United States is astronomical. In 2020, the average cost for individual health insurance was $456 and it rose to $1,152 for a family . Even with insurance, out-of-pocket costs for medical care can climb into the thousands of dollars.

As unjust as this might sound because access to healthcare should be available to everyone, without money, it is impossible to access good medical care in this country without going into debt.

4. Improves mental health

People have a lot of negative emotions around money , like anxiety, fear, and stress. While these feelings don’t go away automatically in all aspects of your life just because you have money, having it certainly lessens negative emotions. It can also give you peace of mind (when it comes to your finances, at least).

Maybe money is not everything…

So far, everything we’ve said about money has been positive. It can buy you whatever you want! Money is everything! But we want to be realistic here. Because money cannot buy you everything in life. Here are a few ways money is not everything:

Money is not a golden ticket to happiness

It can’t buy loving relationships. Those take work. But it can buy you the time to pursue and cultivate relationships. It also gives you more time to spend with others and a higher chance that those relationships will have time to grow.

Money also can’t buy you a disease-free life. Sometimes we get sick and there’s just nothing we can do about it. But, as we discussed above, having more cash can buy access to medical care. With that, you at least have the best opportunity to get better.

So, yes, money has its limitations. Some can argue that it is not everything. But it is a tool to reach higher levels of happiness and give us everything that we desire .

Money is not evil or bad

Many of us have been told that money is evil (the root of all evil, in fact). But wanting more of it and accumulating more can, in fact, be incredibly charitable and giving. The more you have, the more you can spend on others or give away.

Wanting money is not just about amassing wealth for yourself (which, by the way, is nothing to be ashamed of) – it also means having the power to help those you love and causes you care about.

Is everything about money?

True, some will argue that not every single thing in life is about money. A peaceful morning meditation at the beach. A run through the sprinklers on a hot summer day. A marathon call with a close friend. All of these things are free, right? If you say that money is everything, aren’t you forgetting about these simple joys of life?

But money is everything because you need it to get yourself to that beach, to buy those sprinklers, and to own that phone you use to communicate with your loved ones.

That’s why even with all the simple, seemingly free joys in life, I still believe that money is everything. So let’s talk about how you can get more of it.

If money is everything, how can you get more of it?

By now, after seeing all of the things that money can buy and ways it can improve your quality of life, you are probably itching to get your hands on more of it. Here are three key ways to accumulate more cash so you can pursue all of the things that having it affords you:

1. Start a side hustle

You probably already have all the tools you need to start a side hustle today. A side hustle is one of the best ways to make extra income without drastically changing your life.

Get out there and start using your skills for extra cash! And, if you need help along the way, check out the Clever Girl Finance Side Hustle Guide .

2. Change jobs or careers

Instead of starting a side hustle (or maybe in addition to), changing jobs is another way to get more cash.

Maybe you aren’t getting paid what you’re worth at your current company and moving to a competitor will pay you thousands more. Another entire career could be an option. And there’s always the option of asking for more at your current job.

Everyone can and should be investing. It’s one of the best ways to build wealth over time. If you’re new to investing, a good place to start is by participating in your company’s 401(k).

And when you’re ready to dive into all things investing, Clever Girl Finance’s guide to investing is there for you as your go-to resource.

The bottom line: money is everything...to an extent!

Anyone who says that money doesn’t matter and that it is not everything probably hasn’t thought about all of the incredible ways it can improve their lives.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that it is the root of all evil (because it’s not) or that it can’t buy you happiness (because it can).

Wanting money doesn’t make you bad; it just makes you smart. And having it doesn’t make you greedy; it makes you secure and free, with the possibility of being so much more.

Marissa Geannette

Money Is Not Everything: Importance of Other Life Factors

March 13, 2022
Marina Avramovic

Money is not everything . This may be a difficult thing to accept, especially if you are someone who is always chasing after the almighty dollar. There are many other things in life that are important, and you should never forget that.

In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of other life factors and why they are so important.

Money Makes the World Go Around

People often say that “ money is not everything but everything is money .” And it’s true – in the grand scheme of things, money doesn’t mean all that much. But that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. In fact, having a lot of money can make a big difference in your life.

Think about what you could do with an extra $1,000 per month. You could afford to pay for a nicer apartment or travel more often with your family. You could even save up for a down payment on a house! Money certainly isn’t everything, but it definitely makes life a lot easier.

Moreover, the results of a new study on money suggest higher earners (that make $75,000 per year) are much happier in their lives.

Does this mean that money should be our number one priority? As mentioned above, being financially stable is important, but to understand the money is not everything meaning , we need to dig much deeper.

The Mythology of Money

In the wealthy vs. rich debate , you might think that being rich is the most crucial thing in the world since it’s often associated with earning a lot of cash and becoming a millionaire. However, this kind of mindset also creates a false perception of what it means to be wealthy.

Enter king Midas. You’ve probably heard the story of King Midas, who was given a unique gift by the god Dionysus. Everything he touches will turn to gold. Sounds like an excellent plan for early retirement, right? Especially when you know that today a ton of gold amounts to a whopping $55,582,130.

But, again, money is not everything in life . While our hero, Midas, became wealthier than ever, he could not eat or drink, and he even turned his precious daughter into a golden statue once he touched her.

The moral of the story? Be careful about what you wish for and understand your intentions before taking (financial) action.

The Scrooge Syndrome

If you’re an avid reader, you’ve probably stumbled upon the money is not everything maxim in a book by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol .

Here, the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, neglects everything with his bah-humbug attitude, including his family, in order to accumulate wealth.

I n an alternative future, he dies alone and forgotten.

A Christmas Carol teaches us that our personal growth and being authentic are the things that make us wealthy. This is more important than the size of our annual income .

Changing the Money Paradigm

Money isn’t everything since it can’t buy us the essential things in life: health and love.

Love Doesn’t Cost a Thing

One of the most important things in life is your relationships. Friends and family are the people who will be there for you through thick and thin, and they are worth more than any amount of money.

If you don’t have a strong network of support, then you need to work on building one. Spend time with your friends and family, go out for coffee or dinner, and just enjoy each other’s company.

The First Wealth is Health

To understand the money isn’t everything meaning , we’ll talk about another important area of your life — your health.

True, if you’re rich, you’ll have access to the best dietitians and personal trainers on the planet, but they won’t be able to save you from all the illnesses in the world.

For example, the famous Beatle, George Harrison, lost his battle with cancer, although he had a net worth of $400 million at the time of his death . Not even Steve Jobs could fool death, though that famous speech about the worthlessness of money is not really his .

Money is not everything, Warren Buffett would say, i.e., “Money will not change how healthy you are or how many people love you.”

Strive Not to Be a Success, but Rather to Be of Value

Your personal growth is another area that is important in life. You should always be working on becoming a better person. This means learning new things, challenging yourself, and growing as an individual.

If you don’t work on your personal growth, you will stagnate and never reach your full potential.

You Deserve to Have a Job That Fulfills You

Since it’s tightly linked to our careers and finances, is money everything in our life ? While both are important, they should not be the only things you focus on in life or you may burn out and end up hating going to work .

Make sure that you are taking time to enjoy your hobbies and interests, and do not put all of your eggs in one basket. If you focus too much on your career or finances, you will miss out on other aspects of life.

Moreover, ask yourself, is working at a job that doesn’t fulfill you worth it? Even if you make 60k per year , you’ll never be truly satisfied if your job negatively affects your personal life.

This phrase about money not being everything is cliché for a reason. While money can buy you some happiness, it doesn’t always equate to a good life or a meaningful existence. So what does make us happy?

Things like strong relationships, feeling connected to something bigger than ourselves (like being part of a community), and having a purpose in life.

What does money is not everything mean?

This maxim suggests that no matter how much money you have in your bank account, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll lead a happy and fulfilling life. As you can see from our post, money can’t buy you love, friends, or health.

In other words, money doesn’t define you. It’s simply one of the means to reach financial security.

Why money isn’t the most important thing in life?

Money is an integral part of our lives, but it’s not the most important thing. There are many other factors that are just as — or even more — important.

Some people might think that having a lot of money means you’re successful, but that’s not always the case. Many wealthy people are unhappy.

So what are the most important things in life? Here are just a few: happiness, family and friends, health, and passion.

Who said money is not everything ?

Many famous people quoted this maxim, like the American professional baseball pitcher, Earl Wilson, and actress Zsa Zsa Gábor. However, one person made this term more popular than ever.

That person is Warren Buffett, an American investor, philanthropist, business magnate, and the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett is one of the most successful investors and the eighth-wealthiest person in the world. His net worth amounts to more than $114 billion.

He said that money is not everything and that one saying the opposite had better first earned a lot of money in order to give such a statement.

Marina is a content writer and a film-maker who spends most of her time in front of the computer, writing articles and blog posts on various subjects, learning fictional languages or editing avant-garde movies. This compulsive penchant for learning new ways of dreaming and writing became her dream job. When she's not obsessing about work she tries to cook, read dystopian novels and go on adventures with her dog.

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Money Isn’t Everything: 12 Values That Matter Most in Life

person on mountainDepositphotos 40836205 XL

My grandmother said, “ Poor or rich, money is good to have .” We need money to pay our living expenses and support who and what we care about most. Raising a family or taking care of our parents requires funds for health care, education, and the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of life. It can help us make a difference in the lives of others through giving.

Without money to pay our bills or invest, we may fall short of achieving our life’s goals and having financial security, independence, and freedom. However, money isn’t everything, and there are valuable things money can’t buy.

Money Isn’t Everything!

Money isn’t everything. It has its limitations. Obsession over money and wealth is unhealthy, mainly when it controls your life. It may prevent us from simply being satisfied with our lives by comparing ourselves to others. Money matters because it is the tool we need in the absence of bartering. However, many things are more valuable and can help us achieve our full potential. Focus on those values that make you content. Review the values listed in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs . Self-actualization is the pinnacle of our self-fulfillment needs.

As individuals, we each have our list of personal values that give meaning to our lives. These values shape our personality, behavior, and attitudes. How often do we reflect on those traits that make us who we are? Less than we should. It is an excellent exercise to ensure you are going in the right direction. Since we serve as role models for our children, we must ensure we send the signals we want them to see. They are worthy of checking our values and beliefs, which make us tick.

1. Time Is A Precious Resource

Time is money, but it is so much more. If there is inequality in money and wealth, we have the same limited time. You can’t borrow or lend time at any cost. Anyone who loses family and friends knows the tragedy of time running out. You can’t buy time unless you can pay someone to do a task for you, which may temporarily free you to do other things. But you can’t buy time in a permanent sense, no matter how much money you have.

Time is our most precious resource. As such, spend time with people you enjoy being with or doing what you most desire. Please don’t waste your time; use it in productive ways. Think about daily accomplishments and whether you have achieved your goals. Like money, invest your time meaningfully. Find ways how to improve your time management skills.

2. Manage Your Energy Wisely

Somewhat related to time is how we manage our energy. Energy affects our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. We all have limits to what our mind and body can do. What is personal energy or power? It is the effort or strength you will devote to people, things, or challenges in your life.

There are people in our lives who are delightful. We get a good boost from spending our time and energy with them. Other people may deplete our energy through negative behavior or attitudes. We may save time and energy by working remotely, but we lose the uplift from seeing people in the office.

3. Health Is Our Vital Asset

We can’t take our physical, mental, and emotional health for granted. Yet, we often do this by not taking as good care of our bodies and mind as possible. What is your health worth? Like time, it is priceless and precious. Eating healthy, exercising daily, meditating, and getting a good night’s sleep shouldn’t be hard. They are good habits to incorporate into your mental mindset. Even short daily movements can help you loosen up considerably.

Changing up your routine with excellent habits can be stimulating. I look forward to reading at night, playing music that fits my mood, and understanding my emotions better.

4. Family, Friends, And Community

Family gathering Depositphotos 4843675 XL

We need our family and friends to validate us for their love, affection, and companionship. The pandemic experience required us to social distance for safety reasons. However, we grew tired of the pandemic and staying apart from the people we love. Human beings don’t enjoy isolation. We thrive with other people who are essential in our lives. They contribute to our sense of belonging, comfort, and self-worth and add meaning to our lives.

Apart from family and friends, your community and your neighbors are where you live and your colleagues at work. They matter. Work and community are spheres where you may meet new friends. We recently moved from a big city to a small town. Changing communities is an ideal time to meet new friends, but it can be slow but fun.

5. The Right Life Partner

Retirement couple Depositphotos 59875145 XL

Choosing the right partner you want to spend your life with is easier said than done. Only after years together can you look back and say you are fortunate to find someone to be with until you are old and gray. When you are in your 20s, how do you know if you both have the same interests, intellect, and standards?

You don’t. However, by loving one another and finding someone with who you can connect easily, learn from, trust, respect, and grow, you have the making of the right life partner. Expect that you will have differences, and some that will be very significant but learn how to compromise with each other. Challenges are in every relationship, but knowing how to deal with each of them matters.

6. The Virtues of Work

Consider yourself fortunate if you find meaningful work in most of your career. Every individual should explore what kind of work they most enjoy doing. For some, it is working with their hands to craft a tangible product. Many feel rewarded by helping others, while many prefer making lots of money to afford a luxury lifestyle. To each their own goals and the road to success.

Find challenging work that is enterprising and energizing. The virtues of working are plentiful. Work adds meaningful dimensions to your life besides compensation by learning new skills, and camaraderie, expanding your knowledge, and cultivating your career and reputation.

7. Love of Learning

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” Henry Ford

As a lifelong learner, you can look at the world with fresh eyes. Learning can be formal, informal, or casual. You don’t have to learn in the classroom to pick up knowledge. Most of our education comes from outside of an academic setting. Picking up new information or realizing an original thought can give new highs and optimism. Whether you are learning for a career, hobby, or personal growth, never stop learning.

Keep your brain healthy by finding activities you enjoy and challenging yourself. There are many online resources and ways to learn, like cooking, updating tech skills, fixing a car, working on crossword puzzles, writing better, and reading books you may have shied away from in high school.

8. Protect Your Reputation

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“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” Warren Buffett

Your reputation is your brand, whether for a business or you. The importance of how your social circles, work, and family regard you must be protected. Reputation is your character and quality as judged by people. It forms the basis of respect and the currency of your worth. Cultivate traits like honesty, integrity, honor, and strong morals that should be in the workplace and your life. Manage your online presence for the quality of the character you are conveying.

The ruin of your reputation usually comes more quickly and efficiently than its establishment. It can be due to a lapse of ethical conduct or doing something legally questionable. Don’t post on social media without considering the potential negative ramifications that can be damaging and lasting.

9. Experiences Over Possessions

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Having wonderful experiences can top buying things most of the time for many. Unique experiences tend to be more memorable and pleasurable. Traveling by camel in the desert, ziplining, and whitewater rafting bring tremendous rushes to our adrenaline.

Studies have shown experiences bring people more happiness than possessions. In a study, psychologists found it wasn’t just the experiential purchases (money spent on doing) that provided more joy than material possessions (money spent on having). The joy of waiting in line for the experience gave participants enduring pleasure and consumption. Millennials are known for their preference for spending on adventures, but boomers favored experiences as well.

10. Find Your Passions

Passion is a powerful emotion defined as a strong enthusiasm or excitement about doing something. Your passionate interests are those topics, skills, or activities that excite you. Being emotional is often beyond a mere interest in something and can be an internal energy source. Like experiences, you’re engaged and engrossed in the activity or learning more about it.

Finding your passion in your job or career can motivate you to improve your performance. You don’t need to work in a position that directly aligns with your interests, but it can be beneficial if there is an overlap between your work and other activities. Being excited about interests outside of work can allow you to take a healthy break from your job, develop new skills, meet new people, and expand your personal growth in a more balanced way.

11. Gratitude and Empathy

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“He who receives a benefit with gratitude repays the first installment on his debt.” Seneca

Expressing our thanks to all those we love and appreciate can help us live better lives—both the givers and the receivers of our gratitude experience many advantages. Our happiness rises, we feel healthier, stress declines, and it helps us cope with various negative emotions. Gratitude is our moral barometer and, when genuinely given, boosts our energy. Expressing gratitude is suitable for our finances as well.

Gratitude is on par with empathy. Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share another’s feelings. Having the ability to understand and share the feelings of another is empathetic. Scientists have linked gratitude and empathy because each plays an exact role in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) part of the brain. That part of the brain helps people set and achieve goals and contributes to a wide area of functions. Feeling grateful and empathic are enduring values that benefit the giver and receiver.

12. Financial Security

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Still, we can’t ignore money as the value we share with those that matter to us. Financial security provides peace of mind when your income can cover your expenses after saving for emergencies and retirement. Economic security requires adopting good habits to support your lifestyle while working toward financial goals. Becoming financially secure means not worrying about credit card debt because you pay your bills in full each month.

Money isn’t everything, but it is good to have. The importance of feeling financially secure allows you to have flexibility and freedom to control your life. Financial security means different things to different people, but it helps you enjoy the values in your life that matter to you.

Author: Linda Meltzer

Linda Meltzer (The Cents of Money)

Linda founded The Cents of Money , a personal finance platform to inspire you to manage your money better and realize financial and life goals. Linda wants to use her passion and financial skills honed by her professional experience as a ranked Wall Street equity analyst and business professor to help others get on the path toward building wealth. She has written for publications like MSN, Associated Press, and more.

Essay on Money | Money Essay for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Essay on Money: The concept of money was invented somewhere in 5000 B.C by a few traders in Western Europe. Ever since the invention, different countries have adopted it and started printing their own money with specific values, which was usually backed by gold. But before money was invented, trading used to happen with a system called a barter system, where you could buy one product or service with an exchange of another product. This is basically a brief history of money.

For centuries, money has been, gradually, incorporated into every corner of our lives. Not to sound cliché, but the entire world runs on one simple thing called money. Thanks to those traders hundreds of years back, our lives now entirely revolve around the man-made concept of money.

You can also find more Essay Writing articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long and Short Essay on Money in English for Children & Students

In this article, we provide a 600-word long essay on money for school children for projects and assignments. We also provide a 200-word short essay on money for school and college assignments and project work.

Long Essay on Money

A very informative 400 to 600-word long essay on money for school and college projects and assignments can be found below.

While not everything is about money, we will have to come at a point of realization where we simply cannot live without money. It’s a hard truth. But isn’t the world being too negative about money? No essay on money will make sense if it is just about history and facts. So let us see how money has impacted our lives. Just like every attribute in our society, money has two sides. The evil and the good.

What’s the Good Side of Money?

When we say our lives revolve around money and everyone is just chasing it, it is usually considered with a negative connotation. Not everything about money should be taken in a bad light. The whole concept of money and capitalism has given people livelihood, better standards of living and most importantly an equal platform for everyone to work hard and fulfill their dreams.

Trust and Convenience of Money

Money is one of the biggest and most valuable and trustworthy forms of trade in which businesses can thrive and consumers can be saved from fraud and cheating. One of the biggest plus points of money is the trust factor it carries with it. Imagine having to carry out the barter system even today, where, to get a kilo of rice, you need to give a kilo of wheat. Sounds funny, isn’t it?

Equality of Money

This is, surprisingly, one thing that can bring people from different walks of life to agree upon. Money can buy you a good standard of living, it can buy you respect and value in society. Every person, irrespective gender, race, ethnicity or creed will be provided with an equal level playing field to earn money and lead a better life

Motivation and Direction of Money

Imagine the world without money. We will eventually come to a point where we will be asking questions like “what’s the point of life”. Hope and goals are some of the important things that will keep a man going in life. Without any sense of achievement or motivation, there wouldn’t be any inventions or progress in the world. People work to get money and then people work harder to get more money. This cycle of life that keeps a man motivated and hopeful is one of the biggest advantages of the system of money

What is the Evil Side of Money?

Well, not everything is hunky-dory about our financial systems. It would only be fair to talk about the disadvantages of money also to have a well-informed essay on money.

Whether it is capitalism or socialism, democracy, or communism or where its India or China, our system of money in the world has many cracks and fault lines within it.

Broken system: If the concept of money in its pure form was used properly, there would have been equality on all scales and levels in the world. But, the reality is far from our imagination. The hierarchical system, in both capitalism or socialism, has created an immense amount of inequality and large gaps in income. It is true that more than 90% of the world’s wealth is in the hands of 2% of the population. If this is not a sign of a broken system, then we don’t know what is
Greed: We need to understand the difference between desire and greed. When the fine line between the two is made more visible, then maybe our world will start healing itself. We are not necessarily talking about individual greed for money, but we are talking about issues on a much larger scale. Businesses are solely running to make profits, the government is more concerned about saving the economy than their own people or the environment we live in. The greed for money is destroying our nature, creating an imbalance in the natural cycle of the world and led us into wars, famine, poverty and pandemics.

Short Essay on Money

A short essay on money with a word limit of 150 to 200 can be found below for school assignment and projects

We can’t deny the fact that we cannot live without money. Money is undoubtedly the more important thing to live a happy and content life. Sure, the money will help us buy our dream car or impress and give a dignified life for our parents, but we also need to remember that there is more to life than just earning money.

Money can make or break many things, but like any other thing in the world, money also needs to have limits and should be used judiciously. The gap between rich and poor is because of poorly planned financial systems and an immense amount of greed which is a pet of human tendency

On a big picture level, governments need to fix the broken financial systems and modify our capitalist and socialist mindsets to create for ourselves a better world and leave an even better society to our next generation.

10 Lines on Money Essay

Money is the only trustworthy and convenient way of trade
The money we use is guaranteed and backed by our government
Money, collected in the form of tax, helps us create a better environment for us
Earning money will give people hope and direction to lead a happy life
Money doest just buy tangible things like car or house, money also helps you earn respect and dignity in the society
Hard work, responsibility and dedication is what reflects in a person’s character if they have a good amount of money
Money is the core factor in all type of economies like a capitalist, socialist and communist economies
Money has provided equal opportunities for everyone in the world
Wrong use of money and greed has led to certain world issues like terrorism, pandemics and famine
The difference between the amount of money rich and poor has, reflects loopholes and problems in our system

FAQ’s on Essay on Money

Question 1. What if the concept of money was not there?

Answer: We would be back to our age-old barter system. Globalization and industrialization would never be possible and each country and each village in the country would be self-sufficient and isolated

Question 2. Is money good or bad?

Answer: This is one of the most daunting questions that economists, leaders and other experts are pondering upon for years. There is no simple answer, but the present system, if modified well, can make money the best thing in the world.

Question 3. Why can’t governments just print money?

Answer: Every money, even a Rs. 1 is backed by government securities, usually in gold or dollars. If we print more than the security we have, our fiscal deficit will increase, which means that the value of money will get reduced as it will be available everywhere to everyone. It is a simple supply and demand theory.

Question 4. What are the different types of money?

Answer: In terms of value and currencies, we have dollar, rupees, pounds, yuan and many more for each country. In terms of physical existence, we have digital money (like bitcoins) and hard paper-based cash. In terms of tangibility, we have hard cash, commodities, fiduciary, representative and fiat money.

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Money Matters, But Money Isn’t Everything

by Vered DeLeeuw · 19 comments

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke says here that it does to some extent, but that there’s more to life than chasing after money. Of course, Mr. Bernanke is not the only one to have this view on money and happiness. Numerous studies on happiness support his conclusions.

Here are a few thoughts on the points Bernanke makes in his speech :

Basic Human Needs Must Be Met

When people say that money does not buy happiness, they generally mean “extra money.” I think we can all agree, and research supports this view, that people whose basic needs for shelter, clothing and food are not met, will find it very difficult to feel happy.

Of course, there are exceptions, including people whose religious beliefs dictate that they should be happy with as few material possessions as possible, but for most of us, we can only be happy once our basic needs are met.

The Joneses Cannot Be Escaped

Happiness research shows that when people determine their level of happiness, how much they have compared with others is more important than how much they have in absolute terms. Again, this is assuming basic needs have been met.

Although rich people in a given country generally feel happier than poor people in the same country, rich people in a rich country do not feel happier than rich people in a poor country , even though in absolute terms, they have more. So, we tend to feel happy once our basic needs are met and we have more than the people surrounding us.

This means that while keeping up with the Joneses could be destructive if we let it go too far , it is also part of human nature to want to feel at least on the same level, financially, as those surrounding us.

However, we should not allow ourselves to get caught up in competing with our neighbors on external signals of “I have more than you do” which really mean nothing, because a big house and a big car and an expensive vacation could simply mean that one is in serious debt, and not that one is “well off”.

But You Should Escape The Rat Race

To me, the most important takeaway from Bernanke’s speech is the importance of staying out of the rat race. So yes, you need to work hard, get the education you need to land a good job, and work long and hard enough to get to a place where you can easily meet your basic needs.

What are basic needs? For most middle or upper middle class Americans, basic needs are not very basic anymore. We expect to be able to provide a family of 4-5 with adequate shelter, new clothing, plenty of food, health care and education, while also saving for our retirement.

This isn’t straightforward, certainly not in the US where people basically need to fend for themselves and there’s much less government support than in other countries (but also more freedom for businesses and entrepreneurs, less government regulations and lower taxes).

“Meeting basic needs” requires effort and dedication, but once those basic needs are met, take a good look at your life and at your career choices. Work-life balance is important. It doesn’t make sense to kill yourself, emotionally and physically, working 40 hours per week for 40 years in a job you hate and living for the weekend.

Can you find a job that you actually like? Can you start your own business ? Can you work less hours, accepting a pay cut but improving your quality of life?

For most of us, once our basic needs have been met, happiness is achieved when we engage in activities that are interesting to us, spend time with friends and family and stay active. Making money for the sake of making money does not make people happy – on the contrary.

Ideally, these are questions that should be answered when you’re still young and just starting out. Don’t wait until your midlife crisis to realize that half your life has passed you by and you’re still unhappy.

Over to you now. It’s a big question, I know… but do you feel happy? Do you think your happiness is tied, at least to some extent, to your financial situation?

Tagged as: Money Beliefs

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{ read the comments below or add one }

But it’s always good to stay on your A+ $ gUaP $ game financially.

You made some decent factors there. I regarded on the web for the issue and found most individuals will associate with with your website.

What used to be a simple life is not simple any more. I think that creating memories is better than buying stuff. So traveling with my family and creating those memories is better than buying a new car which will not be new for long and we will want another one sooner than we think.

I aim to return to a simple life and generate passive income to support me to enjoy the simple things in life without worrying about anything.

Thank you for a great article.

We people need something more than just to survive in life. We want to live and live as we want. Much of what we want is connected to finances. So, the more we have the more we can. The more we can, the more happiness we feel. However, much depends on our attitude to happiness. One can have nothing but still feel happy. Because his attitude towards happiness makes him happy. And sometimes a person who is very rich may not feel happy at all, because his idea of happiness makes him feel unhappy.

I truly believe happiness is tied to your financial situation. Of course money isn’t the only thing that brings happiness, but it helps a lot. How many people would be happier if they had 3 times the money they have today? Except those that have health issues, 80 or 90% would be happier with 3 times the money they currently have.

And I think that being rich has nothing to deal with happiness. When you have a lot of money, you don’t feel free. You are a slave of money and they make you follow their wishes. For me freedom is the main thing, that makes me happy.

But you don’t have to be a slave to money. Money will only ruin you if you let it. If, on the other hand, you let it enrich your life by allowing you to partake in experiences that are expensive, it can free you from a defined lifestyle and allow you to live life to the fullest. I am not saying money is happiness or freedom, but I am saying that how you use it can create those things. To me, being able to get into my car and drive to the mountains for the weekend without concern of not having the money for gas or a place to stay is the kind of freedom I am looking for in life. If I feel the financial freedom to do what I want when I want (reasonably, of course), then I am making enough money. Everything else goes to savings.

I feel happiness is a state of mind. My happiness level has been pretty much at the same high level since I was a kid. The goal of making money and accumulating is just a game.

Money is never everything..but is something essential to survive. One can never keep up with the Jones and should never aim to do so as you will never be happy that way. I rather live within/under our means and have a small sum for rainy days available.

Having always practiced voluntary simplicity, I can say that most of my life I am very happy about how I handle money…but I am unhappy right now, because of the recession all my savings and retirement money is gone to keep our business a float and the Attorney General is holding up the stimulus money for our state with his nasty lawsuits about health ins. and finally because we can no longer afford health ins. since we pay for it ourselves… This whole situation is taking up my time applying for jobs that I do not truly want in order to pay off our small debt on CC , regroup savings and retirement and purchase health ins. – and so we do not need to sell our house at a dramatic loss…who wants to go into retirement in poverty when on has worked long and hard all of their lives… I am unhappy for all of those folks in my situation.

Hi Vered – I agree completely that when your basic needs are not being met, it is almost impossible to be happy. But, if you’re lucky enough not to want to keep up with the Jones’s, it makes life much easier.

I think I’m lucky, because my parents have their own business, and they were pretty frugal as I was growing up. Many of my friend’s parents were the Jones’s types, and as the years went by, I noticed that all that keeping up was actually making them poorer.

In saying that, I like enough extra cash, so I can travel, and feel secure.

“all that keeping up was actually making them poorer” – I’m sure it was. One can LOOK rich but have very little, and the worst is if you finance a lavish lifestyle with credit.

You make some good points, Vered.

On one hand, it downright sucks to feel poorer than your peers but it’s not so fun to be more well off than everyone else either. I think there’s a sweet spot of being in roughly the same financial position as your peers since when that happens, “keeping up with the Jones” is simply being yourself.

After the basic needs are met..happiness is family, friends, health, purpose. If those basic needs are met without money but just self-suffiency, you can still get happiness without money. Money is tool–not a destination.

“Money is tool–not a destination.” Exactly.

I think stress is more tied to money and finances than happiness. However, stress can definitely affect how happy one is.

No money is not everything. And without balance it cannot buy happiness. But with balance, it makes life a lot, lot easier.

I like what you are saying. Happiness is not found in making more money. I heard this in a song recently…”having money is not everything, not having it is.” I think that fits in with what you are saying here.

Keeping up with the Joneses is one part of American culture that we desperately need to change.

I’m not sure if society has the will to change our desire of keeping up, as it’s not just an American culture but human nature.

We could change if everyone just becomes more appreciative of what they already possess but this will be a seismic shift how we think.

Money is important, but how much do you need?

How much money it costs is not the issue, but how much the money costs us is crucial..

January 17, 2010 02:58 am | Updated 02:58 am IST

Money is not everything, but money is something very important. Beyond the basic needs, money helps us achieve our life's goals and supports — the things we care about most deeply — family, education, health care, charity, adventure and fun. It helps us get some of life's intangibles — freedom or independence, the opportunity to make the most of our skills and talents, the ability to choose our own course in life, financial security. With money, much good can be done and much unnecessary suffering avoided or eliminated.

But, money has its own limitations too. It can give us the time to appreciate the simple things in life more fully, but not the spirit of innocence and wonder necessary to do so. Money can give us the time to develop our gifts and talents, but not the courage and discipline to do so.

Money can give us the power to make a difference in the lives of others, but not the desire to do so. It can give us the time to develop and nurture our relationships, but not the love and caring necessary to do so. It can just as easily make us jaded, escapist, selfish, and lonely. How much do you need? What is it going to cost you to get it? It is keeping these two questions in mind that gives us a true sense of money's relationship to happiness. If we have less than what we need, or if what we have is costing us too much, we can never be happy. We need money to eat, sleep, dress, work, play, relate, heal, move about, and enjoy comforts. We should remember in choosing our style that it comes with a price tag.

Evidence of the psychological and spiritual poverty of the rich and famous fills our newspapers, magazines, tabloids, and television programmes and hardly needs repeating here. "We always think if we just had a little bit more money, we'd be happier," says Catherine Sanderson, a psychology professor at Amherst College, "but when we get there, we're not." "Once you get basic human needs met, a lot more money doesn't make a lot more happiness," notes Dan Gilbert, a psychology professor at Harvard University and the author of the new book Stumbling on Happiness .

Yes, we get a thrill at first from expensive things. But we soon get used to them, a state of running in place that economists call the 'hedonic treadmill'. The problem is not money, it's us. For deep-seated psychological reasons, when it comes to spending money, we tend to value goods over experiences.

Money can help us find more happiness, so long as we know just what we can and cannot expect from it. Many researches suggest that seeking the good life at a store is an expensive exercise in futility. Money can buy us some happiness, but only if we spend our money properly. We should buy memories.

How much money it costs is not the issue, but how much the money costs us is important. Money should not cost us our soul, relationships, dignity, health, intelligence and joy in simple things of life. People who figure out what they truly value and then align their money with those values have the strongest sense of financial and personal well-being.

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