16 People Talk About The Times When Money Has Indeed Brought Them Happiness

Sometimes the fastest way to settle an old saying is to hand it to real people with real receipts. In this case, 16 Reddit users had plenty to say about the purchases, comforts, and small luxuries that made life feel lighter, easier, or just plain better.

From gaming gear and pets to travel, sleep, and a little financial breathing room, their answers show that happiness can look surprisingly practical. Some of it is silly, some of it is deeply personal, and some of it is just the relief of finally being able to afford what you want.

Here are the moments when money really did bring a smile, and a few of them may hit closer to home than you expect.

#16 Nothing like getting one up on your little bro.

Multiplayer video games. They don’t bring happiness to my brother, though, probably because he isn’t very good at them.

#15 A valid point.

Antidepressants.

#14 Each to their own.

I have a collection of dildos and Magic: The Gathering cards that says otherwise.

#13 Truth.

Divorce administration costs.

#12 You earned it.

My PlayStation. My parents didn’t have the money to get me one, so that was the first thing I ever worked for.

That first big purchase meant a lot more than just a game console.

#11 Independence.

Ask any teenager, regardless of how they got the money, if they were happier when they got their first car.

#10 Peace is priceless.

Headphones for my kids’ tablets. The quiet is beautiful.

This is like an AITA where a struggling brother demands extra money, and the poster refuses.

#9 A furry friend.

My kitty cat. Best £30 I will ever spend in my life. She has brought me 11 years of utter joy thus far.

Some of the best returns are measured in years, not dollars.

#8 No stress.

I’m happy I don’t have to stress about paying the bills or buying food. Does that count?

#7 A good night's sleep.

My meds help me sleep well and get up in the morning. While the night pills are cheap, the morning meds are pricey.

#6 Life-changing.

A really good mattress with high thread-count sheets.If you’ve always had one, you can’t appreciate how wonderful it is, but if you’ve lived with crappy foam mattresses all your life, the change to your quality of sleep (and life in general) is highly noticeable.

#5 Plants rule.

I paid off my debts, upgraded my apartment, and bought a ton of house plants. Now I’m more or less worry-free and can focus on spending money on building a business that will hopefully buy my freedom from a full-time job.

#4 Happier with money.

Money has gotten me to concerts, restaurants, and a stable life. It alleviates the stress from times when bills couldn’t be paid, allows for amusement parks, new clothes, comforts in life, stays in nice hotels, treating others to nice things, buying items I wanted without worry, acquiring more music equipment or any other expensive hobbies, and affording vacations. Shall I go on?I am definitely happier when I have money compared to when I don’t, and the happiest points in my life have been when I had money to spare. There have been plenty of times I have been broke and hated every second of it; I got no enjoyment from life because there was nothing but stress just to pay the bills. I couldn’t go to restaurants with friends, I couldn’t attend concerts, and I couldn’t afford anything new. All I got to do was stress and hope there was enough for food the next month.Money absolutely brings happiness-maybe not 100 years ago when having a farm and family was what mattered, but when you live in today’s society, it is the only way to be happy. Otherwise, it’s just never-ending stress and boredom.

#3 Music makes everyone happy.

My guitars and guitar gear. And it never seems to wear off.

#2 So many things.

My 1986 Mazda RX7 that I’ve used for track days, autocross, and the occasional car meet/cruise. I absolutely love driving it; it’s one of my dream cars, and I’ll keep it as long as possible.My gaming PC and various games. I’ve had a group of friends for over 12 years now, thanks to meeting on Lineage 2 and Ragnarok. They’re the best friends I’ve ever had, and I wish I could find people like them in person (meeting them is not possible as they all live elsewhere in the world).All the tools I have in my garage and home keep me from having to pay an outrageous price for a “pro” to fix things. There’s no scheduling that I have to work around, no worrying about leaving my home unlocked or taking days off from work, and no dealing with shady people. Yeah, I might hurt myself and get frustrated while doing it, but I’m saving money that I can spend elsewhere more enjoyably.

#1 Fly away.

I bought trips. Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy airplane tickets, and that is almost the same. 😊

Turns out the little luxuries add up fast.

Want another fight over money and fairness, read about siblings clashing when one person earns more and pays unequal family expenses.