How to buy happiness - The psychology of spending
If you know how much money is in your wallet, and keep a record of what you spend, you’re probably a saver. If, on the other hand, you have no recollection of spending that $50 you withdrew on the weekend and make plans without considering the costs, you’re probably a spender. One personality type is not inherently better than the other. What’s important is that we understand what governs our financial thinking.
Our brain shapes whether we’re spenders or savers
In a recent study, participants’ brains were scanned as they pretended to make buying decisions. Researchers observed activity in an area of the brain called the insula, which is stimulated when you experience something unpleasant. The more stimulation in the insula, the less likely you are to keep doing what you’re doing. They concluded that people with greater insula activity are likely to be savers, and those with less tend to be spenders.
Money does make us happier but only to a point
New research from Purdue University found that emotional wellbeing peaked when individuals earned between $60,000$75,000 USD ($85,000 -$100,000 AUD). Positive life evaluation, or how people feel they’re doing compared to others, was found to peak at earnings of $95,000 USD. After that, happiness was related to how money was spent; with experiences, giving back and strengthening close personal relationships topping the happiness scales.
Shopping can be fun but constant materialism is draining
It feels like our wallets have only just recovered from the silly season and there's nothing that can force us to shop again, but our inboxes are still being inundated with daily ‘hot deals,' putting us in a constant state of purchase evaluation. The Paradox of Choice, coined by psychologist, Barry Schwartz, shows the more choices we have, the harder it is to make a decision. And if we do overcome our analysis-paralysis, we end up exhausted and less satisfied with our purchase than if we’d had fewer options to choose from.
The pain of losing money is worse than the joy of gaining it
Introduced by psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in the early 90s, loss aversion theory states the pain of losing something is greater than the joy of gaining something. It’s the reason people are more likely to stay in a job that makes them miserable, than risk losing income to find a more fulfilling job. Loss aversion is one of several behavioural finance mistakes investors commonly make. Which is why most people need professional investment advice. One of the keys to FMD’s formula for investment success is removing these behavioural biases from investment decision making.
Having a financial plan makes people feel happier
The FPA’s “Live the Dream” Survey into the financial habits and beliefs of 2,635 working age Australians conducted by McCrindle Research in May 2017 found those people happiest with their lot in life were also most likely to have a financial plan. For 57% of respondents the measure of happiness was having the lifestyle of their choice while for 54% it was having financial freedom and independence. We rest our case.
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General advice disclaimer: This article has been prepared by FMD Financial and is intended to be a general overview of the subject matter. The information in this article is not intended to be comprehensive and should not be relied upon as such. In preparing this article we have not taken into account the individual objectives or circumstances of any person. Legal, financial and other professional advice should be sought prior to applying the information contained on this article to particular circumstances. FMD Financial, its officers and employees will not be liable for any loss or damage sustained by any person acting in reliance on the information contained on this article. FMD Group Pty Ltd ABN 99 103 115 591 trading as FMD Financial is a Corporate Authorised Representative of FMD Advisory Services Pty Ltd AFSL 232977. The FMD advisers are Authorised Representatives of FMD Advisory Services Pty Ltd AFSL 232977. Rev Invest Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative of FMD Advisory Services Pty Ltd AFSL 232977.