A Toyota is NICER than a BMW!?

I heard this great phrase recently which was, a high end Toyota is a nicer car than an entry level BMW. Because a high end Toyota is filled with things that make you happy. Nice seats, a good sound system, like moonroof. Whatever it is, the entry level BMW is just bragging rights. Other than that, like, so, like, I think you should go through life wanting the proverbial high end Toyota. It's not showing off for others, it's making you happy rather than just trying to put up your peacock feathers to show off to people.

With all the research you've done for Psychology of Money and now, same as ever, your life completely changed over the last few years. Financially, socially, you know, opportunity wise, all these different things. You have more money now than you did three years ago than you probably imagined.

Yeah.

You have more opportunities, you have more access, you have more everything. Has your life gotten better or worse since you've made this much more?

I would say it has not made me happier. It's probably made me more content, which you might confuse with happiness, but it's very different. I don't think I'm happier in the sense that I don't wake up smiling more than I used to, but I think I probably have fewer anxious days than I used to. I say fewer because they still exist. So I think it has removed anxiety, but it has not improved happiness. I think that for most people is what money will do to that situation really. Or if it does, it's pretty. It's minor because people will become accustomed to the new house, the new car, whatnot. You're never going to get accustomed to like having bad days. Like the removal of that is always going to be a positive influence in your life. Right. But it's different than happiness now. Chasing contentment is worth chasing. It's a great thing. It's not to say money does nothing for you. Like it absolutely does. But contentness is not happiness.

Wow.

And so that's, I feel like that's been for me, I've also, my wife and I have always been kind of. We found a lifestyle that worked for us and we've gotten the goalpost to stop moving. Because what really matters for us is like time with our kids, going for walks, going kayaking, and the social aspiration of like, oh, we need a bigger house, nicer car. It's like, it doesn't really appeal to us that much.

Right.

So in that sense, nothing has changed. But that's by design.

What is something that you studied before Psychology of Money came out that you talked about with people who had more money.

I think before the books came out, I would have said what I just said, money's not going to make you happier. But I would have said it. But there was part of my.

But I wanted more money.

Yeah. And I think. And then when you experience it, I think for me it was like, wow, that's really true. That's incredible. You. And to say that to someone who is still aspiring to gain some sort of net worth, I think just as I did, it's like, even if you believe that, you're like, yeah, but, but.

But it really does make you happy.

Yeah. And I think experiencing is like, wow, that's actually pretty amazing.