The optimal income for happiness (too high may not be optimal)

[Aurelian]

You can just hide your wealth and not let anybody know. I have a friend who probably has 7-8 figures in the bank and drives a little 20k car and looks like he wears clothes that cost $20 from a thrift store.

Guy lives in this little 2 bedroom trailer. Nobody would know he owns an entire trailer park and at least 3 different houses I'm aware of.

 

[TeTe]

If you're married, it doesn't matter. Her spending scales with your income. For example, if you pull 100K a year, her spending will be where you're flat broke. It increases to a mil a year, her spending will increase to where you're flat broke. Etc., etc. Women can find new and unfathomable ways to blow money. It's a talent I'm clueless about.

Fortunately in 2025, a lot of women earn their own money. So my wife makes $135k a year and her spending has scaled with her earning. The way it should be.

 

[TeTe]

And like @Contempt said, it depends on where you live. $150k sounds great, even in a higher cost of living area. But, you live well on half that in some areas of the US.

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

I think also it all comes down to perspective. Like what is too much money? And what is too little? What's the threshold?

If you are big spender of course, you will need more money. And how much do you need to keep you pleasurably comfortable? That's all subjective really.

I do understand there is probably an optimal salary number. Which is fine.

 

[William Huggins]

Semi relevant to this thread

Just sound like someone without coke and hooker money.......

 

[BB in Crazy!!!!]

Agree with your stance TS, and it's what the research points to.

There was a study done in the early 2000's on the correlation between money and happiness.

The finding was that money made you happier, up to an income of about $70K per year. That was the level where you could generally afford to pay your bills, have a family, if you get sick you can pay a doctor, etc.

And after $70K - there was no correlation and once it got really high ($400K+) they actually found a slight negative correlation... people were less happy.

I'm sure that number would probably be closer to $100K today, or maybe $150K like you mention

Probably 100k if you don't live in a major city or the west coast. Then it's more for the higher cost of living areas.

 

[BoogerDawson]

Stealth wealth for me, so I won't get a bunch a people with their hands out. I'll take as much as I can get. Once I get to my magic number that will make me set for life, then I can spend as I see fit. Money can't necessarily buy happiness, but it can make a lot of problems go away.