Comments on: How Understanding the Marginal Utility of Money Will Make you Happier https://thehappyphilosopher.com/how-understanding-the-marginal-utility-of-money-will-make-you-happier/ A Guide to Freedom and Happiness Tue, 08 Nov 2022 07:19:49 +0000 hourly 1 By: Roopali Garg https://thehappyphilosopher.com/how-understanding-the-marginal-utility-of-money-will-make-you-happier/#comment-11644 Tue, 08 Nov 2022 07:19:49 +0000 http://thehappyphilosopher.com/?p=1160#comment-11644 Recent studies refute the 75000 max. But even older studies- is that gross before taxes, net after? Is that a vhcol area or lcol? Is that for an individual, couple, family of 4? You wrote this in 2016, I’m looking at 2023 numbers where I can put 41k into my 401k, IRA, and HSA. 8k into taxes would leave 26k for me to live on. That won’t cover a mortgage here in DC. Keep in mind that most people won’t make their highest income early in their career so there will be time to make up.

I mean if we’re talking 75/person, that’s a $300k family income, top 3% of the US. Sure most of us should be happy there.

]]> By: Paul https://thehappyphilosopher.com/how-understanding-the-marginal-utility-of-money-will-make-you-happier/#comment-11622 Sun, 21 Nov 2021 08:59:10 +0000 http://thehappyphilosopher.com/?p=1160#comment-11622 Dude! (or Dudette – I haven’t yet delved that far into your blogs to know) Thanks for your words.

I’ve been acutely aware of the terrible trade that employment can be. We are attuned to think we are trading our time/energy for money, and nothing more. But the truth is that we are trading our youth, our stongest and fittest years, our energy, our training, our experience, the best hours of the day, and only getting dollars in return.
At the end of our careers we are left with aged bodies and minds, We get our ‘retirement’ as we’re basically no longer fit to exploit for the profit of others. What we are left with is aged, aching bodies and forgetful minds. What great resources to take into those few final years of life… enjoy your retirement – now that you are at your least able to truely relish it.

Is your career / income really worth exchanging for your lost youth and fitness? Your time away from friends and family?

]]> By: Andrew https://thehappyphilosopher.com/how-understanding-the-marginal-utility-of-money-will-make-you-happier/#comment-11608 Thu, 04 Mar 2021 04:31:36 +0000 http://thehappyphilosopher.com/?p=1160#comment-11608 I really love this post and I’ve bookmarked to read and re-read it again. I thought I should comment as traffic is relatively low for such a succint and insightful account of the ‘marginal utility of $’. Thanks again (Andrew from Melbourne, Aus)

]]> By: Water and Fish - The Happy Philosopher https://thehappyphilosopher.com/how-understanding-the-marginal-utility-of-money-will-make-you-happier/#comment-11158 Sat, 23 Mar 2019 15:50:13 +0000 http://thehappyphilosopher.com/?p=1160#comment-11158 […] on the margins. When people make economic decisions, they usually don’t take into account the marginal utility of money, marginal tax rates or their marginal quality of mental and physical health. Quality of life […]

]]> By: Ryan https://thehappyphilosopher.com/how-understanding-the-marginal-utility-of-money-will-make-you-happier/#comment-11012 Mon, 05 Nov 2018 16:22:21 +0000 http://thehappyphilosopher.com/?p=1160#comment-11012 Yet another thing to consider here is that 3 x time doesn’t necessarily = 3 x money with marginal tax brackets and the fact that your next dollar of gross income is worth progressively less. This, of course, makes your argument even stronger!

]]> By: The Happy Philosopher – Semiretirement and Finding Happiness - FIRE Wanderer https://thehappyphilosopher.com/how-understanding-the-marginal-utility-of-money-will-make-you-happier/#comment-10832 Wed, 18 Jul 2018 00:00:05 +0000 http://thehappyphilosopher.com/?p=1160#comment-10832 […] Increase Your Awesomeness With This One Simple Trick The Six Stages of Financial Freedom How Understanding the Marginal Utility of Money Will Make You Happier Leave a review for the Financial Independence Podcast on iTunes (thanks!) Full Transcript Mad […]

]]> By: Alligators and Kittens | The Happy Philosopher https://thehappyphilosopher.com/how-understanding-the-marginal-utility-of-money-will-make-you-happier/#comment-9878 Wed, 25 Oct 2017 04:22:58 +0000 http://thehappyphilosopher.com/?p=1160#comment-9878 […] meant death, so we focused on addition. Most of us reading this live in obscene abundance. The marginal utility of adding more kittens is way past the point of a reasonable return on investment, but it takes […]

]]> By: Make Your Life Upgrade Proof | The Happy Philosopher https://thehappyphilosopher.com/how-understanding-the-marginal-utility-of-money-will-make-you-happier/#comment-9871 Wed, 25 Oct 2017 04:18:12 +0000 http://thehappyphilosopher.com/?p=1160#comment-9871 […] have nice stuff, but nothing in my house is the ‘best’. Most of it is optimized for maximum marginal utility. I could afford to upgrade it all tomorrow if I wanted. But I don’t. Upgrading just doesn’t […]

]]> By: Hanging Out With The Mad Fientist | The Happy Philosopher https://thehappyphilosopher.com/how-understanding-the-marginal-utility-of-money-will-make-you-happier/#comment-9865 Wed, 25 Oct 2017 04:14:54 +0000 http://thehappyphilosopher.com/?p=1160#comment-9865 […] http://thehappyphilosopher.com/how-understanding-the-marginal-utility-of-money-will-make-you-happier… […]

]]> By: Stacking Functions | The Happy Philosopher https://thehappyphilosopher.com/how-understanding-the-marginal-utility-of-money-will-make-you-happier/#comment-7285 Sun, 20 Aug 2017 14:54:30 +0000 http://thehappyphilosopher.com/?p=1160#comment-7285 […] I used to drive everywhere without thinking about the cost of my time, energy and actual monetary costs. If I needed something I would drive 5 miles and take a half hour of my time. I would give no thought to stacking functions. Now at this point in my life the monetary costs are negligible, but my time is becoming more valuable. […]

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