[Fegasderty]

You should have paid extra since you enjoyed a rollercoaster ride. Haven't you?

[Slonopotam845]

Greetings.

Quite an intersting thread. Let me look back in my life.... in the early 80s, I was getting Rs.1,200/month; we were happy. After paying rent, grocery, entertainment ( our biggest entertainment didn't cost any money though. We just gave to each other), we saved upto 30-35%, bought dresses for dear and near deepavali or pongal.

Now I am paid many times than that; reasonable amount of savings; on occassions bough kick-ass dresses ( that how those young girls remarked those nice gagras) to near and dear. Happy? yes, we are.

So, how much money did I actually need? money is not important at all. It is the mind set. If I liked to be happy, I will be happy completing my B/fast or lunch from a கை ஏந்தி பவன் spending Rs. 10-15 in 2012. Or I could be happy paying Rs.512/person for one buffet meal from that same town.

Some persons have the knack to be happy with any money they earn. I have never been unhappy about the money I earned. I always said to my wife " never cut short your expenses; if our expenses seem more than we earn, then we go and earn more money!". I am following that as of today.

Cheers!

[Slonopotam845]

I will agree that money alone can not buy happiness. Ms. Ophra Winfrey, on her visit to the slums of Mumbai commented on the happiness among those children. Similarly we have seen contentment on faces of poor people. It is the greedy who suffer. Having said all that still you need a basic level of monetary safety net depending on the lifestyle.

[tgs]

The BPL people are existing at Rs.32/- according to GOI and the present GOM (group of ministers). They, the BPL, all will be happy if they get Re.1/- more! I remember a wit by A. Lincoln. Somebody asked him how long a man's legs should be. He is said to have replied " long enough to touch the body (torso) to the ground." An income to sustain and hold the body and spirit together. I think you can satisfy yourself with food, pleasures. But the desire for money will grow faster than the expanding universe.

[Slonopotam845]

There is a happy medium between $50,000 and $300 per year.
It depends on cost of living and basic need (?). Of course my demand of TB Meal.

[Ifroham4]

There is a happy medium between $50,000 and $300 per year.
It depends on cost of living and basic need (?). Of course my demand of TB Meal.

Hello Sir, Brahmins as Brahmins need not buy food, need not buy for food. Nor is he supposed to store food. But, yes, we have been drawn into the current and because we are not heavy, we are far ahead of others on some scale!

[doctorzlo]

I once travelled by bus in India where I only got the last seat long seat at the back and each time the bus went over some pot hole or the other you will be thrown up and almost thrown off the seat.

Somehow we girls manage not to fall off but some guys in the nearby seat kept falling on us girls till we had to push them off.

You were moved by what you saw outside the bus and the boys by what they saw inside the bus??

[Beerinkol]

Happiness is a state of mind. Yes. But it largely depends on external factors like good health, good relationship, wealth, etc. At the same time, in today's world, one can not underestimate the power of money.

[Big A]

Folks - as always I am going to take a very unpopular line !!.

wow !! If all of you here who are largely good people, say that we dont want to go after money, then the bad people like our politicians, thugs, criminals will have all the money. with money, comes power & ability to control everthing around.

Imagine if we all had the money & power instead of the current politicians, I am sure most of us would have done good to people !! Instead of 800 mil under dire poverty, we would have most if not all of the poor doing very well.

so all of us should go after money, power & once you get it - ensure you do good to all !!