All the Money in the World: What the Happiest People Know About Wealth

by Laura Vanderkam

Overview

How happy would you be if you had all the money in the world? The universal lament about money is that there is never enough. We spend endless hours obsessing over our budgets and investments, trying to figure out ways to stretch every dollar. We try to follow the advice of money gurus and financial planners, then kick ourselves whenever we spend too much or save too little. For all of the stress and effort we put into every choice, why are most of us unhappy about our finances?

According to Laura Vanderkam, the key is to change your perspective. Instead of looking at money as a scarce resource, consider it a tool that you can use creatively to build a better life for yourself and the people you care about.

For instance, the average couple spends $5,000 on engagement and wedding rings, making these pricey purchases largely because everyone else does. But what if you decided to spend $300 on rings and apply the rest to future date nights, weekend getaways, and thinking-of-you bouquets over the next ten years? In he long run, what would bring more joy to your marriage? Likewise, will owning a home with a pristine lawn and a two-car garage—the American Dream—really make you more satisfied? Or are you saving up for this investment just because financial planners tell you it’s worth it?

Vanderkam shows how each of us can figure out better ways to use what we have to build the lives we want. Drawing on the latest happiness research as well as the stories of dozens of real people, Vanderkam offers a contrarian approach that forces us to examine our own beliefs, goals, and values.

Among her advice:

• Laugh at the Joneses: It’s human nature to compare yourself to those around you, but you can create lifestyle hat rings you personal satisfaction without copying your neighbors.
  

• Give yourself the best weekend ever: Studies show that experiences often bring more pleasure than material goods. With a little planning and creativity, you can give yourself a memorable getaway without leaving town or going broke.
  

• Embrace the selfish joy of giving: Giving back not only helps you build karma, it also helps you build a community—which is much more fulfilling than a tax deduction. All the Money in the World is a practical and inspiring guide that shows how money can buy happiness—if we spend it wisely.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101560471
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/01/2012
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	596 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Laura Vanderkam is the author of 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think and Grindhopping:  Build a Rewarding Career Without Paying Your Dues, which the New York Times hailed as “loaded with smart observations.” Her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, City Journal, the Huffington Post, USA Today, Scientific American, and Reader’s Digest, among other publications. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and their three children.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction: You Have More Money Than You Think 1

Chapter 1 What Else Could That Ring Buy? 15

Getting

Chapter 2 Don't Scrimp More, Make More 35

Chapter 3 Rethink Retirement 60

Spending

Chapter 4 Laughing at the Joneses 85

Chapter 5 The Best Weekend Ever 109

Chapter 6 The Marginal Cost of Children 123

Chapter 7 The Chicken Mystique 141

Sharing

Chapter 8 The Selfish Joy of Giving 161

Chapter 9 Another Way to Invest 183

All the Money in the World

Chapter 10 Ode to a Ziploc Bag 203

The How to Buy Happiness Handbook 219

Acknowledgments 227

Notes 229

Index 241

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“In this engaging and thought-provoking book, Laura Vanderkam explains how we can get the most happiness bang for our buck, right here and now, in the way we live our ordinary lives.”
—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project

“If you have been awake for the last five years, then you know money is emotional. Most of the time we make these massively important decisions about how to earn it, spend it, and save it without pausing to think about how these decisions affect our lives. Laura Vanderkam brings a fresh dose of common sense to this madness by urging us to step back and reexamine the role money plays in our lives. Unlike most personal finance books, which leave you feeling stressed, All the Money in the World will empower you to live a truly richer life.”
—Carl Richards, author of The Behavior Gap: Simple Way to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money

“With extensive research and rare insight, Laura Vanderkam reveals the financial mind-set that can lead to lasting happiness.”
—Zac Bissonnette, author of Debt-Free U and New York Times bestseller How to be Richer, Smarter, and Better-Looking Than Your Parents

Editorial Reviews

In this engaging and thought-provoking book, Laura Vanderkam explains how we can get the most happiness bang for our buck, right here and now, in the way we live our ordinary lives.”

—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project

“If you have been awake for the last five years, then you know money is emotional. Most of the time we make these massively important decisions about how to earn it, spend it, and save it without pausing to think about how these decisions affect our lives. Laura Vanderkam brings a fresh dose of common sense to this madness by urging us to step back and reexamine the role money plays in our lives. Unlike most personal finance books, which leave you feeling stressed, All the Money in the World will empower you to live a truly richer life.”

—Carl Richards, author of The Behavior Gap: Simple Way to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money

“With extensive research and rare insight, Laura Vanderkam reveals the financial mind-set that can lead to lasting happiness.”

—Zac Bissonnette, author of Debt-Free U and New York Times bestseller How to be Richer, Smarter, and Better-Looking Than Your Parents

From the Publisher