Contents
- Real happiness doesn't have to cost a lot
- From luxury to simplicity: how Scott and his wife found real happiness
- What the happiness list taught them
- Taylor's happiness list: real happiness comes from simple everyday moments
- Scott's happiness list: without the luxury, happiness turned out to be simple
- My happiness list: the moments that truly make me happy
- Your happiness list: write it down and you'll find what really makes you happy
Have you ever thought like this?
“Once I'm rich, I'm going to travel the world!”
“If I win the lottery, I'll definitely…!”
But does happiness really cost a lot? With one simple exercise, you can find happiness without spending much at all.
Real happiness doesn't have to cost a lot
Can the things that make us happy only be bought with money?
The answer is no.
Let's look at a true story: how Scott Rieckens — an Emmy-nominated director and author of Playing with FIRE — changed the way he saw money and found real happiness.
From luxury to simplicity: how Scott and his wife found real happiness
Scott lived the kind of comfortable life many people envy:
- a happy family
- a beautiful house and a yacht club membership
- his wife even drove a red BMW coupe.
But this luxurious lifestyle was supported by high-pressure jobs and very long hours. They worked hard to earn money, yet lived only for weekends and holidays.
Then one day Scott heard an interview with Mr. Money Mustache (MMM), one of the driving forces of the FIRE movement, and it changed his life.
He began to ask himself: “Is a life spent chasing money really what I want?”
Want to learn more about FIRE? Read What Is FIRE?
What the happiness list taught them
Scott invited his wife, Taylor, to do an exercise with him: each write down ten things that make them happy, to discover where their happiness really came from.
At first he worried Taylor's list would include “my BMW coupe.”
But it turned out that neither of their lists had a BMW or a yacht club membership — and most of the items cost very little.
Taylor's happiness list: real happiness comes from simple everyday moments
- hearing the baby laugh
- having coffee with my husband
- hugging my baby
- going for a walk
- riding a bike
- enjoying a glass of good wine
- eating delicious chocolate
- talking with my parents, family and friends
- having meals with family
- reading to the baby
Scott's happiness list: without the luxury, happiness turned out to be simple
- reading to my daughter until she falls asleep
- listening to music
- enjoying good wine
- having coffee with Taylor
- outdoor sports (cycling, hiking)
- cooking for my family
- reading
- getting together with friends
- competitive sports
- fishing
The exercise made Scott and Taylor realize that the things they loved doing were very simple and didn't cost much.
Five months later, they quit their high-pressure, high-paying jobs. The whole family embraced FIRE, and from then on lived a life of financial independence and early retirement, no longer held hostage by money and work.
My happiness list: the moments that truly make me happy
After reading their story, I got curious about what really makes me happy.
So I sat down and wrote my own happiness list:
- dinner with my family
- catching up with friends
- reading books I'm interested in
- writing and creating
- exercising
- mindfulness meditation
- slow, in-depth travel
- looking at plants
- reading and working in a café
- walking hand in hand with my partner
When I finished, I was sure: my happiness doesn't require much money. That's when I started on my own path to FIRE.
Your happiness list: write it down and you'll find what really makes you happy
Take a quiet moment and think. What are the ten things that truly make you happy? Write them down.
If you have a partner, invite them to do the exercise with you. You may be surprised by the answers.
Share your happiness list — let's see which free joys move people the most!
Further reading: How to Calculate Your Real Hourly Wage: You Earn Less Than You Think
