What is the perfect salary to be happy?

[We Love Bass]

There are people who are living a decent life with even 10k, someone here spoke about IQ and I would agree, people just see money and create problems for themselves e.g some folks dont even need uncapped internet but they have why...well because everyone has it.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Yeah that number is really high. I think 5-8k is what most people would spend.

You are viewing this as a parent of small children. I have an adult daughter, a teenager and a tweenager.

The teenager expenses:
Pocket money: R1K
2022 Schooling: R4K (public school)
Medical: R1K extra
Food: R1500 (they eat a lot)
Clothes: R1K per month (we pay cash and he is cheap)
Entertainment: R500 is what he adds to our monthly bill.
Sport: R500

That's R9500 every month but I still need to add:

* Extra life insurance I had to take out to cover his schooling if something happens to me.
* Educational incidentals as I like to call it, all the hey-dad-I-need-this-for-a-project expenses.
* Family entertainment, even camping can add R1K per child for a long weekend.
* Petrol for random driving around.
* Presents
* etc etc

That surplus R2500 get's consumed very quickly.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

There are people who are living a decent life with even 10k, someone here spoke about IQ and I would agree, people just see money and create problems for themselves e.g some folks dont even need uncapped internet but they have why...well because everyone has it.

Very true as I've been in that trap.

Ironically I had to spend a lot of money on neuro life coach sessions this past year to learn to be happier with less. Not saying my income went down, rather that I'm more productive with what I've got and can quite easily live off much less.

 

[3WA]

Clothes: R1K per month (we pay cash and he is cheap)

Isn't this a lot? Is it cause he grows and needs a new wardrobe every year?

I've probably spent R2k-R3k a year on clothes over the past five years.

 

[CorneliusCenturion]

Money can't make you happy.

Not having enough or any money can definitely make you unhappy and ruin a marriage.

Seriously Pineapple Smurf why the hell are you giving your child 1K in money every month? You know the only thing my parents ever gave me food and shelter. I trapped my bicycle to school for 12 years and when I turned 18 my father told me straight it is either army, college or a job but either way he did not want to see me around the house anymore.

If your kid wants money organise him a pc with Photoshop and register him on fiver and tell him there go make some money if being broke bothers you.

 

[backstreetboy]

Not having enough or any money can definitely make you unhappy

Lol yeah no you should get out of your cave more. The homeless person in the parking lot here I walk past every day seems rather happy to me. Just reading his newspaper and washing his clothes.

 

[CorneliusCenturion]

Lol yeah no you should get out of your cave more. The homeless person in the parking lot here I walk past every day seems rather happy to me. Just reading his newspaper and washing his clothes.

My man cave makes me think that Belinda Carlisle was right and heaven is indeed a place on earth. It is my only respite from the uterus induced paranoia I'm forced to deal with on a daily basis. I never wanna leave my cave.

 

[3WA]

It is my only respite from the uterus induced paranoia I'm forced to deal with on a daily basis. I never wanna leave my cave.

I never wanted to leave the uterus.

 

[Crayons]

I would say 15 000 for a single person and 25 000 for a couple.

I make more than that combined for a single person and I still want more.

 

[Johnatan56]

Isn't this a lot? Is it cause he grows and needs a new wardrobe every year?

I've probably spent R2k-R3k a year on clothes over the past five years.

Erm, when is the last time you bought clothes? If not shopping pep or something, one or two pants already hits R1k. Clothing jumped in prices like two years ago.

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Erm, when is the last time you bought clothes? If not shopping pep or something, one or two pants already hits R1k. Clothing jumped in prices like two years ago.

That's probably what I buy every few years - 1 or 2 pants. A few t-shirts and some new socks and undies. Maybe the odd pair of shoes.

Don't wear anything else and don't see the need to buy clothes when everything I have still fits and looks fine. Still rocking some t-shirts from 10 years ago that still look fine.

R2-3k might be a bit low, but I'd say on average about R1.5k a year for decent-ish brands...

 

[3WA]

Erm, when is the last time you bought clothes? If not shopping pep or something, one or two pants already hits R1k. Clothing jumped in prices like two years ago.

I own two pairs of Levis that I got at a two-for-one sale a few years ago. Maybe I’m just shopping the specials.

The most expensive thing I’ve bought in the past five years is a pair of All Stars for around R1k.

 

[rietrot]

Erm, when is the last time you bought clothes? If not shopping pep or something, one or two pants already hits R1k. Clothing jumped in prices like two years ago.

But you can wear it more than once.

 

[Tman543]

Happiness plateaus as the average income in society reaches $70,000 (R1 million).

From the article, the data indicates this is the sweet spot for happiness,

I would differ, it totally depends on your lifestyle. There are loads of factors that affect happiness but lets just focus on the money aspect.
Money doesn't buy happiness but it can afford you comfort, safety, stability, entertainment so what ever defines your level of comfort would determine the amount of money to facilitate your happiness.

Also Loads of money attracts insincere, selfish people (sometimes skelms) which would obviously affect your happiness.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Isn't this a lot? Is it cause he grows and needs a new wardrobe every year?

I've probably spent R2k-R3k a year on clothes over the past five years.

R1K alone just for school shoes he outgrows/trashes in a term. We avoid labelled clothing as some parents drop R1K just on t-shirts.

Yeah, I spend a much smaller amount on clothes than on my children. Don't even have store accounts and only buy cash.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

From the article, the data indicates this is the sweet spot for happiness,

I would differ, it totally depends on your lifestyle. There are loads of factors that affect happiness but lets just focus on the money aspect.
Money doesn't buy happiness but it can afford you comfort, safety, stability, entertainment so what ever defines your level of comfort would determine the amount of money to facilitate your happiness.

Also Loads of money attracts insincere, selfish people (sometimes skelms) which would obviously affect your happiness.

Absolutely, it's a generalisation but if your approach to life is that of an adult, you realise you can do a lot once you know your sweet spot.

From experience, I've found that going for more money for me can often lead to less. I was financially at my high point at age 29 yet I had nothing. I pulled in a huge salary back then but it came at a price. Work hard, party harder was the mantra! Our office fridge was kept permanently full with booze with a bottle of Johnny Blue on permanent standby for when the boss visits. I was living the life of the yuppie and as a result, I had nothing to show for it besides hangovers.

I restarted my career at age 30 at the equivalent of R10K today and was never happier. I did work my way up again to now be in a place where I earn enough to enjoy the lifestyle I want but I realise I still need to make sacrifices. These sacrifices make the rewards so much sweeter.

 

[Johnatan56]

Absolutely, it's a generalisation but if your approach to life is that of an adult, you realise you can do a lot once you know your sweet spot.

From experience, I've found that going for more money for me can often lead to less. I was financially at my high point at age 29 yet I had nothing. I pulled in a huge salary back then but it came at a price. Work hard, party harder was the mantra! Our office fridge was kept permanently full with booze with a bottle of Johnny Blue on permanent standby for when the boss visits. I was living the life of the yuppie and as a result, I had nothing to show for it besides hangovers.

I restarted my career at age 30 at the equivalent of R10K today and was never happier. I did work my way up again to now be in a place where I earn enough to enjoy the lifestyle I want but I realise I still need to make sacrifices. These sacrifices make the rewards so much sweeter.

I think what you're saying is you had no work/life balance, not that the salary was bad on either.
You need to make do with what you have, there are certain income points that are just too low to have a good life (can't afford to live as couple/permanent with parents, can't afford minimum amount of clothes, food, etc.), and then issues that crop up when too much cash where you're worried about insincere people. I'd pick the latter, keep my lifestyle like I have now, and basically just retire early and do a job I want and know I can quit the next day without issues.

 

[CorneliusCenturion]

R1K alone just for school shoes he outgrows/trashes in a term. We avoid labelled clothing as some parents drop R1K just on t-shirts.

Yeah, I spend a much smaller amount on clothes than on my children. Don't even have store accounts and only buy cash.

I bought clothes on credit for the first time in my life only when I wanted to buy a house.