So, money can buy happiness?

By Curt Swarm

Contrary to the popular saying, ?Money Doesn?t Buy Happiness,? people in upper income brackets are happier and have more going for them. Here are the simple facts, as most facts are, from a recent Time Magazine report.

Forty-one percent of people in the $200k+ bracket say they are ?very happy.? Whereas 38% of people in the $100 - $199k bracket make the same claim. And it goes down from there. 36% in the $60 - $99k bracket; 28% in the $30 - $59k bracket (the bracket that has the most military recruits); and 26% of people in the $29k bracket say they are ?very happy.?

In fact, in just about all categories, people with more money are better off.

Some facts that jump out in the report are that people in the higher income brackets are better educated. Is this because they were born into money and could afford to go to college? Or is it because they picked themselves up by the bootstraps, put themselves through college, and thereby raised their income? Or a combination of both?

More military recruits come from the lower-income brackets. It?s an age-old phenomenon: military ranks are full of the down trodden. Not going to college or can?t find a job?--try the military.

Low-income people use more tobacco. This is really sad. The ones who can?t afford cancer and respiratory illnesses, and might not have insurance, are more susceptible. And with a pack of smokes costing more than $5 (that?s 25 cents per fag), money that could be used for food, shelter, and clothing is going up in smoke.

People with more money live longer. Why? Do they take better care of themselves, have better diets, exercise more? Or can they afford better healthcare? In New York City, the very wealthy sometimes have a doctor on retainer for an average fee of $30,000 a year. Money talks.

SAT (Standard Aptitude Test) scores are higher for the wealthy. Once again, why? Is it because they are better educated and have less stress. Or is it better genes?

Drug use is higher amongst the low income. Once again, this is really sad. The ones who can?t afford it are putting out the money for a quick fix. If you don?t feel good about yourself and your surroundings, a mood altering substance is the way to go, right?

And last but not least, there is more crime among the lower income. If you don?t have it, take it from those who have. The prisons are full of low-income people.

If there?s one take-away from this chart, it?s education. It?s through education that people can jump income brackets. Don?t give me that ?college-is-too-expensive-and-there-are-no-jobs-anyway? whine. Get that education, go into debt, and flip burgers if you have to. I did. It didn?t hurt me a bit, in fact, it made me stronger and more determined to improve myself. The American dream is alive and well. Money buys happiness.

Have a good story? Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526, email him at curtswarm@yahoo.com, or visit his website at www.empty-nest-words-photos-and-frames.com. Curt also reads his column on www.lostlakeradio.com.