a piece of happiness

my friend sent me a NYTimes article recently:

Consumers Find Ways to Spend Less and Find Happiness

we both have a billion things cluttering our rooms..

my first project after I leave my company will be to spend a few days

throwing out/giving away/organize all my belongings...

start a fresh life. here are some quotes from the article:

“The idea that you need to go bigger to be happy is false,” she says. “I really believe that the acquisition of material goods doesn’t bring about happiness.

“There’s massive literature on income and happiness. It’s amazing how little there is on how to spend your money.”

"Studies over the last few decades have shown that money, up to a certain point, makes people happier because it lets them meet basic needs. The latest round of research is, for lack of a better term, all about emotional efficiency: how to reap the most happiness for your dollar."

"One major finding is that spending money for an experience — concert tickets, French lessons, sushi-rolling classes, a hotel room in Monaco — produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old stuff. “  ‘It’s better to go on a vacation than buy a new couch’ is basically the idea,”"

"BEFORE credit cards and cellphones enabled consumers to have almost anything they wanted at any time, the experience of shopping was richer, says Ms. Liebmann of WSL Strategic Retail. “You saved for it, you anticipated it,” she says. In other words, waiting for something and working hard to get it made it feel more valuable and more stimulating."

“I think there’s a real opportunity in retail to be able to romance the experience again,”

"“The things we are trained to think make us happy, like having a new car every couple of years and buying the latest fashions, don’t make us happy.” Mr. Belic says his documentary shows that “the one single trait that’s common among every single person who is happy is strong relationships.”"

"Alternatively, spending money on an event, like camping or a wine tasting with friends, leaves people less likely to compare their experiences with those of others — and, therefore, happier."

"Of course, some fashion lovers beg to differ. For many people, clothes will never be more than utilitarian. But for a certain segment of the population, clothes are an art form, a means of self-expression, a way for families to pass down memories through generations."

"“My lifestyle now would not be possible if I still had a huge two-bedroom apartment filled to the gills with stuff, two cars, and 30 grand in debt,” she says. “Give away some of your stuff,” she advises. “See how it feels.”"