“Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its
nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants.”

This quote by Benjamin
Franklin carries the typical “money can’t buy happiness” message, albeit in a
much more eloquent way. Having dollars and coins in your hands alone does not
make you smile; using it to buy ice cream for you and your family or spending
it on waterskiing lessons are what produce happiness. Mr. Franklin goes a step
further by saying “The more of it one has the more one wants.” This means that
having money is a rush for a lot of people and we spend our entire lives trying
to make more of it, in pursuit of some distorted notion of “happiness” that we
could’ve achieved much sooner if we’d stayed home and spent a day with a loved
one instead. Bottom line: don’t equate levels of wealth to levels of happiness.

“Money is a strange
business. People who haven’t got it aim it strongly. People who have are full
of troubles.”

This quote by Ayrton
Senna describes the interesting paradox we humans find ourselves in. Either we
feel like we don’t have enough of it and struggle to obtain more, or we are
comfortable with our finances but have more problems with our relationships or accumulate
more stuff than we know what to do with. Alternatively, you can accept the
lifestyle you have and accommodate any financial shortcomings by living
frugally.

“Money is only a tool. It will take you
wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.”

This quote by Ayn Rand tells us that money gives us more power to do and
buy what we want, but it shouldn’t control us. Rather than letting money
dominate our lives, we should take steps necessary to live well on frugal
means. This can include eating at home more often, using alternative means of
transportation, using clothing coupons instead of buying brand-name clothes, reducing your electronics expenses
by getting rid of cable and landlines, and more.

“There are people who have money
and people who are rich.”

This quote by Coco
Chanel exemplifies the problem with money. Just because you have a lot of money
doesn’t mean everything else in your life is perfect (usually far from it). On
the flip side, people poor in money may be rich in relationships, health, and
overall happiness with their lives. Rather than emphasize having money, focus
on areas of life that make you truly rich: family, friends, good food, health,
and leisure activities.

“A good reputation is more
valuable than money.”

This quote by Publilius
Syrus means that we should focus more on what other’s think of us based on our
character, rather than our pocketbooks. Just because you have a lot of money
doesn’t mean you’re generous, per se, and even if you don’t have considerable
financial resources, people may think very highly of you if you’re respectable
and kind to others. 

Kelly Kehoe is a staff writer for Money Street Smart and works with SumoCoupon.com, a site full coupons and coupon codes.