If you are struggling to meet your biological and safetey needs, you bet your scrotal meat money can buy happiness

genuinely aren’t made happier by addition of cash…they’re operating at the interpersonal and self-actualization levels

There’s a 2010 study that supports both these statements, where an increase in income equals an increase in happiness - up to a point (plateauing around 60-90k, in 2010 money). However, a more recent study from 2022, shows that an increase in money up to a larger point (500k) increases happiness. I’m unsure why the data have a drastically different number this time, inflation doesn’t account for that dramatic of an increase. Though, a percent of people in the newer study (15%) do line up with the original study with happiness plateauing around the 100k mark, which matches up given inflation. Interesting one of the authors is the same for both studies.

Here’s a cbs article on the two studies.