{"id":245,"date":"2025-09-09T01:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T01:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/good-worldwide.go-vip.net\/upworthy\/2025\/09\/09\/13-people-share-the-exact-moment-they-realized-happiness-doesn-t-come-from-stuff\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T01:01:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T01:01:00","slug":"13-people-share-the-exact-moment-they-realized-happiness-doesn-t-come-from-stuff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goodinc.com\/qa-upworthy\/2025\/09\/09\/13-people-share-the-exact-moment-they-realized-happiness-doesn-t-come-from-stuff\/","title":{"rendered":"13 people share the exact moment they realized happiness doesn’t come from stuff"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Money can’t buy you happiness.” It’s a phrase that’s true, to an extent. A 2023 study<\/a> found that happiness levels<\/a> continued to rise for people who made a salary of $100,000\u2014but after that, levels plateaued. <\/p>

Searching for true happiness in material things like money, cars, and clothes can be a letdown. “When we buy new things we get a dopamine rush<\/a> from the anticipation, but once the item is in our hands that high fades fast and we start looking for the next best thing,” explains Eliana Bonaguro<\/a>, LMHC, a licensed mental health counselor in Bonita Springs, Florida.<\/p>

And people are sharing<\/a> the exact moments and specific material things that have failed to satisfy them<\/a>. These are 13 of their real-life stories:<\/p>

\"anticonsumerism
TikTok u00b7 howdoewedoud83eudebc www.tiktok.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> <\/p>

“Finally hit that financial milestone – thought I’d feel safe but just raised the bar and kept stressing.” -howdoewedo<\/p>

“My 60 yr old husband and I finally had the money to build a big 3,000 sq ft house. It was five bedrooms, finished basement with a gourmet kitchen. We had the idea that our children who were spread across the country could come home to visit and stay and saw this as a big flex. We very quickly HATED the big house. Our children are very successful and have busy lives that make us very hard to travel home to us, no fault of their own. We found ourselves rattling around in a big empty house that felt cold and stark. We sold the house and bought a cozy three bedroom house and we couldn\u2019t be happier. We now travel to our children \u2764\ufe0f” -KristySor1221<\/p>

“A couple of videogames for the Switch that I thought I would be more into but I have played them for less than 3 hours total. Goodbye around 170 dollars.” -Aaagal<\/p>

“I had a $13,000 check and I blew it all in seven weeks. I regret every single purchase because I was spinning the wheel of cause and effect hoping it would point to meaning. Spoilers: it never will.” -Appropriate_Fan3532<\/p>

“Designer goods. I started earning enough money I could shop at Holt Renfrew every weekend. Then I got tired of having things because I realized I enjoy having a simple wardrobe and decluttered space over anything. I\u2019m mentally and financially much better off now.” -emeraldvirgo<\/p>

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