What is the minimum windfall or paycheck to alter your life?

$137,000.

$500,000.

$1,000,000

Thank you for asking this question. It caused me to pause and think.

I have had a desire for more money my entire life. It comes from a place of lack. I have this innate idea that I am lacking.

I can say confidently today that I don’t really care if I get a windfall of money, and that knowledge shakes me.

I’m OK. I’m completely fine. I have a job that gives me just enough money to live in circumstances that billions on Earth would envy. Billions more ancestors would be agog at my affluence. I have access to all the food I want at all times. I can turn on a tap and get fresh, clean water that won’t make me sick.

If I do get sick, I have the best medicine available at any time ever to get me better. My doctor is a good one. He listens to me.

I have friends. I have healthy social outlets. I am just now arranging a night at the museum to listen to a concert and putting together a group of friends to go with. This kind of thing brings me enormous joy.

I am not rich by any stretch of a 21st century American imagination, but I’m fine. I have little savings, but I have no reason to think I will lose my job, and I will have a good pension when I retire. I’m healthy.

Again, thank you. This question caused me to realize I’m fine. That’s a valuable realization for me. I often get sad, and it’s good to remember that I’m fine.

I think you all are fibbing, except @Jake.

My original answer, $137,000, is based on the projected cost to sent kid to university the next four years, so it was more wishes to help her more than me. I do agree with @Hawaii_Jake though in we do have enough earthly monetary stuff, and my God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

^So you actually didn’t answer the OP question.

@chyna $137,000, so my child can finish her studies without going into debt. What alters my life alters hers in turn. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord

We got several infusions of money that altered our lives. We got enough to pay off the house, the cars, and all the bills. We could get things for the house we hadn’t been able to afford before. So the total was close to $200,000. But it changed so many things for the better.

@chyna To truly alter my life for the better, I would move out of this messed up country and find a place where they really care about their people and children. No lunatics running around shooting up schools and the government not caring about it. The politics sucks here and it’s not going to ever get any better. Discrimination is at an all time high and the party of hate, hates everything. If trump walks and gun control never happens just like rampant human injustice, I have lost all faith in this country.

If you find that place, take me with you.

^^ You got it!

$75,000

@chyna and @Dig_Dug always room under the mansion in my bunker for Jellies.

Money doesn’t really matter in this regard to it helping in a positive manner. Any windfalls typically bring issues to a person. My happiness if not measured in $$.

Minimum $500,000 would relieve some stress we are going through right now.

Minimum $3million would truly alter our lives onto a slightly different path.

Any amount is good though. If I win $100 I’d be very excited. That helps pay for a fun dinner at Disney.

@Forever_Free ”My happiness if not measured in $$.”

Only those who are fortunate enough to have enough can say that.

Anything would be a gift but to really make a difference, it would have have to be 500,000 or more.

I knew someone at work who won a million dollars in the lottery, and many were envious of him, but it was a 20 year payout. If you calculate it per year, it’s a nice bonus, like icing on the cake, but it’s not like wow, this is life altering.

@jca2 That’s actually probably a better way to get a windfall. The life-changing ones are dangerous.

@janbb True, I’m just pointing out that people thought it was incredible and it’s really not a life changer but there’s no doubt it would be helpful to anyone for bill paying and easing up of financial stress.

I’d always opt for the lump sum not the yearly if I had the choice. The taxation is worse on the lump sum, but I wouldn’t care.

@Forever_Free I have to agree with @janbb that money does matter even for happiness. money doesn’t bring happiness if someone is lonely or abused or some other very negative situation, but on average, it’s much easier to be happy when you don’t have to worry about money.

Money is freedom with how society works today.

It gives you better health, the ability to go where you want, to live in a safer place.

Money also gives the ability to quit your job if you hate it. To take a vacation if you get laid off. To help others when they need help.

Worrying about paying bills is incredibly stressful.

To alter my life would take at least $3 million. Anything les than that would be nice, but would not alter my life.

@janbb I respectfully disagree. Happiness is not about having $$$. Chase $$$ and you will never have enough.
Try watching “Expedition Happiness”, “Mission Joy”, or “Happy”. Let me know what you think.

I haven’t seen Expedition Happiness, but I do know they earned hundreds of thousands of dollars doing the documentary.

^How interesting. Very interesting.

^^This says they renovated the school bus they bought for about $60k-$70k. They initially bought it for $9k. That’s not nothing. Poor people don’t have $70k to buy and renovate a bus. https://www.simplemost.com/story-will-make-want-quit-job-live-school-bus/

Also, here is info on how much revenue they made. https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Expedition-Happiness-(Germany)#tab=summary

@JLeslie can you provide reference to they made versus what was grossed by the production company.

@Forever_Free Valid question. I tried to find information on profit or a salary drawn from the revenue, and I didn’t come across anything. I did read the woman from the show was back in Berlin (at least at the time of the article I read) and I would remind you that Germany has socialized medicine and she also is a rather young adult.

Contrast that with the way society is set up in the US where you need money for healthcare (unless you choose to be poor and on Medicaid, I do know people who do that) or young enough that someone is willing to risk not having health insurance. Plus, older adults worry more about having enough money so they won’t be on the street if they are unable to work.

A friend of mine was living in Berlin for about ten years, lived on very little, and then when she hit her late 40’s she shifted to saving more, switching her residency back to the US to build her US social security some more. She now lives in France several months a year when she isn’t in the US or traveling. Her carefree financial outlook is shifting to more concern about money and financial security as she ages.

$500k would pay off my mortgage and provide a financial cushion against any medical or other emergency.