Happy spending money on others?

What makes us truly happy is not buying ourselves a brand new smartphone, but spending money… on others.

Spending money can increase feelings of happiness, but the key lies in the object.

To find the link between generosity and happiness, researchers at the University of Zurich divided 50 study participants into two groups. Group 1 was asked to spend 25 Swiss francs a week on gifts or taking others out.

Group 2 spent money on themselves. Happiness was measured on a subjective scale before and after following the instructions. Group 1 reported being happier during the month following the instructions than the group 2. The participants were then given MRI scans to get scientifically accurate results.

In addition, this study also looked at survey results from 136 other countries and also found that spending money on others is a source of happiness. But remember that spending more does not necessarily mean more happiness. It can be summarized simply as follows: give and you will receive!

According to TNO