I remember reading something that after around 60k a year, happiness doesn't increase with increased money. I think because around that point you aren't struggling to meet your needs, and most people's wants don't make them happier.
I've also read that it's not money that makes you happy but having a margin. For example, when I was in the Navy as an E1 I made under 1000 bucks a month starting out. But my margin was... nearly $1000 a month. I had no bills, lived on base, ate on base, etc. Or when I was a kid working a summer job and 90% of what I made went into that bank account. That's probably the richest I've ever felt and I wasn't making squat in reality. But I had a margin over what I needed.
I remember reading that if you make over $65k a year you are in the top 1% of earners in the world. Over $45k and you are top 5%. But nobody is rich. We just all know someone who is. Of course if you ask the person you think is rich if they are, they aren't rich, but they know someone who is. Rich to someone making $30k a year is $60k a year. Rich to someone making $50k a year is someone making $100k a year. Polls on people that make over 100k a year and they say being rich is 5 million in liquid assets or more. 4 million in available spending money is not rich...
Most of us are so rich we feel we need to do this thing called upgrading. When we take a kitchen with an oven and a microwave and countertops and spend all this money to change it into a kitchen with an oven and a microwave and countertops. Or take a perfectly good working vehicle to a store where you can give them money and they'll put you in a perfectly good working vehicle.
Honestly I've lived on Bush light and Mac and Cheese in college and enjoyed that time in my life as much as where I am now earning more than I need by far.
