英语阅读：谈一谈花钱的艺术

摘要：研究结果有些显而易见，一般而言，有钱人确实会比挣扎在温饱线上的人更幸福。但是，研究也发现，合理消费才能使你在买单时更快乐。

Money can’t buy happiness, right? Well, not true. According toa recent article in The Wall Street Journal, over the past fewyears, new research has given us a much deeper understandingof the relationship between what we earn and how we feel. Theresults may seem a bit obvious: Yes, people with higher incomesare, broadly speaking, happier than those who struggle to getby. But the research also shows you have to spend strategicallyif you expect those bank notes to put a smile on your face.Here are some ways to better spend your money:

Buy experiences, not stuff.

金钱真得买不到幸福么?也不尽然。最近，《华尔街日报》的一篇文章就指出，在过去的几年间，新的研究让我们对挣钱多少与心理感受间的关系有了更深刻的认识。研究结果有些显而易见，一般而言，有钱人确实会比挣扎在温饱线上的人更幸福。但是，研究也发现，合理消费才能使你在买单时更快乐。下面就奉上一些消费建议：

相比实物，为体验买单。

谈一谈花钱的艺术

In a recently published study, Ryan Howell, associate professor of psychology at San FranciscoState University in the US, found that when people don’t have much money to spare, they tendto stick to material goods.

美国旧金山州立大学的心理学副教授瑞安•豪威尔最近发表的一项研究显示，当人们没有多余的钱可以支配时，总会选择购买物质产品。

“People think that experiences are only going to provide temporary happiness,” he told The WallStreet Journal in an interview. “… but they actually provide both more happiness and more lastingvalue.”

他在接受《华尔街日报》的采访时说：“人们认为体验只能带来暂时的幸福感，但事实上它们不仅能带来更大的幸福感，还具有更长久的价值。”

Buy lots of little things, rather than one big thing.

相比大件，入手一些小东西。

No matter how much money you spend on something and how special that product is, you willget used to having it over time and it will become just another object. People adapt to having newstuff, and anything that disrupts that adaptation is likely to prolong happiness, says an Atlanticarticle. Buying small things can give us frequent small pleasures that are different each time theyoccur, as they forestall adaptation.

《大西洋月刊》的一篇文章则写到：不管你在付钱时所买之物多么昂贵或是与众不同，随着时间的推移它都会失去新意，成为一件普通物品。追求新鲜是人的本性，而任何可以打破习惯之物都能带来更长久的幸福感。买一些小物件则能在上一件物品失去新意之前，不断带给我们新的愉悦感。

Buy what you like.

为心仪之物买单。

No keeping up with the Joneses. “There are a lot of reasons someone might buy something … butif the reason is to maximize happiness, the best thing for that person to do is purchase a lifeexperience that is in line with their personality,” Howell tells Forbes. Howell recently co-authored astudy finding that when people spend money just to project a certain image, it doesn’t bringhappiness.

莫攀比!豪威尔在接受《福布斯》采访时就说，“让人掏钱的理由有千千万，但要获得最大的幸福感，就一定要为真正符合自己心意的人生体验买单。”他最近的一项合作研究发现，如果一个人只是为了塑造自己的某种形象而消费，那么他将很难获得幸福感

Be sure to buy time, too.

时间也要算在内。

It’s also important to consider how what you’re buying will affect how you spend your time. Forexample, that big house in the suburbs may seem like a good idea, but according to The WallStreet Journal, a 2004 study by researchers from University of Zurich in Switzerland found thatpeople with longer commutes reported lower overall life satisfaction, all other things being equal.

考虑到你的消费对自己时间的影响也很重要。比如，在郊区买一幢大房子也许是个不错的想法，但是据《华尔街日报》报道，2004年瑞士苏黎世大学研究人员进行的一项研究显示，在同等条件下，通勤时间较长的人整体生活幸福感较弱。

Try giving it away.

予人玫瑰，手留余香。

Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia in Canada,found that in countries as diverse as Canada, South Africa and Uganda, giving away moneyconsistently made people happier. This was even true when people were giving away even whenthey themselves were relatively poor.

来自加拿大的不列颠哥伦比亚大学的心理学副教授伊丽莎白•邓恩则发现，不论在加拿大，还是在南非、乌干达等很多国家，时不时地向他人施舍钱财会让人感觉更幸福。而这也同样适用于并不富裕的人群，乐善好施也能为他们带来幸福感。

精打细算九大省钱妙招

Financial happiness doesn't come easy when your money isn't right. Debt, overdrawn accounts, and too little income can drain you emotionally.

This situation is all too common. But some people have discovered how to be financially happy. What's their secret?In most cases, it's all about adopting smarter financial habits — something anyone can learn.

财务状况不好时不太会有经济上的幸福感。债务、账户透支以及收入太少会让你很泄气。

这种情况太常见了。但是有些人已经知道如何在经济上找到幸福感。他们有什么秘诀?大多数情况下与更聪明的理财习惯有关——任何人都可以学习它们。

1. They take steps to reach goals.

1. 他们想办法实现目标。

Wanting to find your financial happiness is one thing; taking steps to achieve this is an entirely different story.

想有良好的财务状况是一回事，采取措施实现它完全是另一回事。

Financially happy people don't wait for money to fall into their lap. They pave their own path. Here's the thing: if all you do is sit back and moan about your finances, things may never change. Identify where you need to make improvements, and then create a realistic financial plan that works for you. If you need a little help, get a financial planner.

经济条件好的人不会等钱进口袋。他们为自己铺路。事情是这样的：如果你做的只是坐着抱怨自己的财务状况，境况可能不会改变。确定自己需要改进的地方，然后想个实际点的财务计划。如果你需要帮助，可以去找理财规划师。

2. They spend within a budget.

2. 他们的花费控制在预算之内。

These individuals realize that there are limits to what they can do — financially speaking. Like anyone, they would probably enjoy shopping whenever they like, going on vacations whenever they like, and spending money however they like. But this isn't the reality for most people, and financially happy people know this. They stick with a budget, which is how they avoid unnecessary debt and have enough income to pay bills.

这些人意识到他们在经济上有限制。和别人一样，他们可能也想随性购物、随性度假、随性花钱。但这对大多数人来说不现实，而他们知道这一点。他们坚持在预算内消费，这就是他们如何避免不必要的债务以及有足够的钱支付账单。

3. They pay credit balances and maintain good credit.

3. 他们付卡帐并且有良好信用。

Being financially happy starts with being financially responsible. These individuals understand the dangers of credit cards and the importance of good credit. They may only use a credit card when absolutely necessary and pay off the balance each month. Their habit of timely payments and only buying what they can afford contributes to low debt and a higher credit score.

财务状况良好始于对其负责。这些人了解信用卡的风险和信用良好的重要性。他们可能只在非常必要的时候用信用卡，并且每个月付清欠费。及时付款和只买付得起的东西的习惯让他们有低债务和高信用。

4. They plan for financial misfortune.

4. 他们未雨绸缪。

It may look as if financially happy people have zero financial worries. But they know that misfortune can happen at anytime, and they take steps to protect themselves and their families against unforeseen events.

经济状况良好的人看起来没有财务上的担忧。但他们知道不幸可能随时发生，为了应对无法预见的事情，他们会采取措施保护自己和家人。

For example, they will have life insurance to protect their spouses and children in the event of anuntimely death. And they will have set aside a cash reserve as backup in a financial crisis. Careful preparation provides peace of mind.

例如，他们担心自己过早死亡，所以会买人寿保险保护配偶和孩子。而且他们为金融危机留有预备金。精心准备会带来心灵上的稳妥。

5. They don't define success by the size of their bank accounts.

5. 他们不以账户数额的大小界定成功。

While these individuals work hard to care for themselves and family, happiness and success isn't necessarily determined by the number of zeros in their bank accounts. They recognize the danger of basing success on a dollar amount. Financial happiness comes from knowing that they're on the right path and making responsible choices with their money.

虽然这些人为了照顾自己和家人很努力，但幸福和成功不一定由他们银行账户里零的个数界定。他们认识到把成功建立在金钱上很危险。经济上的幸福感来源于知道自己走得正确，并对如何花钱做出负责任的选择。

6. They find satisfaction in what they have.

6. 他们在自己拥有的东西中找到满足感。

Financially happy people live within their means and ignore the temptation to keep up with everybody else. Income levels vary and they realize that keeping up with the Joneses can bring more headaches than joy. They do what they can according to their income and they're content with their life — even if it means driving a regular car and living in a smaller house.

经济上快乐的人量入为出，能抵住和他人比较的诱惑。收入水平各不相同，而且他们意识到攀比带来的痛苦比快乐更多。他们根据收入条件做自己想做的事而且满意自己的生活——即使这意味着开更普通的车和住更小的房子。

7. They control impulse spending.

7. 他们能控制冲动消费。

Impulsive spending can bust budgets and drain finances. A person who's financially happy doesn't shop on a whim. They typically plan purchases and only spend if it's in the budget.

冲动消费会超出预算并花光钱。财务状况好的人不会因一时兴起购物。他们通常会想好买什么，而且只会在预算内消费。

8. They are well-informed borrowers.

8. 他们是消息灵通的借款人。

Whether they're applying for a credit card or applying for a mortgage loan, they always compare different products and do their homework to ensure they're getting the best deal. If they don't feel comfortable with a particular offer, they're not afraid to walk away.

不管是申请信用卡还是抵押贷款，他们总会比较不同的产品，会做功课以确保他们得到的是最好的。如果他们觉得某个价格不合适，他们不怕放弃。

9. They haven't avoided retirement planning.

9. 他们不排斥退休计划。

If you're in your 20s or early 30s, retirement planning may be the farthest thing from your mind. But if you want to be financially happy in your later years, you need to start now.

如果你现在是20多岁或30岁出头，退休计划可能是你最不会想到的事情。但如果你想晚年在经济上宽裕些，现在就要开始考虑了。

Retirement planning isn't something to put off until you're in your mid-30s. The age that you start preparing dictates your quality of life in retirement. Financially happy people think long-term and they know that the decisions they make today have a major impact on their financial future.

退休计划不是推迟到35岁左右才考虑的事。你开始准备的年龄决定了退休后的生活质量。在经济上有幸福感的人会从长远考虑，而且他们知道今天做出的决定对未来的财务情况有重大影响。