When I was in school, I had hardly any money. Why should I have anything? I was dependent on my parents and only made $3.25 an hour cracking eggs with both hands at McDonald’s sophomore year. Junior year, I made $4/hour stuffing envelopes as a temp. And finally, senior year I worked moving heavy boxes for a small business that was changing offices for $3.75 an hour. Ouch, my back!
Almost every summer, I insisted on traveling overseas to either study a new language or culture, and even then, I somehow landed odd jobs. One job in particular paid a 3-month salary consisting of pastries in the morning and tea in the afternoon just to keep us awake into the night. I worked as the clapper “ready, set, action” guy and crew hand for the first Chinese-American film JV in Beijing starring Catherine Kellner, Sarita Choudhory, Geng Le, David Wu and even Josh Lucas. These guys started at 6am and regularly finished at 10pm, 5 days a week!
COULDN’T WAIT TO WAKE UP
There’s no glamor in a low budget film that costs $3 million to make and grossed just $18,500 at the box offices. Despite the bomb, much respect goes to all crew members, producers, and actors. None of us, even the main actors got paid much of anything at all. Despite the lack of money, we were all so happy and couldn’t wait to get up the next day to go to work!
Can you imagine filming some random scene in an empty Forbidden City as a starry-eyed study abroad student? It was magical and I wish digital cameras were invented then so I could show you. Although the actors weren’t world famous, they were well known enough in China that wherever we rolled, a crowd would gather. I remember wrapping up set with the crew at 8:30pm and going to the Hard Rock Beijing with David Wu and Geng Le to have a drink. The first step we took inside, the ladies mobbed us!
Despite having little income, I was ecstatic because I got to eat, sleep, learn and poop freely. I lived off $300 a month and slept on a hard wooden plank in the dorm rooms every night. The rooms would bake to 88 degrees during the summers, and all we had was one rotating fan to share between us. Every 22 seconds we would each let out an “ahhhhh” as we cooled off in the night time heat.
The hallways were filled with exchange students from Japan, all over Europe, and the US and it was one big party! We’d cook food for each other, swap stories of our homelands, and explore the city at night together. You might laugh at the freedom to poop, but if you ever travel to remote regions of the world and suddenly get that sour twang in your stomach from your afternoon’s side-stall, you’ll appreciate the accessibility of a clean, well-furnished bathroom with a clean seat. Squat toilets are brutal, but they do make you fearless if you ever have to go in the woods!
NO MONEY, BUT LOTS OF HAPPINESS
Despite having little money up until 24 years old, I was so happy. I’m thankful for having supportive parents, a place to stay, and food to eat. Living in multiple third world countries really hammered home the fact that not everybody is so fortunate. This is why I encourage all of us to travel and learn a new language or two. There would be more love and less war if we traveled.
When you have no money, you start fantasizing what it would be like to have money. Now that I have money, the allure has lost its appeal. Sure, I could dream about what it would like to be a mega-millionaire or billionaire, but the reality is that most of our lives aren’t much different after a certain point. In fact, I see and play tennis with the same billionaire hedge fund manager at the club every week without fail. He just gets to return to a really big house!
There’s really nothing I crave to buy anymore. Fancy cars, nice shoes, flying first class, and living in 5 star hotels are all nice. However, old cars, average shoes, economy class, and 3 star hotels are all pretty nice too! Curiously enough, I’ve discovered the only material things that really increase my happiness level up a notch are the things I couldn’t afford when I was a kid. Now they are all so cheap!
- He-Man figurine ($10 each)
- Film camera ($100, I never had a camera growing up)
- Nike Air Jordans and Agassi Shoes ($100, impossibly expensive as a kid)
- Reebok pumps ($80, Michael Changs’ fuzzy tennis ball pump and David Robinson’s Air Force 1s anybody?)
- An original Guns & Roses CD playing “Welcome to The Jungle” ($5 bucks?)
- Sitting in a 1989 BMW 6 series and smelling the old, cracked leather. (Free)
- Getting a whiff of Drakkar Noir cologne and being able to buy a bottle for old times sake. ($40)
FROM NO MONEY TO ENOUGH MONEY
When you make $3.25 an hour and only work part-time, it feels like someone is sticking a knife in your heart each time you spend $10, let alone $80. I would buy my friends well-worn Air Jordans that were 2 sizes too big for $35 to save money.
I remember going over to a friends house and playing with his parent’s cameras since we didn’t have one at home. And of course, I would ask my mother if she could buy me a He-Man toy whenever I was sick in the hospital or when I did really well in school.
As a grown up now, one should desire grown-up things right? You know, those $50,000 BMW 3 series coupes, $800,000 Lake Tahoe vacation properties, and $9,200 Panerai Black Seal Ceramic watches. I like all these things admittedly, but they don’t bring me an extra level of happiness, except for perhaps new memories created at a vacation property, which are priceless.
Instead, the $10 He-Man figurines I have sitting on my desk makes me always smile when I sit down and write a post. The He-Man figures reminds me of all the fun times I had in childhood, my loving mother, and the fact that I no longer have to long for it anymore. The $100 pair of black Air Jordan 4’s makes me chuckle because it’s finally the right size and I no longer look like I have clown shoes on!
NOSTALGIA IS HAPPINESS
So before you go out and spend your money on expensive stuff you don’t need, think back to your childhood and remember all the things you wanted but couldn’t afford. They are so cheap now, and you can find them all on-line. Also think back to those study abroad trips or those crazy vacations with friends. Pull out the pictures and stick them on your fridge or put them in frames on your desk and marvel.
You really don’t need much money to be happy! After food, clothing, shelter, family, and friends, your happiness will be the same whether you make $20 a day or $2,000 a day. Happiness is a state of mind. I love writing in front of my fireplace in Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe while I look outside at the snow fall. You can choose to be happy or sad. Why not make it a good one?
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Even a CD from the 90’s will take me back. The thing is we are probably making memories today that one day we’ll end up being nostalgic about. I actually see that sometimes when my kids are doing something and I make sure to take a moment to take it all in. When I was young, definitely didn’t do that.
I didn’t realize Michael Chang “had a shoe!”
When I was in college, I spent some weeks eating nothing but clementines and cans of tuna. It was miserable. I was working at persian rug gallery, getting paid under the table. If the owner had a bad week, by the transitive property, I too would have a bad week. He would delay payment for weeks at a time.
When I graduated and received my first paycheck, I immediately went to Taco Bell to indulge. It was heaven. Sometimes I’ll still return to get a chicken quesadilla just to relive the feeling I had that day.
Hahaha, Taco Hell! Awesome! Hope they had a clean bathroom just in case!
That’s great that a $.99 taco can bring you happiness.
I had a similar experience money-wise growing up. We were very low middle-class (if that.) As I grew up and starting making good money at a “real” job I was finally able to experience some of those these I considered luxuries as a kid. Funny thing is most things aren’t as magical as I thought they would be. My greatest joy now is spending time with my two boys. I don’t think that all the money in the world could change that.
At this point in my life, getting 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep makes me happy.
I’m pretty big on the nostalgia factor. I can hear a song or watch a movie or even have a conversation about something from my childhood and I’m happy for days (never mind the elation I get when I find out something like The Magic Garden is on YouTube or finding Frankenberry cereal at the supermarket). Having a child, and watching her play just as happily with a coloring book from the Dollar Store or a library book as she does with one of her video games helps remind me that you don’t have to have a lot of money to enjoy life; money is not the deciding factor. It’s a helpful factor, certainly, but not the only one.
If 8 hours of sleep is all it takes, that is an awesome solution to more happiness!
I knew you had travelled a lot but had no idea you’ve been doing it since way back then! That must have been such a cool experience. Simple things like camping trips in the world with a campfire make me happy, or seeing a sunset from a beach, or things like that. Money is important, and we are very blessed to live in countries with a lot of it to go around, relatively speaking, but it is a means to an end. I don’t know too many people that would be happy just sitting on a pile of money but not being able to do anything with it. ;)
It was an amazing time. We’d bike from our dormitories to the Forbidden City and go through all the little alley ways. The Motorola StarTac phone JUST came out, and people were amazed. Things were so simple and beautiful then. A lamb skewer stick and a beer on the side street for dinner………
P.S. don’t know about the other actors but I know of Gong Li. She’s the same one that renounced her Chinese citizenship and peeved a lot of people, eh? ;) And you worked with these people and had drinks with them at night? Pretty awesome stuff…
Eh, about the bathrooms… couldn’t agree more. Not pleasant when you get bitten to death by 10 mosquitos and don’t even have toilet paper… lol! What an experience that was…
I love going in the woods now, over a dirty, smelly, encased squat toilet public center!
Seeing He-Man Action Figures on Yakezie certainly makes this Geek very happy! I still have my entire He-Man collection…as well as Star Wars, GI Joe, Thundercats, Voltron, etc.
Wow Dave, that’s hard core! I just went to Wondercon last year and spent about $100 to buy about 10 figurines. So cheap, and a pleasure that keeps on giving. I remember Voltron, that was fun.
My family makes me more than happy. My supportive wife (family) makes me happy. My kids waking me up in the middle of the night doesn’t make me happy but I am happy that I have this opportunity with them that I can forgive a few hours of well deserved sleep that really really really makes me happy.
So well put Jai! Family makes all the lack of sleep and tired moments worth it!
That’s a hell of experience you had, Sam! I wish I could do something like this. But in early 90s I still was behind the Iron Curtain. :)
Happiness is a very simple thing. It is a state of mind really. Not a material thing.
You must write more about your time behind the Iron Curtain if you remember! I would love to read more about that time period.
excellent post. read just like i would have written it, and that i was reading my background and upbringing. the only difference is instead of he man and skeletor, i was into GI Joes. still have my childhood collection, including the original Footloose i bought from Hong Kong. i believe it’s 1970s, but too bad i opened it. still has all the joints tight though (old ones loosen up due to screw rust, etc).
but to echo the point here – happiness is indeed a state of mind. a hot cup of tea while lounging around with friends and fam makes me really happy. i wished there were more than understood this point and live it everyday.
Cool. For some reason, I never was into GI Joes. I think I kinda moved a way and got older and stopped playing with toys after. Going to Wonder Con and seeing all of these old toys was such a joy!
The things that have made me happiest are spending time laughing and playing games with friends and family, hiking tall mountains in my home state of colorado, and learning new things. Most of these things dont cost money directly, but have some small indirect costs, that are easily recouped from the value that I get from them. Dogs also make me happy, and most of the things from my childhood will bring a smile to my face.
Though some think that fun times are created by the 87″ tv or by the newest toys at christmas, I happen to think that it’s the memories of sitting around and watching said tv with your family or the time you and your friends all had so much fun playing with the fancy toy. It’s not the object, it’s who you’re sharing it with, no?
Man…. an 87″ TV would be sweet! But to have that, you would have to own a MEGA MANSION too!
I hear you on pets. Very stress relieving. I definitely think it’s not so much the toy, but who you are playing with, or taking along for the ride.
Oh the He-man and Thundercats from back in the days. i spent a lot of days and hours mowing other peoples lawn during the summer to make sure I had those Jordans, Reebok pumps and LA Gear Lights for school. I think its we dream of having so much simply because we dont know at times what really makes us happy. I now know its not really money that i want but freedom. However the almost are related in that I dont need a lot of money but I still need money. And hopefully the situation would arise where I can make as much as I do now however spend a lot less time working for it. Being with friends and family and not worrying just enjoying each others company is what makes me happy.
Would you trade 100% more freedom for a 50% pay cut right here, right now?
I actually did when we packed up and moved to Thailand. Good times!
The Guns & Roses CD is definitely happiness. I agree with happiness being a decision one makes. Nostalgia is happiness too- It really is! Looking back to when I was in massive debt from the stock market I wasn’t happy at the time, but it makes me smile today knowing how far I’ve come! Thanks for sharing that Sam.
One of my favorite things is a piece of artwork. I’d seen it hanging in a gallery when I was 22 years old and making very little money. Clearly, there was no way I was going to buy it. But I wrote down the name of the artist and the painting. Fast forward a few years and my financial situation had changed a lot. So I tracked down the artist and, miraculously enough, the piece had not yet sold (something I now know is kind of rare with her works). So I bought it. It’s hanging in my hallway now, along with some of the artist’s other paintings. I’m not into fancy cars or designer clothing, but art is a different matter, and that’s something that money can buy.
That’s a great story Laura. It’s as if you were destined to own that painting! That feels like an accomplishment for sure. Like a “I have arrived” kinda moment.
I enjoyed reading this article, it’s just been freshly tweeted. :) Tweets/Retweets=Happiness
I still get a kick out of watching the ORIGINAL Transformers. Those Michael Bay films are ok…but they will never compare to generation 1!
When my husband and I were first married, we rented a 75 year old house that had so many little quirks. The funniest was the red, shag carpet that would turn your socks pink. I think we may have paid $300 a month in rent. It was a wonderfully, care-free time in our lives. Many happy, silly memories!
Never experienced the red carpet that turns socks pink, but I know what you are saying!
I read this article and I go off in a tangent thinking about what it is that would make me happy everyday to wake up.
This is a very humbling article that makes me feel on the treadmill of consumption!
I too visited the Forbidden City as a study abroad student, when much younger. Visiting China was an eye opening experience – mine didn’t involve film production though!
Anyway, as much as I like money, it in no way has been directly related to my happiest life experiences. From my own childhood, all the way to being a Dad now, what makes me happiest are enjoying the company of people with whom I’m close. These times are priceless, regardless of the venue.
Very cool Ray! Was it through your University, or an independent program? Crazy all the bicycles, heat, and pollution huh? The Hu Tongs were priceless. It’s too bad we cant see them anymore.
That was a great experience He-Man. College was a fun experience mixed with some stressful time. Of course it was great, but I think it’s mainly because we were young and reckless. Even with no money, we took the bus to the beach and had a lot of fun hanging out. I wish I was able to do the exchange programs like you did. I’ll encourage my kid to have those kind of adventures.
To be able to fully immerse yourself in a different culture for 6 months, while being a student was and is truly one of the most incredible experiences. Opens your eyes to new things early on, which I believe helps people become more accepting and open later on.
Spending time with my daughter is definitely top of the list when it comes to happiness. Being in a foreign country and culture is pretty awesome too. I can have a great day just by going out and walking around on the streets. Grab a skewer of meat and some sticky rice, give 10 baht to a beggar, bask in the a/c when you duck into a store, sitting by the side of the road with a bowl of noodles and an ice cold beer…these are some of the small things that give me joy these days.
Thai sticky rice is one of my favorite thing in the world. :)
Not having to cook the sticky rice and being able to buy it for less than $0.35 is one of my favorite things!
Are you currently in Thailand mate?
Yep Sam. Sold everything and moved here with the family in June last year. Currently in Bangkok, but possibly heading north to Chiang Mai this coming June when our lease is up.
Unfortunately for my weight, it has been food (and lots of it). I am still within a reasonable weight, but I haven’t gained any weight in over 6 years, so a change of 5-10 pounds is huge. I also prefer to travel. I love to spend what money I do have on experiences over stuff. The sad thing is that when I go on lots of cool vacations, people think I have a lot of money, when it is really just that I am smart with my money.
How heavy/tall are you Corey?
Wow, this post really took me back. I was born in Beirut, Lebanon in the middle of a civil war. I came to the U.S. when I was 8 years old (that was the year I would have learned English) and was fluent in 3 languages but only knew “no” in English. I remember living in our bomb shelter underground for months at a time because it was too dangerous to leave and go to school. We had no television and many times due to no electricity, couldn’t communicate with the outside world.
My father was murdered in a robbery gone bad when I was 3 and my brother was 6 leaving my amazing mother as a widow at the young age of 29 :(
We finally moved to California in the late 80’s and I still remember being amazed at the freeway system and the fact that well, there was electricity on, ALWAYS!
As some of you already know, after a career change from being an investment banker, I became a police officer. If I already didn’t know how fragile life is, well I was now kindly reminded of it, daily! I’ve seen the rich commit suicide and I’ve seen the poor happier than ever.
From my personal experience, professional experiece, and living in a war torn third world country, I definitely agree that money does not buy happiness. What matters most to me is that my loved ones are healthy and happy and get to live a nice long life. Yes, I own income property to generate passive income (make more money) but I don’t do it to be happy from the money itself, only for the freedom it will provide me to be with my family.
Thanks for reminding us of what really matters :)
Thanks for sharing your story Taline. Kind of surreal! Actually, I didn’t know you were a police officer! I just knew you said you were working for the State. Very neat!
Thanks Sam! Yup…I would like to say I work for the most elite agency ;)
Even though I act very professional and grown up at work, I am still a total kid at heart and a sucker for anything 80’s. And being a girl nerd, I LOVE Wondercon too!! Heman was one of my favorite shows as a kid. By the power of Grayskull! Love the stories of your experiences Sam.
Sam,
This is incredibly well written post. My wife and I have given everything to our kids — best private education, shoes, iPhone and even BMW Z4(of course, used :)) , yet they remember their first trip to Disney vividly. They don’t remember things that we bought for them; they remember small pleasures we had together.
Dang, your kids got a Z4!? Lucky ducks! My question is, when they graduate from college, do you buy them a better car? Or, do they have to buy a junker now?
Magic Mountain at Disney rocked!
I am paying for their college education now. But, once they finish college, I’ve told them to find a job to buy whatever they want. Paying for Berkeley and NYU is good enough. :) I will always be there for them but, they have to understand value of money at some point in their lives.
They are lucky kids! NYU is brutally expensive! And Berkeley isn’t that far behind for out of state students.
You are absolutely right about that.
Wow, this post really made me go back in time and smile. When I was a child I craved one thing: a mechanical bear with a wound up mechanism that walked. My parents thought that this toy is for much younger kids and I had to dream and crave and persist. And I got it! Thirty minutes later the toy was opened and the mechanism exposed – all I wanted was to see how does it work. I am still like that: give me a problem and, as my husband says, I am like ‘the cat who got the cream’.
What I particularly like in your post, Sam, is the clear message that after having enough more doesn’t matter. Finding our ‘enough’ is vital if we are to enjoy what we have, be happy and excited about life without the curse of craving.
Great story Maria! I can see you now tinkering with the bear. Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, stuff that reminds me of simpler times during my adolescence makes me pretty happy. Spending time with good friends and most of all interacting with my daughter and watching her discover new things everyday.
Your time abroad always sounds like my kind of fun.
I enjoy space more now than I did when I was younger. By space I mean “being in the moment.” I like being “here” instead of in my mind someplace else. That’s what I like. Besides that, I enjoy live music. It doesn’t have to be an expensive concert….I’ll go for the street musician.
Being “here”, I like it. I’m like you and will stop and listen to street music for 30 minutes at a time if I hear something I like. I’ve played the guitar forever, and I still suck! Hence, I admire anybody with any musical talent. Here’s a sample I recorded on a friends computer: http://new-cdn.financialsamurai.com.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/namegoogooharmonics.mp3
What makes me happy? Experiences… which is why I enjoy travel. But when I travel I enjoy living like a local and shopping in the local shops and hanging at the pub for a light lunch. The 5 star treatment is nice, but not something I crave on a regular basis. A couple years back I won a wonderful 5-star vacation to Mexico through my employer. We were treated like royalty and it was great… but my favorite memory from that trip was going into a nearby town one day and shopping at the local Wal-Mart equivalent and chatting with the non-tourists who were shopping there. What does that say about me?
I agree with you 100%. Do as the locals do and experience their lives for what they really are!
I’ve noticed that the need for “stuff,” never gets filled. When you’re broke and you shift your focus to experiences and fulfillment you end the day pretty satisfied- eventually though, having more money doesn’t necessarily mean you’re happier, it just means that you can buy something only to want something else!
What makes me happy now is spending time with my rescue-pug Ralph and loved ones, finishing projects I start, walking around the neighborhood (not so much in winter) and cooking good food. Best part of the free stuff? I don’t have to clean or organize it! haha
You’ll have to post more pictures of Ralph! Love pugs!
Awesome post Sam. What an adventure! On a side note, since you have been contemplating your leap of faith, it seems you’ve taken your writing to another level. More personal and thought provoking. By design? Seems you are freeing yourself and just letting it fly. Inspiring stuff and keep it up. Maybe I should think harder about the leap to improve my writing!
It was quite an adventure indeed Buck! I’ve got loads of pictures from my time there, and they bring back so many happy moments.
I think since the beginning of the year, I’ve started to write longer posts i.e. 1,300+ vs 800 words in the past. Not sure if it was designed, but the words have come out easier this year. I don’t think I’m a good writer and always have a bunch of errors, but I’m working on it!
I think you’re a pretty good writer Sam. The few articles I’ve read of yours drew me in and I don’t recall any errors sticking out to me. Plus, I’m sure you’ll only continue to improve with all your future blogging.
I grew up in a third world country so I really had nothing like many of my friends had here when they were growing up. When I came to the U.S as a teenager, suddenly I needed everything, video games, nicer clothes, toys etc. I always played soccer as a kid because that was the only thing we had, we didn’t know what basketball or football was or what video games were. I always loved the smell of grass because it reminded me of when I was young and all I had was a soccer ball and my friends. It doesn’t take too much to make me happy these days, my family and friends being happy and healthy is what I care about.
My friends and I are VERY nostalgic, we did everything together and we went on many trips during college and after college. Now we are all married or engaged and everytime we get together at a bar we stand and talk about all the things we used to do, and laugh for hours.
Great post Sam
Thanks for sharing your story. That’s great you grew up in a 3rd world country and THEN came here. More appreciation! Where did you grow up?
My fondest memories are playing in the woods on our property. Though we didn’t have a lot of money, we were fortunate to have 5 acres of land, and I used sticks and logs as my toys (not that I didn’t have some garage sale toys too, I just preferred to be outside).
I do remember always asking for a GI Joe every time we went to the store. Though they were only $2.47, I never understood why the answer was always no. It probably wasn’t because we couldn’t afford it, but maybe because I asked every time.
I met my husband and he was making $14K a year at starbucks. His rent was $6k a year, and he paid back loans of $3K. He was extremely poor. Anyway, i remember when he got a new job as a waiter, and one night filled in for a night shift. He walked home with $100 in cash, had me lie on the bed, and poured cash all over me. For a couple minutes we rolled around in cash, throwing it up in the air like children. $100 was a huge amount of money for him a the time, especially since he was living on free cookies and $0.59 fillet of fish from McD’s. When I redid our budget recently, we reminisced about how much our expenses have gone up since then. We can’t put bunny ears on our tv’s anymore, we have iPhones, netflix, car insurance. At least we’re still happy together, because that’s pretty much the only constant in our world.
That’s hilarious! Can’t believe you rolled around in one dollar bills worth $100! But isn’t that interesting though? Back then, $100 really was a ton of money.
I remember getting $20 bucks from the grand folks and I was like SWEET! I wish I appreciate money now as much as I did then. Too bad everything fades.
Top few simple things that make me happy (in no particular order) kissing my 5 month old daughter (she has the “kissiest” cheeks in the world), giving out “extra kissies” to my 2 year old, silence, going for walks, writing for strangers, sarcasm, wearing sweaters over dress shirts to work so I don’t have to steam a dress shirt… wow, way too many to list.
One of my favorite things in the world is reading. Give me a good book and the rest of the world disappears.
That’s a great perspective, Sam.
I remember when our family first moved into our neighborhood. I was in elementary school and our neighborhood was just being built. My friends and I would explore the skeletons of the houses and use our vivid imagination. The friendships I made still last to this day.
I think I was spoiled as a kid. There’s nothing I wanted that my mom wouldn’t figure out a way to be able to buy it for me. But I tried not to ask for everything, so I guess I always wanted to be able to buy the girls Roxy clothes at Nordstrom. And $24 STILL seems like too much for a t-shirt :). I love childhood memories though. I love that we were all in the same house, my other relatives were in the same neighborhood or even just down the street. I have fond memories of walking home from school with my sister and then watching Punky Brewster on TV. Or going out and playing with neighborhood kids or going swimming. Life was so easy!
I still play my original Nintendo for ole time sake. Wish I never sold my Atari in a garage sale. I had 20+ games for Atari. I hear ya on the Air Jordan’s too. I just threw away my pair this past year that I’ve been holding onto. (the soles were literally crumbling apart) I had the ones with the clear soles with the Air Jordan logo showing through on the bottom, the 2nd version of those with the 23 embroidered on the side. $125 in 1992!
Matt-
Atari is a classic! Ahh..You should have held on to it. I still have one in my office today believe it or not. I don’t think it works anymore though. Did yours before you sold it?
[…] desire to be the best at everything make people sad? On Yakezie.com, I share a couple stories of what makes me happy, and I am completely […]
Taking off to cuba by myself and sitting on the beach early in the morning. It was one of the best trips of my life.
Nice! Was it easy to get a visa?
That’s funny I feel the same way about things from my childhood. My husband bought a curio cabinet for me. He thought I’d fill it with china and expensive trinkets. Instead I put all of my smurfs, my little ponies and cabbage patch kids inside of it. Every time I pass it in the hallway I smile. Reflecting on happy times from my child definitely makes me happy.
I found happiness in washing vehicles when I was younger. My parents didnt have a lot of money but they certainly had the cleanest car on the street. Sometimes now some 15 years later I go out and wash my truck as a break from reality for myself. I find it so relaxing to wash a vehicle. Back then there were no bills that I had, no responsibilities, the only thing I had to wonder about was who we were going to get to play baseball with us tomorrow. Ahhh I enjoyed this article and I reflected back to those days as a youth. Thanks for the great post. I look forward to many more. I joined the Yakezie Challenge yesterday!!!
When I was a kid, Saturdays were days full of adventure. This was when I was 9 or 10. Me and my buddies would take long hikes through the woods to the municipal airport…maybe a 3 mile hike each way (it sure seemed like farther then). On the way back we would collect soda bottles (this was in the late 60s), and would sell them to buy another soft drink and a snack of some kind. We would be gone 6 or 7 hours–all day long. Our parents didn’t worry, and we didn’t even begin to think about any danger. It simply wasn’t dangerous in NC at that time.
Those were amazing times, and I was amazingly happy.
Interestingly, within the past 3 weeks I have reconnected with one of those friends after he found me via my blog.
Great to hear Thad! I remember sneaking off to the mountains to play with my buddies as well. We played war, and threw firecrackers, and stuff. So fun.
Good your buddy has reconnected with your blog!
This is crazy but the squat toilets in China brought back memories….I was six months pregnant in China. We walked into a nice restaurant and I had to use the bathroom. I gasped when I saw that there was no toilet. Luckily one of my fellow students was from India and she coached me through this process…
What makes me happy….accomplishing goals, being able to meet financial needs, and making a difference in people’s lives.
As for my favorite childhood memory….opening a small box on Christmas Eve. It contained a pair of gold ball earrings for pierced ears. After begging my mom since I was 4 to get my ears pierced, my dream was finally coming true at age 6!
That dream coming true? Awesome visual imagery in that story. The squatty potty? Not so much! ;-)
Yes, I encourage all women who are 6 months pregnant not to explore a country with only squat toilets! However, western sit-down toilets are ubiquitous now. Nothing better than visiting the Ritz Carlton when ya gotta go!
Love the gold ball earrings story :)
Everyone should have the shock of walking into a bathroom when you REALLY gotta go and finding nothing but a squat toilet. Really though once you learn to balance when you’re squatting they aren’t too bad, just different.
There are great deal of things in my life that make me happy now – namely my family. But if I had to get nostalgic, I’d say that 90’s rock takes me back. I played in a band back then, and as common-place as that sounds now, it was incredible at the time!
Playing board games with my friends and family probably gives me the most satisfaction and once you own the game, you can play it until it falls apart!
I feel sorry for people who think they need a ton of money to be happy… Life is happening right now.
This article is a must read for so, many people I know who complain about things that are material. It’s good that you can now reflect back when you were a child and realize those things aren’t that big of a deal.
That’s why I always find the little things to make me happy, spending time with my two children, who are under the age of six. And being able to see them off to school and see them when they get home.
Great article Sam,
You know, it’s funny you should write about how happy you were even when you didn’t have much, because this was something I was just telling my wife about this afternoon. We know of many people who have lots of wealth, a big house, and a new Mercedes sitting in their driveway, but they aren’t happy. We don’t have a big house and I certainly wouldn’t compare my 7 year old Toyota Corolla to a Mercedes, but I don’t need to. I’m happy with the life I’ve been given and I can be happy for others when they receive nice things. I know that I have what I need, and that’s what makes me happy.
Thanks,
Timothy
Greetings Financial Samurai!
I’m very simple in what things make me happy. For instance, this past Valentine’s Day, my husband took a surprise vacation day and I was able to spend the afternoon just sitting at home, watching Lord of the Rings with him. We didn’t go anywhere fancy for dinner, we didn’t exchange any gifts, and it really didn’t matter. It was just being at home with my husband on a day he usually would’ve been at work that made it such a special Valentine’s Day! Thanks again for the inspirational read!
Humbly Yours,
The Mayor
Nice to see people can still appreciate the little things in life that mean so much :)
Ahh, the simple things. My lady likes to do the same thing.
Good to hear from you. Glad to see you around.
I used to think trappings of success meant things! I even collected a few, but i no longer feel that way. Success allows choices and I choose experiences over things now.
I don’t really care a lot for things, but I think that’s because most of my happiest family memories were when we were nearly destitute. I would like to have enough money to be out of debt, maybe travel a little, but I’m not scared of having nothing.
Thanks for sharing. Doesn’t take much to be happy does it?
There are so many things that make me happy. Traveling and seeing new places makes me happy. But what makes me most happy is laying in the sun on a hot summer day reading a really good book.
Now that sounds wonderful! Makes me think of Hawaii on the beach!
I just tried to upvote Hawaii. Suffering from Social Media Confusion Disorder.
Small things *should* make us happy. Fishing with the kids, time alone with the wife on the back porch on a spring Friday afternoon with the garden in bloom, time in the garden in September picking ripe tomatoes. And I haven’t even gotten to the special foods I remember growing up in Italy…. a slice of schiacciata evokes all kinds of good memories. Good post, Sam.
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That sounds like an amazing experience! Full of great memories and adventure. Is Sam revealing a bit more of who he is now? :)
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