How to Be Happier Without Spending a Lot of Money

Focus on Intrinsic Motivations

Everyone has different motivations for doing the things they do, but motivations fall into two categories. Extrinsic rewards are something outside of the activity, and intrinsic rewards are related to the activity. Although extrinsic motivations help you get an activity done, such as working overtime to save for a house or going to the gym to lose weight, you won’t enjoy the activity as much. If you focus on the intrinsic motivations — improving your skills or the health benefits — you’ll be happier.

There’s an old saying that money can’t buy happiness, but it can often feel like more money would make everything better. With social media feeds flooded with exotic getaways, even a well-planned but cheap staycation can feel underwhelming.