Chasing the American Dream
How would you define "the American dream?" A nice car? An annual vacation? A home theatre system? A recent MetLife survey asked that question and the most common answer was financial security. In previous surveys, the American dream was defined as a combination of home ownership, a happy family life, and a stable career. But the study's authors say the need for people to take more responsibility for their retirement savings along with a decline in job stability have pushed financial security to the top of the list.
Matt's View
Instead of trying to define the ever-changing American dream, a concept greatly influenced by marketers, I prefer to encourage people to focus on what's most important to them. Successful, joyful money management involves knowing what gives our lives meaning and then weighing financial decisions based on how well they'll support those priorities.
Need some help prioritizing what matters most? Across the board, researchers who study the causes of happiness say close, supportive relationships top the list. What financial decisions are you facing? As you run the numbers, make sure you also consider the impact they'll have on the most important people in your life.
This article filed in: Happiness
Managing Money by The Book
- "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." - Matthew 7:24-25
Recommended Resources
- Money, Purpose, Joy - Discussion Guide
- If you want to take your relationship with money to a whole new level, bring the subject into your small group. It can be scary to open up about money, at least at first. But the "Money, Purpose, Joy Discussion...…Read the rest
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