Money and happiness

I had a conversation with the vicar at my aunt and uncle's church this Sunday which has really got me thinking. It concerned a friend of his who (I forget the fine detail, but believe) took on running a farm in Zimbabwe – or at least Southern Africa. On looking at the books he realised that the white employees were earning 4 times what the black employees were. Realising this was a recipe for litigational disaster (not to mention very unfair) he wanted to raise the black employees' salaries. He called in the first of these to let him know that he wished to double the guy's salary. The man replied "that's very kind – now I will only need to work half the hours!"

An attitude to money like this is so alien and far removed from the Western culture I've been brought up in. When Jon phoned up his old best mate from home to let him know of our engagement, he had in the back of his mind that he wanted him to be his best man. But after 5 minutes from his friend about how he'd been promoted and was really tired and quite stressed from the extra work, but hey it was ok as his salary had increased considerably, Jon realised that he really had very little in common with his friend any more. Sad, but I think his friend represents the prevalent attitude to money in this country.

It's really got me thinking about my own attitudes to work and money. I've always joked that my brother will be the one who earns the big bucks while I'll be the one who's poor, but ultimately happy. It still holds true, but I think that in the back of my mind I still do have a hankering for a nice salary – some financial security.

In a conversation with Jon the other day we discussed how salary can be used as a means of justification for a horrid job – the "I hate my job, but the money's good" attitude. I certainly felt that way in my old job, though moreover I felt that my pay wasn't sufficient justification for how much I hated my job. It was for that reason that I turned down a job at higher pay to start my MSc, feeling that the money wouldn't prove sufficient justification for wasting my life - simply for the sake of a higher paycheck. It seems so simple to me now, but that decision took a whole week of soul searching to come to.

I think Jon's attitude to money is quite different to mine in that I can see myself easily earning a 30k salary with my education and skills, whereas he doesn't. I have that aspiration where he doesn't really see the point of it. I can't work out if it's a good thing that he sees money for the trap that it is, or whether he simply has low aspirations based on low self confidence. I know that for myself I am constantly falling in the gulf of despond between what I could be earning if I followed the dollar, and what I am earning having followed my heart and conscience. I suppose ultimately I am aware that what I am NOT doing is falling in the same gap between potential and actual earnings having followed the dollar and failed. Though I know that job satisfaction is key for me – if I was earning 40k right now doing something I either hated or that was ethically suspect I would not be happy either.

I watched the BBC Yellowstone documentary again the other day, and was struck by the bit-at-the-end about one of the sound guys who was "half fish" enjoying as he did, donning a wet suit and swimming the Yellowstone river sans breathing or buoyant equipment. It drove home to me the importance of doing what you love.

My cousin-in-law (as I call him, having married my cousin) is bike mad, and currently works in a bike shop, earning, on a recent pay rise, £7 an hour. Their combined income isn't much, and they do struggle. But I was thinking the other day that I can see him ending up in some fascinating and non-conventional job that pays a bucketload because he's stuck with doing something he loves. That said, my best friend's parents earn a combined income of about £25k as a gardener and masseuse, have a gorgeous house, take loads of holidays and are the most contented couple I know. Money really doesn't need to be a vital factor.