How to have a happier new year

How to have a happier new year What’s the key to lasting happiness? If you think that having more money, a better job or more stuff will make you happier, you’d be wrong, according to science. Take a look at the latest research and follow our tips to change your spending habits and boost your happiness in 2021. After living through a year when our collective mental health took a beating, the new year has brought …

Defining enough – the fundamental question for your financial plan

Defining enough – the fundamental question for your financial plan Do all your future plans rely on having a lot more money than you do now? If the answer is yes, it might be time to think carefully about your values so you can put together a realistic financial plan that will bring you closer to the sort of life you want. Planning for your financial future doesn’t have to be about chasing more money. …

Weekend saving ideas – for your pocket and lifestyle

Weekend saving ideas – for your pocket and lifestyle When weekends are crammed with Saturday sport, shopping and screens, it can be hard to feel like you’ve had fun and relaxed. Discover how to get more from your precious days off and spend less. 1. Plan for all the right ingredients  To have a happy weekend to look forward to (and back on), it’s important to get the balance right between the different activities you …

Money can buy you happiness, you’re just spending it wrong

Money can buy you happiness, you’re just spending it wrong This is the view of Dr Michael Norton from Harvard Business School. Michael’s research indicates that money can indeed make you happy if you use it to buy experiences, time, or invest in others. Buying experiences – when we buy experiences, we don’t just buy the duration of that experience. Michael’s team’s research found that we’re happiest the day before leaving for a holiday–the anticipation is …

Money can buy you happiness – if you spend it right

Money can buy you happiness – if you spend it right At AMP’s recent Amplify program, high-profile Harvard Business professor and behavioural finance expert, Michael Norton, asked the crowded room a question. If you found $20 in the street today, how would you spend it to make yourself happiest?  Norton, whose TED Talk on money and happiness has attracted almost 3.5 million views, followed up with another question: Think of the last $20 you had …