IS THE NEW


he New Frugality. T e Age of Austerity. T e Eco- nomical Era. Whatever you label it, America’s economic challenges are transforming the way we live. We keep closer watch on our spending habits and reevaluate what’s truly important to us. We embrace smaller homes and hold on to our cars. We live more simply and make do with less.


And we’re learning that lean times don’t have to be bad times. Consider a survey published in the 2010


issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. It found that while positive feelings (a.k.a. happiness) are infl uenced by money, they may be more aff ected by psychological and social factors such as having people to rely on, feeling in control and enjoying one’s job.


Not buying it? Guess who ranks themselves happier: American multimillionaires, the Inuit of northern Greenland or the cattle- herding Masai tribe of Kenya? Turns out in a 2007 global survey, each group rated its level of well-being exactly the same. What the Masai and the Inuit have fi gured out—and what a growing body of research now proves—is the same thing that’s dawning on many Americans: Money doesn’t equal happiness.


goodneighbor magazine looks at how to fi nd happiness with less in these challenging times. On page 16 learn how to make the most of smaller living spaces. And on page 20 fi nd tips for how to spend less and put the money saved toward experiences to enrich your life.


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