Reallocating Time and Money into Inconspicuous Goods

Via Wired, from Deadalus, volume 133, issue 2:

“Evidence suggests that if we use an increase in our incomes, as many of us do, simply to buy bigger houses and more expensive cars, then we do not end up any happier than before. But if we use an increase in our incomes to buy more of certain inconspicuous goods – such as freedom from a long commute or a stressful job – then the evidence paints a very different picture… Reallocating our time and money in these and similar ways would result in healthier, longer – and happier – lives.“