WE LOST A brilliant mind and generous writer, Jonathan Clements, whose words guided thousands on life, finance, and happiness. Even as he faced the unimaginable, he continued sharing wisdom with clarity, humor, and humanity.
I wanted to take some time and dig into Jonathan’s earliest posts on HumbleDollar. Posts that even the most loyal readers may not have read. With that, I also summarized some main takeaways and learnings that can help us all better navigate our own complex lives.

I stole the idea for this essay from our very own Mr Quinn and in particular from a short reply I gave him. Sorry about that, Richard.
Have you ever thought about how your view of wealth shifts depending on who’s around you? I have, and my experience with two different homes offers a peek into the complex world of social comparison. I’ve found that contentment isn’t about what you have, but the context you see it in.

I like earning money. I like having it. I like giving it away. Still, it’s worth asking: How important is money?
Yes, money can pay for the necessities we all need—food, shelter, transport—and more of it has the potential to buy us a better life. The necessities are obviously (ahem) necessary. But what about the frills that more money can buy us?
That discretionary spending has the potential to bring big smiles. Still, it’s hard to imagine that these frills would do much to offset,

I have decided to post this as a separate post, not to distract from Jonathan’s post today, but to further explore the concept of what makes not an individual, but a country happy. If a country is happier as a whole it seems intuitive that the individuals in said country would be happier as well.
I have received some of my highest negative net rating in the past for posting these facts on Humble Dollar but since I am a glutton for punishment will post these facts again:
Every year World Population Review ranks the happiest countries.

AMERICA’S HAPPINESS plunged during the pandemic. I’d assumed that survey result was an aberration, and perhaps that’ll still prove to be the case. But recovery sure hasn’t come quickly.
There was no General Social Survey in 2020, when COVID-19 struck. But the following year’s survey found that just 19% of Americans described themselves as very happy—the lowest reading since the survey was first conducted in 1972. The “very happy” group rose to 25% in 2022,

Think about the four or five happiest retirees you know. Do they have anything in common? For instance, they might share some of these attributes:

Enough wealth
Sufficient monthly income from a pension, income annuities and Social Security
Companionship
Friends and family nearby
Good health
Strong faith
Activities that give them a sense of purpose

Or is it simply that these folks are innately happy people?

WE’RE ALWAYS STRIVING—the next pay raise, the next consumer purchase, the next self-improvement goal. But to what end?
Our time on this earth is fleeting, our impact minimal and our legacy quickly forgotten. A decade after we’re gone, we might be remembered by family and close friends, but not by many others. And yet we keep pushing forward.
Does death’s approach shed any light on this curious behavior? Far from it. If anything,

“I am thinking of you today because it is Christmas, and I wish you happiness. And tomorrow, because it will be the day after Christmas, I shall still wish you happiness.
I may not be able to tell you about this every day, because I may be far away or we may be very busy, but that makes no difference—because my thoughts and my wishes will be with you just the same.
Whatever joy or success comes to you will make me glad.

I never thought about becoming ultra rich. I just wanted enough money to feel financially secure and not have to think about stretching every dollar. I reached my goal, but found that the most important thing money can provide is personal freedom. However, earning or having a lot of money is not liberating to everyone.
it’s all too easy for us to fall into the trap of spending too little money. Once we have worked hard or smart for many years to create income,

I thought it might be interesting to ponder the things about our lives we are perfectly content with and would not change regardless of money.
If you received an unexpected inheritance of $20 million, would you move to a different house/location?  Would you drive a different vehicle?  Would you eat or dress differently?  I don’t think I would.  I’m living exactly where and how I want to live.  Of course, this is easy to say now. 

SOME THINGS YOU HAVE to do yourself.
A 2017 study concluded that spending money on time-saving services is correlated with greater life satisfaction. A subsequent article confirmed the finding. Rich or poor, we can boost our happiness by having others do undesirable tasks.
These studies confirm what HumbleDollar readers already know: Wealth is a tool that, if used wisely, can increase our life’s satisfaction. Pay a yard service to mow the lawn.

I’VE BEEN WRITING FOR and reading HumbleDollar for more than six years.

I’m struck by the number of articles and comments that talk about things like divorce, job loss, health issues, adverse financial events and caring for elderly parents.

When articles discuss such experiences, the pieces are typically well read, with numerous comments, including many expressing empathy. The amount of personal information shared is amazing. No doubt readers can relate to many of these events.

HOW DO WE MEASURE societal wealth? And what triggered this thought?
I started pondering the issue early last year. I had a total left knee joint replacement in January 2023. Not long after, I was sitting in my living room with an ice pack on my knee, having just completed a strenuous set of stretches and exercises.
The room was being warmed by a modern gas fireplace, lit by a remote control. No wood to split,

FOR THE PAST FEW years, I’ve been on a Radiohead kick. For the uninitiated, Radiohead is an English rock band whose lead singer is Thom Yorke, known for his distinctive whining vocals—I mean that in a good way—and innovative songwriting.
As I read about Yorke, a quote from him leaped off the page: “When I was a kid, I always assumed that [fame] was going to answer something—fill a gap. And it does the absolute opposite.”
I immediately thought of the financial corollary.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE books is The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz. Its subtitle is Why More Is Less: How the Culture of Abundance Robs Us of Satisfaction. The principles that the book discusses have important implications for how we manage our money.
Schwartz distinguishes between “maximizers” and “satisficers.” A maximizer is someone who needs to be assured that he or she is making the best decision possible.