Just happy to BE HOME

Michele understands money isn’t everything... though cheese, a big slice, might be nice!

- MICHELE A'COURT

They’ve done another of those “World’s Happiest Countries” reports and New Zealand came 10th. Who the first nine countries were (mostly the Scandinavians as per usual) is possibly less important than the news that Australia came in at number 11. Win!

What interests me is that, while New Zealand ranked 10th globally in the World Happiness Report , we come in at around 30th for per capita income.

Which suggests there’s some truth in the adage that “money doesn’t buy you happiness”. Something else is contributing to an overall sense of contentment – social support, a healthy life expectancy, a level of freedom to make life choices, and a culture that values generosity and fairness.

Still, money has its uses. My mother, who was neither rich nor poor, was fond of saying with a twinkle that, while money might not buy happiness, she imagined you could be miserable in comfort.