March 4, 2010 — The perfect income

So how much money do we need in order to be happy?

Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist at Princeton University and a winner of the Nobel prize in economics, studied this very question.

His answer: $60,000. If we make less than that, then each time our income increases we feel a little happier. Once we hit $60,000, however, that stops, according to Kahneman.

But here’s another question some researcher might consider: Would we be happier if we gave more money away?

Jesus once said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." So maybe the issue is not our happiness, but being a blessing to those causes and people who benefit from our generosity.

Just a thought. I'm Sid Batts from First Presbyterian Church in downtown Greensboro, fpcgreensboro.org.