The True Cost of Happiness: The Real Story Behind Managing Your Money

Preface

First, Paula and I would like to thank you for buying The True Cost of Happiness. We realize you had many options. I recently did a search on Amazon.com for "personal finance" books, and there were 13,671 choices!

In addition, many of us associate the word "cost" with money. I wasn't quite sure how people would react to a book whose title could imply that "happiness" is something that can be bought with dollars and cents. Happiness does have a cost, but as you'll see in this book, it has little to do with money. You will also see, however, how your financial resources, whatever they may be, can play a role in creating a lifestyle that brings you happiness and peace.

Before I explain, let me tell you how this book came about. In the late 1990s I started working at CBS MarketWatch. This came after approximately seven years at the TV arm of The Wall Street Journal. The move to CBS MarketWatch took the focus of my reporting from Wall Street to Main Street. That's when I really started to learn about the "people side" of money. That's when I began to realize the contribution I wanted to make with my journalism—showing people how money can help them live better lives.

At CBS, I was able to do stories on everything from the latest guy who got rich on technology stocks, to the groups that were unable to participate in the wealth the markets were creating due primarily to socioeconomic circumstances. I also did a lot of personal finance reports, "How to get out of credit card debt," ...