Money WondersPlay

Money Mindset & PsychologyHappiness

The Hedonic Treadmill

Every upgrade quickly feels normal

Remember how amazing your new phone felt? Do you still feel it today? There's a reason, and it costs you money.

You'll find out

  • Why new things stop feeling new
  • What lottery winners felt later
  • How upgrades keep the race going

Why it matters

Every upgrade that turns normal becomes a bill you need the job to keep paying.

About 3 min6 interactive slides · 5 questionsLesson 15 · Zone 2

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More in this zone

  1. 10PaychecksWhere Your Paycheck GoesGross pay is the number you're offered; net pay is what lands
  2. 11TaxesThe Raise That Costs You MoneyA higher tax bracket only taxes the dollars above the line
  3. 12The Rat RaceTrading Time for MoneyA paycheck stops the day you stop
  4. 13History of WorkThe 40-Hour Week Was a FightWeekends weren't a gift; they were won
  5. 14IncomeActive and Passive IncomeMoney you work for and money that works for you
  6. 16PurposeThe Fisherman and the BankerRetold after Heinrich Böll's 1963 tale: a banker urges a fisherman to build a fleet so that one day he can retire and... fish all afternoon
  7. 17Financial IndependenceYour Freedom NumberHow much it takes so that work becomes optional
  8. 18Financial IndependenceThe Savings Rate ShortcutHow much you keep matters more than how much you make