Retirement is an exciting time, and our culture prioritizes it in a way that makes pre-retirees think of their retirement years as “golden.” We tend to feel like everything will be amazing during retirement - we’ll finally have all the time to do everything we’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t because of workplace and personal responsibilities. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.

While it’s true that we don’t get happiness directly from simply having money, it’s also true that money can be used as a tool to create happiness, joy, and fulfillment in our lives. I’m not saying that purchasing an unnecessarily large boat, or always spending too much when you go to the department store is going to make you happy. However, when we spend in a way that’s meaningful to us, it can be a source of happiness. Spending money can leave you feeling more fulfilled when it's spent in a way that aligns with your values.