I've sometimes heard the following: "How much money do you need to be happy?" "10% more." But how much money does it cost to make somebody else happy? It cost

I've sometimes heard the following: "How much money do you need to be happy?" "10% more." But how much money does it cost to make somebody else happy? It costs money to not argue with the housemate stealing your dish soap, or the person who lost your spare phone while they were using it to play games, or who used the communal office coffee machine without paying the weekly fee. It's cheap to not fight. Maybe only $10 of soap. Giving even more freely by sharing food, offering rides, or welcoming strangers (CS, BeWelcome) builds even more trust. People don't like to receive gifts, and they'll want to give back even more. When they offer to pay you back, that's when you can ask them to pay it forward to communal expenses. (I got the phone back, by the way) Money can buy friends: not by showing off, but by giving. And friendship brings happiness.