One of the most well-known phrases I’ve heard in my life is, “Money can’t buy happiness.” While I certainly agree to an extent, I also believe that money actually can buy happiness. Now, before you write me off as some greedy, money-hungry, soul-sellout, hear me out.

Often, the phrase is said by either those who don’t have any money or those who have more than the financial means to sustain themselves sufficiently. I believe that the case that money doesn’t buy happiness is not true. I say this because money can indeed help achieve some form of happiness and stability in one’s life. Would you be happy struggling for most of your life, never knowing where your next meal will come from or whether you’ll have a roof over your head or water and electricity in your house? Have you ever heard a homeless person say that they are beyond happy to be living in the cold, begging others for spare change to survive? Are you ever happy when you’re drowning in bills and debt and have no clue how you’re going to pay everything off?

In my opinion, money can indeed buy happiness. By that, I mean that financial stability can certainly alleviate many problems that people who don’t have enough money face. In my life, growing up struggling and living with financial instability for 18 years, I have shed many a tear and seen my mother faced with difficult decisions herself in wondering how she will pay her bills or get food for the house or pay for unexpected emergencies. Thankfully, my mother taught me that life is more than simply money, and I have learned to enjoy the more meaningful things in life other than material goods. However, being in college where I now make more money working on campus than I ever have at any time in my life, it has certainly been nice being able to buy clothes for myself or treat myself with some froyo or a Starbucks Frappuccino. It feels good having a bit of my own financial stability in college in which I can pay for things myself, not have to worry about food or housing, and have money for myself to go shopping. When you haven’t had the opportunity to go to the mall with friends or buy things for yourself, there is certainly a childlike happiness that comes with finally having the financial means to do so.

They say that more money brings more problems. In a sense, it certainly does because with money also comes great responsibility, power, and a sense of greed-I believe that too much money can certainly be a bad thing. However, with enough money to pay your bills, put food on the table, keep your lights on, keep gas in the car, provide clothing, and pay for any unexpected emergencies, life seems a heck of a lot better since you don’t have to worry about those concerns anymore. Money brings about more problems in a personal sense-it can cause division between you and friends or loved ones, spur greed and a material-seeking mentality, and lead to a sense of privilege and entitlement. While it is definitely something to be had in moderation, money does certainly help to alleviate many of the financial concerns that cause the most problems in the lives of those without financial security.

Do I believe that money can’t buy happiness? To an extent, yes, in that money can’t buy everything that makes a person happy, such as friends, spiritual connectedness, or life fulfillment. But I think the phrase should instead be “Money can’t buy fulfillment.” Money can’t make a person content because there are many things in this life that are beyond material value. Money, while it can bring temporary fulfillment, will always leave you wanting more and feeling an emptiness that grows as you accumulate more. But I think that it can certainly buy happiness such as bringing financial stability and fewer financial concerns, providing for others who do not have the means to sustain themselves, and allowing you to do or buy things you may not have been able to before.