Students: Oropeza, Gabriela

Palacios, Antonella
Percello, Greta
Pérez, Angelina
Pistan, Gimena
Rodríguez, Bárbara
Rongetti, Agustina
Rueda, Verónica

Teacher: Alemán, Maria José

Topic: Illustration Essay

Does happiness have a price?

How many times have you heard or read the popular saying “Money does not
buy happiness”? Probably, countless times. Since we were children, we have
been taught that money was purely something material that was not linked to
emotions at all; many people state that money only covers our basic needs
but, apart from that, it does not make us much happier. However, as we grew
older, we realized how many things that give us joy have a cost and that we
have to pay a price to be truly happy. According to Jürgen Klarić, an American
neuroscience expert, money does influence people's happiness since he
considers it as an enhancement which allows people to reach personal goals
and preferences. Thus, what are these "things'' we are thinking about that
make us so happy but are not cheap at all?
To start with, enjoying delicious food is what brings happiness to most
people. Having dinner out with friends or family is always a very exciting plan,
but it is very expensive as well, especially if you choose to eat in a restaurant
that serves unique dishes that you may not eat every day at home. People who
make home-cooked meals do not have it very cheap either. Moreover, if you
intend to prepare a healthy dinner with veggies, in Argentina, you will surely
spend as much money as in a good restaurant.
Probably most of us experience the fatigue and stress that work and studies
bring about, hence we need to do activities outside our responsibilities to
release those negative emotions. Going to the movies, shopping, going to the
gym, hanging around with friends in a nightclub or a bar, or even simpler
leisure activities, such as reading a book or taking pictures are certain things
that make give us feel joy and help us forget about our duties, but again: they
are not for free. For instance, in the case of Argentina, a ticket for the cinema
is now around 600 pesos and you would usually get popcorn and a soda as
well, which will make a total of around 1,000 Argentine pesos just to watch a
movie.
Another activity that provides happiness to makes almost all the world’s
population happy is travelling, but even if you go to a place that is near your
city, there are many expenses involved. The development of technology has
allowed us to have access to information from any part of the world, but
seeing a picture could never be compared to actually setting foot into a place,
although the latter means spending big amounts of money on booking a plane
or bus ticket, staying at a hotel and doing tourism activities going sightseeing.
Choosing these activities help you disconnect from your household chores
and focus only on having a good time, visiting new places, and exploring new
cultures. So? Provide a concluding thought in relation to the cost.
To conclude, we do not need scientists to state that the idea of happiness
for most people involves money in some way. It is the most simplesimplest
things that makes us the happiest, such as eating a hamburger you have been
craving for the whole week, watching the film you have been waiting for and
visiting different cities around the world. Even though, unfortunately, it is
impossible to be able to do all that if you do not have a single penny.
Good ideas and development.
8

REFERENCES
Universidad de Pennsylvania. (2021, 19 de enero). El dinero es importante para la
felicidad, quizás más de lo que se pensaba. ScienceDaily . Recuperado el 18 de
abril de 2021 de
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210119085249.htm