File photo of a happy smiling family (© Tim Hawley/GettyImages)

Money can buy happiness, as long as you make $50K a year

4/20/2012

The classic Beatles' song says "Money can't buy me love," but happiness may be another story. A new poll by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion suggests the price tag for pure bliss can be as little as $50,000. An annual income of anything less, the survey shows, and people just aren't as satisfied with their lives. The previous tipping point was $75,000, according to a 2010 Princeton University study, which showed that people didn't get any happier once their income passed that threshold. The new study doesn't contradict the 2010 figure, meaning you could still get happier if your income rises from $50,000 to $75,000, but it's still nice to see the base price go down. In a few years, who knows? Maybe $25,000 will do the trick.

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How much money would it take for you to feel blissful?