I’m a financial therapist — here’s how much money you need to be happy

Popular research — now debunked, it seems — has dictated that the average person needs no more than $75,000 a year (slightly adjusted, for recent inflation reasons, of course) to be happy.

Having more than that, we’ve been told many times, isn’t necessarily a good thing. Except that some experts say isn’t necessarily true.

In search of answers — namely, where do income and happiness truly intersect, if at all, Lifehacker consulted financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin.

“For many of us, our bank account or net worth is a visual symbolization of how we measure our self-worth,” the money issues guru said.

“We often equate it with the digits in our bank accounts, the balance of our retirement funds, or the value of our assets.”

In her practice, Bryan-Podvin said clients very often believe that money is keeping them from moving forward with their plans for self-betterment, seeing the next pay raise as the key to better personal health, or a better social life. And while that’s not true, Bryan-Podvin says she understands their thinking.

“It’s fair to say that when individuals have enough to go beyond financial survival, they tend to experience greater well-being,” she said.

Anyone who’s been in that situation — being able to enjoy the little things in life without considering the cost — knows that’s true.

And these days, for most of us to be in that situation, you’ve got to earn a lot more than $75,000 a year, adjusted for inflation or not.

And so, rather than look out to the experts for a new arbitrary number, Bryan-Podvin urges, define the word “enough” for yourself. Start, she says, by completely untangling your self-worth from your finances.

To do that, mantras like “I’m more than what I have or own,” or “My net worth doesn’t define me as a person,” might be helpful.

Consider your wellness in other areas besides finances that might be holding you back.

Then, look at what you want but don’t have right now — focus on modest things, like nights out with a loved one, or summer activities for the kids, experiences that would contribute to your overall sense of well-being.

Then, tally up the costs, and set them side by side with your current expenses.

What are you spending money on now that you might be able to cut back on?

Are you overdoing it on material possessions, or status symbols like cars and pricey home renovations?

Are you consuming in the search for meaning?

Turns out, according to the expert, you may already be earning enough to be happy, or at least content — you may just be spending it the wrong places.