It's a question shopaholics everywhere need no answer to. They already know it. The answer is definitively...yes.

But what about everyone else? Can money really buy happiness?

We've all seen the movies where the rich guy is a cranky old man who's unhappy with everything, and alone. Or he's the cranky old man who's going to bed each night with a 25 year old woman who detests him. But thats just the movies...right?

It seems that, although money cant buy you love, it can get you happiness. Why else would anyone work? If being poor was a great time, my lazy butt would be sitting on my couch each and every day, watching my tv, rather than waking up at 6:30 to go to work. The problem is, if i did that, I sure as hell wouldn't be watching my TV, now would I. Cause who would pay for it?

Anyone who has ever been poor knows that being in need of money is an unhappy place. Even if you have a family that loves you, its just not enough. Cause that family can be pushed away when fights crop up over bills and what constitutes a real necessity. The needy know the truth. Money can buy happiness, or at least buy them a way out of the sadness.

Now what about the middle class? Not really in need, persay, but when I'm looking at a new pair of shoes at Bloomingdales, I sure as hell am in need of them. And although I could be spending that money on something else, or putting it in a savings account, or in the stock market...I don't. Because when the salesperson rings up my credit card and hands me my bag of shoes, I'm happy. And when I get home and take those shoes out of the box, I'm happy. And when I wear them out to dinner with my boyfriend and watch how he admires my legs in those shoes, I'm happy. So middle class knows the truth...money can buy you happiness, especially if that happiness is in the form of shoes.

As for the upper class, the top tiers of society? There's very few unhappy looking celebrities. Sure that money can bring unhappiness as well as happiness, but money is a double-edged sword, like so many other things in life. But when I look at Jennifer Aniston after Brad Pitt left her, I didn't see a woman unhappy because she didn't have any money. I saw a woman unhappy cause the one thing that money can't buy, love, was out of her reach. When I watch young celebrity after young celebrity checking into rehab, I don't see a person unhappy with their money, I see a person affected by bad experiences and bad people. But when you think about it, I'd most certainly be happier in the rehab center Lindsay Lohan checked into than the local hospital. And when I see paparazzi photos of Paris Hilton walking out of Louis Vuitton, I certainly do not see an unhappy woman.

 So I think the age old question is answered.

Sure, money can buy you happiness.

....for a time.

....and at a price.