How much does money influence your personal life and mental health?
Shrinking Down
Everything got smaller. I moved from a big house to a tiny studio that couldn’t fit half my stuff, so I sold 70% of my clothes and belongings online. I swapped my car for a public transit pass and switched from takeout and dining out to cooking at home. It was a big change, but honestly, I don’t regret it. I learned I can get by with much less, and it’s not about what you have—it’s what you do with what you have.
The Road to Healing
That’s when I realized I was addicted to gambling—and I knew I couldn’t keep going like that.
Haha
Nothing really changed because I grew up in a poor family and never had much. I worked hard until I climbed back to where I was financially—and even beyond. Now I know I can handle whatever comes my way, and that gives me real peace of mind.
The Wake-Up Call
I survived a failed suicide attempt, and afterward, I realized I wanted to live. When she heard the news, a teenage ex-girlfriend reached out—and we’ve been living together modestly but happily ever since.
Breaking the Ice
When our house burned down—along with everything valuable inside—I looked at my wife and for the first time in my life admitted she was right: we should have gotten better insurance. (That didn’t stop her from leaving me, though…)
Enlightenment
I worked at a multinational company for good money but zero personal life. When my entire department was shut down and everyone was laid off, I was scared—I’d defined myself by my job for 15 years. My social life was at work; my colleagues were my friends. I ate, exercised, and lived there. I was unemployed for three months. I visited my parents in the countryside, reconnected with distant relatives and old friends. I started hiking, baking bread at home, and finding joy in small things. I almost found new meaning in life—until my old company called with a higher position and pay, and I jumped right back into the soul-crushing rat race. No big lessons, no happy ending.
Alone
I took a risk and lost—it all slipped away. My wife left, taking the kids, and I was left alone. Life gave me a tough lesson I deserved. I’d been careless and too relaxed, and for years after, I had to work hard to earn back my wife’s trust and rebuild my family.
Good Friends
That’s when I realized money affects friendships just as much as relationships. My buddies disappeared when I couldn’t afford sailing trips, casino nights, fancy restaurants, and VIP boxes anymore. In an instant, I was out of the circle, like I never belonged. That hurt the most—people I truly loved like brothers turned their backs on me so easily.
Goodbye
One day my girlfriend was there, the next she wasn’t. She found someone else who could support her lifestyle. It stung a bit, but I soon realized it was for the best—at least I finally saw who she really was. Now I just smile when I think about how I was considering proposing to her back then.
Optimistic
It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. For a bargain, I rented a rundown little house in the middle of nowhere, got internet hooked up, and supported myself with a few hours of IT work daily. I discovered I love gardening and hands-on projects around the house. Me—who never even drilled a shelf before—renovated the whole place inside and out by watching YouTube videos. My garden is so productive I barely spend on food, and I even have chickens and a goat now. If I hadn’t lost everything, I’d never have found out that this city guy truly belongs in the countryside.
