SCIENCE AGREES THAT THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE REALLY ARE FREE

The best things in life are free. But you can give them to the birds and bees, I want money. 

— The Flying Lizards (but possibly someone else first)

Sorry that you’re going to have that song stuck in your head the rest of the day, but this is something that has been on my mind. The best things in life, I mean the truly best things, are free. That means that if you are as poor as Mike Tyson (who filed for bankruptcy after having a networth of $300 million) or as rich as Donald Trump (who also filed for bankruptcy a couple times but has a networth of over $3 billion but let’s not get into that right now) you can still enjoy the finest things life has to offer.

I find a lot of comfort in that in my family’s journey paying off $650k of student loan debt. Sometimes it feels like we’ll never have some of the typical things people look forward to in life (for example, home ownership). But it’s a nice to be reminded that fully, none of the stuff society pressures us to have (nice cars and houses) matter, because none of those things bring joy. They can be fun. But they can leave you feeling empty.

So here are some of the very best things in life, which happily, are free.

Hugs.

Science says giving (and getting) hugs boosts your immune system and improves your heart’s health. Isn’t that amazing? Go hug a loved one– it’s one of the best things in life.

Laughing. 

Laughing relieves stress and just plain feels good! Ironically, not having money most definitely contributes to the stress you feel in life. But finding joy and laughter in the day to day of your life can combat that stress– and costs nothing. Laughing is one of the best things in life and it’s free.

Dancing.

Dancing improves memory, gives cardiovascular benefits, and one of my favorite parts about it– it allows you to escape. For a brief period of time, you get to forget about the worries of your day to day and just be free. I remember first seeing people doing Zumba at a gym I attended several years ago and honestly I thought they were a little crazy. It just seemed like a big group of old women trying to get down. For whatever reason, I decided to try it one day. I literally cried from laughing so hard because I was having so much fun! Dancing is one of the best things in life.

Sleep.

Sleep! Glorious sleep! Sleep is one of the best things in life and it’s free. And honestly if I could pay someone a lot of money to help me sleep I probably would.

Savoring.

People who savor things are happier, says science. When I say savor, I mean to enjoy something completely and fully. The ability you have to savor and enjoy your things and experiences is one of the best things in life.

Smiling. 

Anyone can smile– from the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich. Smiling makes you feel happier and look prettier. And no one can take it from you. Smiling is one of the best things in life that’s free.

Love.

Anyone can fall in love. And it’s one of the very best things in life. Obviously.

Relationships. 

Apart from all of the things that you’ll buy for and do for your loved one, relationships are 100% free. Having (and being) a good friend, aunt, uncle, cousin, daughter, son, etc costs nothing and can bring immense joy.

Of course, there are plenty of things that we need that simply cost money. Food, shelter, and clothing come to mind. But in my opinion, those aren’t the best things. Those are the necessary things. So there you have it. Science shows us that the best things in life really are free.

Nature. 

Beach days, sunsets, mountains, first snows, flowers. One thing is for sure, nature offers some of the very best things in life, all for the low price of free.

There you have it. The best things in life really are free. Sometimes it’s easy to get wrapped up and focused on the things we don’t have or that we can’t afford. But we don’t need to afford ANYTHING to be happy– because those things, those very best things, are free.

Do you agree? Disagree? Best things in life are free or not? Comment below!

P.S. Are you trying to get started paying off debt? Grab our FREE Debt Payoff Starter Kit here!