The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life

From the bestselling author of The Psychology of Money and Same as Ever, lessons on harnessing the power of money to live a happier life

Most of us don’t know how to spend money. We chase things that impress others but leave us cold. Or we save endlessly, afraid to spend on what would actually make life better. We confuse admiration with envy, comfort with excess, and utility with status.

The Art of Spending Money doesn't provide budgets, hacks, or one-size-fits-all solutions. It gives you understanding of how your relationship with money shapes your decisions—and how to reshape it so money works for you.

Morgan Housel’s work has helped millions rethink how they earn, save, and invest. Now he turns his attention to the other side of the equation: how to spend. With insight and warmth, he shows why the most valuable return on investment is peace of mind, why expectations matter more than income, and why doing well with money has less to do with spreadsheets and more to do with self-awareness.

This book isn’t about getting rich. It’s about getting the most out of what you already have—and learning to want what’s worth wanting.

Morgan Housel is a partner at The Collaborative Fund. He is a two-time winner of the Best in Business Award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, winner of the New York Times Sidney Award, and a two-time finalist for the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism. He lives in Seattle with his wife and two kids.

“The Art of Spending Money is not so much a sequel as the masterful completion of The Psychology of Money. When it comes to unfolding the long and complicated story of our relationship to money in an entertaining and useful manner, Morgan Housel is the GOAT.”
— Chris Davis, chairman of Davis Advisors and board member at Coca-Cola and Berkshire Hathaway

“Storytelling is, without a doubt, the best teaching tool on the planet. As we learned in The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel is a fabulous storyteller. He’s done it again in The Art of Spending Money, breaking down not only why the impulse to buy is so strong but why purchasing rarely cures the problem we’re trying to solve. If you’re looking to understand how to use your money to make you truly happy, here it is. You’ll never shop the same way again.”
— Jean Chatzky, bestselling author of How to Money and Women With Money

“A book that points out what we all secretly know but none of us want to admit: We have no idea how to spend our money. Essential reading for anyone who wants their money to actually improve their life.”
— Mark Manson, bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and Everything Is F*cked

“Housel, the author of The Psychology of Money, a book I wish I’d written, has written another book I wish I’d written. In pithy chapters and lapidary prose, he avoids schoolmarmish finger-wagging and sweeping generalizations, instead offering sharp advice.”
— Jason Zweig