We're always being told that it's better to give than to receive - and now there are statistics to prove it!
A recent study has discovered that spending money on other people and giving to charity is what really makes us tick.
Boffins at the University of Columbia asked a group of 632 people to break down their spending into bills, gifts for themselves, gifts for others and donations to charity. The team found that 'personal' shopping had no effect on happiness, but that buying things for others and donating money to good causes was associated with 'significantly greater happiness'.
What's more, when they tracked another 16 people who all received bonuses ranging from $3,000 to $8,000 they found that – yep, you've guessed it – it wasn't the size of the bonus but how generous the recipients were with the money that gave them warm and fuzzy feelings.
And if you fancy boosting your own happiness, why not try your hand at The Generosity Game: www.generosity.org.