How to buy happiness? Tips on what to look out for

If you have a few extra bucks that you don't need for necessities like rent or loan payments, consider shopping for happiness.

From ancient philosophers to current experts in behavioral economics, people have been pondering the link between money and happiness. Among them is author Gretchen Rubin, who thinks about happiness for a living. She's written several books on happiness, including The Happiness Project and the forthcoming Outer Order, Inner Calm.

She helped think through the question of whether you can use discretionary money to buy happiness. Short answer: Probably not. But you can definitely spend money to increase it. A lifetime happiness shopping list might go like this.