Money provides freedom, not happiness.
I'm even more unhappy now because my life expectations are higher and I can't get to that level again until I'm 65...
Hearing people tell me this nonsense about money and happiness makes me even more miserable because my conclusion is "They don't appreciate money, yet they are given money... I very much appreciate money, yet I'm not given money..."
From my perspective, it seems almost like the system is only giving money to people who are incapable of appreciating it... Meanwhile I know from past evidence how I felt when I had money + time and that feeling was happiness. I knew it then, I know it now.
Another is that there is no satisfaction to be had in status comparisons. There will be always somebody who has more than you.