The old saying notwithstanding, money really can buy you happiness, a new research has found. The researchers found that 58 per cent of those earning more than 50,000 pounds are satisfied with life, compared to just 43 per cent of those with an income of less than 15,000 pounds. Some 47 per cent of those in the high-income group feel they have achieved their goals, compared to 31 per cent of the poorest group, according to data company Mintel. "It appears that money can buy you happiness, and affluence plays a pivotal role in financial outlook," the Daily Mail quoted Mintel's senior consumer analyst Alexandra Richmond, as saying. "The higher income earners are less financially stretched and although they may notice prices rising, it is unlikely to cause them too much concern." At the other end of the scale, she said, "a lack of money holds people back from realising their dreams".