A lot of people would say buying a new couch was not a good decision for The Coach and I to make. I can see why people might think that. We could have put the money toward bills, into savings, or bought something that was more of a need than a want.

The cost was only one factor in our decision. And honestly, for us, money has never been a top priority, which has been both a blessing and a curse.

In recent years, we have realized that priorities other than money and financial stability are much more important to us. Happiness has definitely moved up to a top priority for us, which is where our couch purchase comes in.

So how did a new couch make us happier? The Coach and I, like most married couples with young children, have struggled to find that time and the ways to connect in the midst of the chaos of this stage of life. We discovered, however silly it might sound, that sitting together in the evening made a big difference in how close we felt to one another.

We used to have the same routine every night. Get the kids to bed, pick up the living room and kitchen, then I would sit on the couch and he would sit in the chair. Sometimes we watched something together, sometimes one watched while the other was on the computer or reading. But we sat in separate spaces.

In an effort to work on our togetherness, we began sitting together on the couch in the evening. This made us feel much more like we were spending time together, even if we weren't always doing the same activity. However, our ten year old couch was not comfy. For either of us.

So buying a new couch has made it far more comfortable to sit together in the evening. And sitting together in the evening, is a very good thing for our marriage. I don't expect everyone to agree that buying a new couch was a good decision. I know a lot of people think it was a stupid reason to spend that much money. But for us, there isn't a better reason than happiness to spend money.

Do you choose to spend money on things others think are stupid, or poor choices? What are your good reasons?