I think most people would say that money cannot buy happiness, in the sense that they see and read about rich (even super rich) people who are unhappy.

And yet, it very difficult for an individual to see why this is so, because when one looks at it from one’s own personal perspective, imagining that all one’s other personality traits stay the same, and where all one’s other values (e.g. time spent on leisure, etc.) remain unchanged, then one can readily see how increasing one’s own wealth while keeping everything else the same would make one happier.

PS: This is a topic on which Tara Smith has written a paper. (http://ockhamsrazormedia.wordpress.com/money-can-buy-happiness/)