Money can’t buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

The saying balances moral skepticism about wealth with a pragmatic concession. It rejects the simplistic equation of money with happiness—suggesting that meaning, love, health, and inner peace are not purchasable—yet insists that money materially changes the experience of suffering. “Misery” here stands for the unavoidable pains of life (loss, illness, disappointment), and the claim is that resources can cushion those pains: better care, safer environments, time, and choices. The humor comes from its blunt realism, undercutting idealistic platitudes while still leaving room for the idea that happiness is ultimately rooted in non-monetary goods.