The Russian-developed Mi-24 "Hind" helicopter is one of the most deadly and versatile aircraft on the planet.

For 30 years, the gunship has given the Russian military incredible battlefield mobility.

Now, it is a crucial piece in the air forces of at least 34 countries and has amassed an impressive record in combat. 

The Mi-24 was the first Russian helicopter developed as both an assault transport and a gunship.

Source: The Federation Of American Scientists.

It made its combat debut in Somalia in 1978, where it helped Ethiopia wrest control over the Ogaden region in the Horn of Africa

Source: The Federation Of American Scientists.

It has proven its mettle in more than 20 wars and armed conflicts since.

Source: The Federation Of American Scientists.

Motorola will formally announce its new flagship phone, the Moto X, on August 1.

But the company hasn't been shy at all about teasing the device over the last few months. In fact, the company's press invitation for next week's announcement shows what the Moto X will look like.

Still, many details on what the Moto X can do have leaked out by now. Let's take a look.

It'll have a new camera app with an intuitive and minimal interface.

You'll be able to activate the camera app just by quickly twisting the phone.

It will display notifications on your lock screen so you can quickly glance at them.

The band Fun. is the breakout pop sensation of this decade. And this became crystal clear when fans starting crying at their show last night at Pier 26 in Manhattan, NY.

Their hit "We Are Young" has become an anthem for millennials and took home the Grammy Award for song of the year at the 55th Grammy Awards. It was covered by the show "Glee" (whose version of it hit number one in the iTunes store before the band's) which made it hugely popular and then used in a 2012 Chevy Sonic commercial which made it hugely lucrative. 

And then they dominated the Billboard charts at number 1 for six weeks straight. So they had a big, excited crowd to see them and openers Tegan and Sara when they played at Pier 26.

The show was a spectacle with lights, costume changes, and wild fans.

Fun. played at Pier 26 in Manhattan and last night the weather was perfect.

Tegan and Sara opened.

The crowd was eager.

Hundreds of hedge fund professionals filled Gotham Hall in Midtown Manhattan last night for the 4th annual "Take 'Em To School" charity poker tournament. 

This year's event raised funds for Education Reform Now, an advocacy organization that's committed to making sure all kids can access high-quality public education.  

The event was co-chaired by Michael Sabat, who works in equity derivatives sales and trading at Sanford Bernstein, and Whitney Tilson, who runs Kase Capital. Tilson is a leader in the education reform space.

Those in attendance included David Einhorn, who runs Greenlight Capital, and pro-poker players Olivier Busquet, Andy Frankenberger and Erik Seidel.  Former NBA shooting guard John Starks played poker, and former baseball pitcher Dwight Gooden played casino games and signed autographs.

It cost $1,000 for a poker seat and $250 for a cocktails/casino games ticket. 

Prizes for the tournament winners included a seat at the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event, vacations, golf outings, and power lunches with Einhorn, Seth Klarman, Leon Cooperman and Bill Ackman.

The tournament began around 7:15 p.m. ET and lasted until around 1 a.m. ET. 

In case you missed it, we've included photo highlights in the slides that follow. 

* Steven Perlberg contributed to this report.

There were 250 poker players participating in the tournament.

Gotham Hall is always such a gorgeous venue.

Here's a shot of all the action. Now let's see who was there...

The infamous Versace Mansion in Miami has had a rough time on the real estate market.

It was originally listed back in June 2012 for $125 million, making it one of the most expensive homes in America at the time.

A few months later, it was price-chopped down to $100 million, then $75 million, and now the estate is headed for bankruptcy auction this September.

Jill Eber of real estate agency The Jills confirmed to The Real Deal that bidders will need to deposit $3 million into escrow and show proof of funds of $40 million to participate. The auction will take place at the storied mansion, which is now a boutique hotel known as Casa Casuarina.

Versace originally bought the home in 1992 for $10 million and invested $33 million into the property, adding a 6,100-square-foot south wing, a 54-foot-long mosaic-tiled pool (lined with 24 karat gold), and frescoes on the home's walls and ceiling.

The fashion designer was murdered outside the property in 1997 by Andrew Cunanan. Tourists and fans still visit the home to take pictures on the steps where Versace died, which could explain why the estate has had so much trouble finding a buyer.

Reuters recently took new pictures of the palatial mansion in advance of September's auction, and it's looking more opulent than ever.

Welcome to 1116 Ocean Drive in Miami, the infamous Versace Mansion. These are the steps where fashion designer Gianni Versace was murdered in 1997.

Versace originally bought the home in 1992 and spent $33 million renovating it.

He added mosaics, a pool lined with gold, and 6,100 square feet with a new south wing.

The United States is building its next generation of aircraft carrier, the FORD-class carriers. The U.S. Navy gave us access to photograph construction of the USS Gerald R. Ford at Newport News Shipbuilding, Virgina.

The numbers behind the USS Gerald R. Ford are impressive; about $14 billion in total cost, 224 million pounds, about 25 stories high, four-and-a-half acres long and 250 feet wide. But the sheer enormity of the ship and construction operation is hard to grasp until you're nearly face-to-metal with the massive military beast.

At Newport News Shipbuilding the power of new technology and 100 years of carrier design is built into every facet of the new ship. The Ford will handle up to 220 takeoffs and landings from its deck every day. Part of that quick turnaround is because when aircraft like the new F-35 return for maintenance, the plane's network will already have alerted ground crews to what's needed so they can get the aircraft on its way faster than ever before.

The new FORD-class aircraft carrier will be the largest, most lethal ship ever when it joins the US fleet in 2016.

The scope of the ship's construction is hard to fathom, but that chain is made up of links weighing 360-pounds each.

It's the weight of the chains that immobilize the 224 million pound carrier, not the anchors like those seen here on the USS Abraham Lincoln.

While startups might question the relevance of the MBA, it's hard to argue with the salary bump you get after graduating from a top school, or the fact that nearly 40% of Fortune 100 CEOs have the degree. Clearly, there's something that companies value about the degree.

One of the core teaching methods, pioneered by Harvard Business School, is the case method. Some of the most difficult situations in business history are laid out for students, and they're expected to come up with a rigorous and well reasoned solution all on their own. It's the tried and true way to train students expected to be the top executives of the future. 

We reached out to some of the country's top business professors and asked them to tell us which case studies they think are the most essential for future business leaders, and have broken out the key lessons here. 

Thanks to Professor Jennifer Chatman of UC Berkeley's Haas School Of Business, Professor Aaron Chatterji of Duke's Fuqua School of Business, Professor Timothy Vogus of Vanderbilt's Owen School of Management, Professor Gautam Ahuja of Michigan's Ross School of Business, and Professor Laurence Capron of INSEAD for their input. 

How Lululemon kept its cult

Case: Leadership, Culture, and Transition at lululemon

Key takeaway: Figure out how to bring the founders into a strategy rather than alienating them. 

What happened? In mid-2008 new CEO Christine Day took over from founder Dennis "Chip" Wilson. The decision came as the company wanted to expand and become more corporate. At the same time, Wilson was concerned about maintaining the culture and values of the company.

Day faced entrenched problems like outperforming stores, a poor real estate strategy, and barriers between various parts of the company. She used her experience from helping expand Starbucks worldwide to align the whole company with a strategic plan. She even convinced the founders to attend advanced management programs at Harvard and Stanford so they could better understand how the company must change. Worth around $350 million at the start of her tenure, Lululemon is now a $10.59 billion dollar company.

Thanks to Dr. Jennifer Chatman, the Paul J. Cortese Distinguished Professor of Management Chair at UC Berkeley's Haas Management of Organizations Group for her suggestion

How Ryanair beat two giants of the industry

Case: Dogfight Over Europe: Ryanair

Key takeaway: Lean organizations focused on a single business can lead on cost and challenge established competitors. 

What happened?: In 1986, the two Ryan brothers announced that their young airline will take on giants like British Airways and Aer Lingus for the first time on the route between Dublin and London. It significantly undercut those two airlines on price, bringing in people who had previously preferred rail or ferry tickets. 

How USA Today reinvented itself

Case: USA Today: Pursuing The Network Strategy

Key takeaway: Sometimes the old guard can't handle a new reality.

What happened? Facing falling circulation of the daily newspaper and the rise of digital news, USA Today CEO Tom Curley saw the need to better integrate his businesses, to leverage and share content across the company's internet, television and print platforms. His management team and staff were resistant, claiming insurmountable divides in culture and work style. Curley had to make the case that this was essential for the future of the business, and eventually replaced 5 of 7 senior managers as part of the change.    

Thanks to Dr. Jennifer Chatman, the Paul J. Cortese Distinguished Professor of Management Chair at UC Berkeley's Haas Management of Organizations Group for her suggestion

It's National Tequila Day, which means you have a few solid hours to imbibe in tequila shots or creative tequila cocktails before sleeping it off ahead of work tomorrow.

For those of you who prefer your tequila shaken up in a tasty margarita, we took an office poll and rounded up 12 of our favorite margaritas around New York City.

Some of these are fruity, some are crazy strong, and still others are classically delicious with fresh lime juice and the very best tequila.

Did we miss a great one? Sound off in the comments below. 

The best classic margs are at Empellón Cocina in the East Village.

105 1st Ave.

If you're looking for a tasty, strong, and classic margarita, Empellón Cocina has you covered.

Enjoy your House Classic $12 margarita with their fresh guacamole and pickled jalapenos.

The fruitiest margs are at Dos Caminos locations around the city.

Multiple locations, including 675 Hudson St.

There are a lot of delicious, fruity margaritas in NYC, but Dos Caminos always serves them strong and not-too-sweet.

A few must-try versions include the prickly pear for $11, and the blood orange, lychee, and passion fruit for $12.

The strongest margs are at Pianos on the Lower East Side.

158 Ludlow St.

Just having one of Pianos margaritas will have you feeling buzzed.

We recommend stopping at your second $3 drink, though — things can get hazy from there on out.

Brad Hammonds has become something of a Flickr celebrity for "Falling Through Space," a series of photos that show him falling through the air in precarious poses.

Hammonds is an expat who lives in the Czech Republic and currently works as a teacher. He only pursues photography as a hobby, a fact that surprises many who have seen his impressive photos, which we first read about on Flickr's blog.

He photographs bodies (usually his own) falling in various positions and against numerous backdrops.  "The idea comes from the concept of emotional delay and how one can never truly experience the full sensation of any moment until it has already passed," said Hammonds in an email to Business Insider.

He alters the photos as little as possible, but in order to keep himself safe and have the images look as cool as they do, a little digital manipulation is required. Although many people try to guess how he does it, Hammonds won't reveal his secret.

"The most common question I get is 'how?' " he said. "I feel satisfied when a viewer asks me, 'didn't that hurt?' It lets me know I've succeeded."

Here you can see Hammonds on a bridge in a photo he's dubbed "Dive." He first became interested in photography while living in South Korea last year, and many of his other photos focus on travel.

Hammonds isn't the only star in these photos — here we can see a woman who looks as though she's about to fall into the water at any second.

For Hammonds, every minute detail is important. He considers lighting, background and wardrobe choices, among other things.

Real estate blog Curbed Hamptons is reporting that Richard Gere has listed his North Haven home for a whopping $65 million.

The 6.3-acre estate, known as Strongheart Manor ,was built in 1902, and comes with two guest houses, an outdoor fireplace pavilion, and a dock that looks out on the water.

It's been renovated and expanded to include twelve bedrooms and over 12,000 square feet of space, and is currently available through Sotheby's International Realty.

And though the home is nice, we can't help but agree with Curbed Hamptons that the house is rather normal looking, and not worth the outrageous $65 million price tag.

Welcome to Richard Gere's $65 million Strongheart Manor.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty

It has over 12,000 square feet of space inside with three fireplaces.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty

Here's a look at one of the guest bedrooms with views of the ocean. There's also two additional guesthouses if you feel cramped.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty

Aston Martin is turning 100 this year, and it's having a whole lot of fun to mark the occasion.

After releasing a fleet of special edition cars and a 100-car parade on the world's scariest racetrack, the British luxury mark decided to up the ante.

So it headed out to Kensington Gardens, a London royal park, and hosted the largest single gathering of Aston Martin cars in history on Monday.

550 Aston Martins in one place, worth about £1 billion ($1.54 billion).

"Exclusivity is a key part of the Aston Martin mystique — we have made only around 65,000 cars in our entire 100-year history to date," said CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez. "To see so many of these rare beauties gathered together in London was a truly historic occasion."

Some cars were arranged along a boardwalk in chronological order, while others sat separately as part of themed displays. As many as 550 Aston Martin vehicles were in attendance and were worth up to $1.54 billion in total. 

The event was the culmination of a week-long program that is part of a full year of celebration in honor of the famous automaker's 100th birthday.

Entry to the event was free, and upwards of 50,000 Aston Martin owners, enthusiasts, and casual visitors were in attendance.

A centenary timeline display in chronological order dominated the boardwalk.

Attendees were able to see how Aston Martins have evolved over time.

Apple's cash hoard remains mind-bogglingly strong. 

As of the most recent quarter, the company has $146.6 billion in cash, short term and long term securities. It generated $7.8 billion in cash from operations last quarter, which is normally its weakest quarter of the year.  

Apple is already giving away much of its cash through dividends and buybacks, which is kinda boring when you get right down to it. 

What would be a more interesting use of the cash? We've run through some ideas here.

Apple has ~41,000 retail employees around the world. It could give those each one of those hard working people a one time bonus of $3.5 million.

It could buy an iPad Mini for every single citizen of the United States.

Via: Kara Swisher

Everyone says Apple needs to be more social. It could be instantly social if it bought Facebook ($63 billion), Twitter ($20 billion takeout?), and LinkedIn ($21 billion).

Facebook doesn't exactly make it easy for you to stay off its radar.

Some people don't like getting random friend requests or awkward messages from long-forgotten friends. Some people just want to use Facebook to keep up with others, but don't want others to be able to keep up with them.

Want to stay hidden on Facebook?

We can help you out.

When you're finished, no one but you will be able to see your Facebook activity, view your photos, or see where you've checked in. Your current friends will still be able to view your basic profile — there's no way around this — but all your activity will be blank.

Note: You don't have to block all the features we suggest. You can pick and choose. If you still want to keep things like wall posts and event invites, you can.

To get started, click on the cog in the upper right corner and select "Privacy Settings."

To change your privacy settings, you'll always click the "edit" button located to the right of each setting. Once you are done making changes, clicking "close" will exit you out of each individual section.

For the most stringent settings, select the drop down menu and select "only me." This ensure no one but you can see your future posts.

While the tech industry has a reputation for attracting shy but well-meaning nerds, the vast amounts of money involved mean that it also brings in people with shadier intentions.

There are the hackers, who break into networks and systems for fun or profit.

There are the leakers, who use their access to the knowledge and information at their finger tips to start public discussions about things that were previously corporate or government secrets.

And then there are the frauds, the people who are selling something that doesn't exist.

13. Aaron Swartz, who helped creat RSS and Reddit

While the "crime" Aaron Swartz was charged with was obscure — he mass-downloaded academic files that he was entitled to as a Harvard researcher — the charges brought against him by the federal government were anything but trivial. If convicted, Swartz faced up to 35 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and a fine of over to $1 million.

Aaron Swartz committed suicide in January. The Department of Justice faced major criticisms for its aggressive prosecution of Swartz and was accused of trying to "make an example" of him.

12. Jeffrey Scott Hawn, who killed 32 bison who strayed onto his property

Jeffrey Scott Hawn, CEO of Texas' Attachmate Group, pled guilty to one count of criminal mischief and one count of cruelty to animals in 2008 after he hired men to assist him in killing bison which had wandered onto his land and belonged to his neighbors.

While Hawn's felony punishment was deferred, Jean Torkelson at Rocky Mountain News reported that he judge in the case sentenced him to serve ten days in prison for the cruelty charge and nearly $160,000 in fees to the family, Colorado animal protection groups, and the local government.

11. Raymond Bitar, who ran an illegal online poker company

Raymond Bitar was CEO of Full Tilt Poker, an online poker company that was able to process its illegal revenue by funneling it through shell companies that appeared legitimate. 

In 2011, he was charged with illegal online gambling and faced up to 35 years in prison. As Bernard Vaughan at Reuters reported earlier this year, Bitar was able to receive no jail time after pleading guilty due to a severe heart condition (which requires him to wear a defibrillator under his clothes), but was ordered to forfeit $40 million.

After hearing customers complain about the quality of office coffee, brothers David, Adam, and Noah Belanich decided to shut down their Manhattan coffee truck and start a new business.

Joyride relaunched in 2011 as a business that provides cafe-quality equipment to offices and delivers freshly roasted coffee every day. 

Although brewing their coffee takes a little more work than popping in a K-Cup, the quality is clearly better. The brothers claim that their coffee is also cheaper per cup than Keurig.

The company is growing fast, with clients including Foursquare, Twitter, Buzzfeed, and Gilt. They also introduced a "cold brew kegerator" just in time for summer.

After Business Insider talked with the Belanich brothers to learn about their business, Joyride shows us what a week in the life of the company is like.

Joyride gets coffee from only the best suppliers, like the Blue Bottle Roastery in Williamsburg ...

... and Stumptown's Red Hook Roastery.

All coffee is rigorously taste-tested.

Former Google CEO, and current chairman, Eric Schmidt spent $15 million to buy a penthouse apartment in Manhattan's Flatiron neighborhood, the New York Post reports. 

The apartment is a 6,250 square-foot duplex with four bedrooms, and a 3,300 square foot terrace. He also reportedly spent millions to have the place soundproofed because, according to a Post source, "he doesn't sleep well." 

The Post says Schmidt, who is in an open marriage, is dating two women in New York City. 

A source familiar with his home purchase told the Post, "While everyone in New York wants a doorman, Eric specifically said he didn’t want one. He doesn’t want anyone to see him and his guests coming in and out. He insisted on his own elevator."

We have photos of the place from Street Easy, via Valleywag.

Its a wide open concept. To the right is a semi-floating staircase.

The dining area with a fireplace looking at the kitchen.

The dining and living room. Very open with amazing views.

Fast food is all about convenience and affordability. 

But there are ways you can make a trip to the local McDonald's or Burger King feel like a VIP experience. 

Two Reddit forums revealed tips from fast food employees and savvy customers. We pulled out the best tricks that could enhance your next dining experience. 

From customizing your Taco Bell order to getting a cheaper "Big Mac," these tips could change your fast food orders forever. 

SEE ALSO: 18 Fast Food Menu Items That Were Sensational Failures

You can incorporate a Dorito shell into your Cheesy Gordita Crunch at Taco Bell.

It's just 30 cents extra for the delicious addition. 

Source: Reddit

You can get a cheaper McDonald's Big Mac.

"Get a McDouble without ketchup and mustard. Instead, ask for lettuce and big mac sauce on it. You have an almost-Big Mac for $1.39," an employee writes.

Source: Reddit

Get a real egg with your McDonald's breakfast.

"McDonald's uses three different kinds of eggs for their breakfast. If you want a REAL egg ask for the egg off the McMuffin," one employee said. 

Source: Reddit

New York Restaurant Week has officially kicked off — much to the chagrin of NYC foodies.

For the uninitiated, Restaurant Week is when hundreds of establishments, from fine dining standbys to hip new eateries, offer special prix fixe lunches and dinners for $25 and $38, respectively. The event actually runs four weeks, through August 16th.

Restaurant Week was started in 1992 by Tim Zagat and Joe Baum, and has become a massive hit in the past 21 years. More than 300 restaurants across the city are participating this season.

There are a few places out there where the special prix fixe is as good a deal as the regular menu (here are a few restaurants that are worth checking out). But by and large, foodies groan when the bi-annual event rolls around.

It's Bad For Customers

At first glance, Restaurant Week seems like a win-win for both restaurants and guests. Customers pay a fixed (and ostensibly lower) price while getting to try a new restaurant and its specialties.

But here's the thing: There are a ton of people who turn out for Restaurant Week. "Amateur eaters" are seduced by the seemingly low prices and a desire to experience a high-end or new NYC restaurant. Thanks to them, wait times can stretch on, and service may lag due to the sheer volume of orders and tables.

The quality of food often drops, too. Cheaper types of fish like salmon, or meats like chicken breast, that may not appear on the standard menu show up on the prix fixe as a way for owners to save money with the "special" Restaurant Week menus.

For example, none of the Restaurant Week entrées offered at Le Cirque this year — like Roasted Free Range Chicken and Grilled Atlantic Salmon — are on either the regular lunch or dinner menus. 

Portions are often smaller as well. A common complaint I've heard from friends who go out during Restaurant Week (and experienced myself) is that salads or entrées are reduced to half their size at their favorite spot.

Taking all of this into consideration, those $25 and $38 prix fixe costs suddenly don't seem like the best deal. Since drinks, tax, and tip aren't included in those "flat" fees either, diners looking for cheap eats would be better off turning to Groupon, LivingSocial, or OpenTable's Spotlight to get a better deal with items that are actually on the regular menu.

It's (Sometimes) Bad For Restaurants

Restaurant Week can certainly be great for restaurants — it amps up exposure and brings in new customers during winter and late summer, two of the slowest times of the year.

"NYC Restaurant Week is a good opportunity to showcase your restaurant to people who may have otherwise not dined with you," Chris Leahy of Midtown's Lexington Brass told us.

But it can also have the opposite affect. Crowds and long wait times annoy a restaurant's best customers, and those deal-seeking diners are not necessarily going to come back. Which is really bad, given that increasing repeat business for restaurants is one of the main goals of a publicity program such as Restaurant Week.

It can also be rough on the servers who schlep for unappreciative diners throughout the three-week event: "In some restaurants, servers aren't so happy," Anthony Mardach, the Director of Operations for Porter House (which offers a similarly-priced prix fixe year-round), told us. "It can lower the check average, and servers can make less money."

Once tax and drinks are factored in, guests realize they're spending as much as $50 for that "$25 lunch." With cheap eaters, it's the servers' tips that take the hit.

Ultimately, Restaurant Week can be a pain. But if you do decide to go, here are some tips for doing it right:

• Do your research— some menus might be dumbed down, especially the ones that are usually $100+ a person. Try to find restaurants that stick as close to their main menu as possible (check out what this year's Restaurant Week menus look like here).
• Make a reservation, especially at your favorite spot. Restaurant Week is always busy, and you might not be able to get in.
• Don't be afraid to call if a restaurant is booked. Sometimes, restaurants will extend their promotions after Restaurant Week (or offer the prix fixe year round). Plus, it never hurts to make sure there are no cancellations!

IT'S NOT ALL BAD: 13 Places That Are Actually Worth Visiting During New York Restaurant Week

Join the conversation about this story »

The Energy Information Administration, one of the government's greatest research outfits, has released its latest outlook for what the energy landscape will look like by 2040.

The takeaways:

• Oil's share of world energy plummeting.
• Coal is going nowhere. It will be the second-most widely used energy source.
• The fastest growing energy sources will be renewables.
• Oil prices could be ludicrously high, insanely low, or reasonably higher. It is impossible to say exactly where they will be years from now.

Oil is on the wane, and by 2040 there will be a more even distribution of energy sources. Renewables are set to rise sharply.

Nuclear is not going away. Led by China, nuclear's share of world power will grow by 2 points from 2010 to about 60 quadrillion BTU.

Despite controversial extraction methods, natural gas use will nearly double...

Whether you're a millionaire or a middle-class father of two, we all make the same mistakes when it comes to money – we think the more we earn, the happier we'll be.

If you really want to buy yourself a more fulfilling life, it's not how much money you earn that matters, but figuring out the right way to spend it.

That's the idea explored in a fascinating new book, "Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending," written by a pair of renown behavioral scientists, Dr. Elizabeth Dunn and Dr. Michael Norton.  

"When it comes to increasing the amount of money they have, most people recognize that relying on their own intuition is insufficient, spawning an entire industry of financial advisors," they write. "But when it comes to spending that money, people are often content to rely on their hunches about what will make them happy." 

That all ends with this book. We've combed through and highlighted five ways to change the way you think about money that will make you happier in the long-run.

You're buying too many things and not enough experiences.

In a world where anything and everything can be yours with a credit card and access to the Internet, it's easy to get swept up by material things. 

But if you recognized the fact that you could get more satisfaction out of a $50 dinner with friends than that big screen TV or new iPhone, it might change the way you shop. 

"Research shows experiences provide more happiness than material goods in part because experiences are more likely to make us feel connected to others," Dunn and Norton write. "Understanding why experiences provide more happiness than material goods can also help us to choose the most satisfying kinds of experiences."

To help, here are four questions they suggest asking before you spend money on an experience that may not be as happiness-inducing as others: 

1. Does this bring me together with other people?
2. Will this make a memorable story that I will tell for years to come?
3. Is this experience in line with who I am or who I'd like to become?
4. Is this a unique opportunity and something I can't compare to things I've done before? 

You're more focused on getting more money than buying more time.

Sometimes, we get too caught up in either working hard to save a buck or working hard to earn a buck to realize what really matters – our time. 

"Research suggests that people with more money do not spend their time in more enjoyable ways on a day-to-day basis," the authors write."Wealthier individuals tend to spend more of their time on activities associated with relatively high levels of tension and stress, such as shopping, working, and commuting."

On the flip side, penny-pinchers sometimes take saving too far. When you trade your time for some kind of monetary payoff (saving $20 on a flight by staying up all night on Kayak.com or using your vacation to earn over-time pay), you could be sacrificing your overall happiness in the process.

Now, if you get a high from saving five cents on a gallon of gas by driving 10 miles out of your way, then fine. But most people would be happier spending a little extra money to get home 20 minutes earlier for dinner. 

You think a McMansion will make you happy.

What could possibly be more satisfying than ditching that old starter home you and your spouse moved into during your broke newlywed years? 

Two studies cited in "Happy Money" prove otherwise.

When researchers followed groups of German homeowners five years after they moved into new homes, they all wound up saying they were happier with their newer house. But there was one problem: They weren't any happier with their lives. The same was true in a study of Ohio homeowners in which it turned out they weren't any happier with their lives than renters.

"Even in the heart of middle America, housing seems to play a surprisingly small role in the successful pursuit of happiness," Dunn and Norton write. "If the largest material purchase most of us will ever make provides no detectable benefit for our overall happiness, then it may be time to rethink our fundamental assumptions about how we use money."