When Buying “experiences” Isn’t Really Better Than Buying Things
If you listen to people who write about money to make a living, one of the best ways to make your money meaningful is to spend it worrying. This is a great guide, but not always tough.
As personal finance site Keep Thrifty explains, we tend to remember our experiences and retain the feelings from those memories better than when we spend money on random junk. However, it is sometimes worth buying things. Whether you are choosing between a gadget that will make your life better in the long run, or one that you are unlikely to enjoy, the former is definitely better:
But what about another example? Can I bring my new laptop with me for the week in New York? For me, experience is much more meaningful when I share it with my family. I’m also more of a nature lover than a big city guy, so being alone in a crowded city will just stress me out. On the other hand, a new laptop will run faster and stop telling me that my hard drive is nearly full.
There is also the fact that sometimes “all sorts of things” can lead to experiences. Traveling is a great way to bond with friends or family while exploring new sights. However, this car is a piece . You probably bought a car for more than just the trip. You bought it for regular travel and took it with you on your trip. In this case, spending money on “stuff” helped you realize your experience.
Only you can decide which things or events are worth investing time and money in. Focusing on experience is a great guide to keeping your money safe from frivolous ad junk, but it’s also okay to invest a little money in things if it helps improve your life.
Experience Is Better Than Things, Except When It Isn’t | Stay Thrift with Rockstar Finance