It's True! Experiences, Not Possessions, Make Us Happier

A news item on Public Radio caught my attention yesterday; it reinforced what I wrote hours earlier in my blog. When you buy experiences with your money (i.e., travel, meals out, or theater tickets), you're happier than when you buy material goods. The media chose Valentine's Day to tout this message since this holiday, more than others, is framed around consumerism. Who among us doesn't think about sending flowers, candy, or cards to those we love? It's an American tradition.

Yet, Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University discovered through his research that, when asked to write about recent purchases, study participants felt experiences they had led to longer-term satisfaction and produced better memories than material objects they purchased. Even more significant, those experiences produced more happiness regardless of how much money was spent or the total income of study participants.

"People still believe that more money will make them happy, even though 35 years of research has suggested the opposite," said Howell.

Frances and I are proof positive! Post-trip we both feel energized and revitalized. Friends notice our buoyancy. We feel it, too, when we work around our house, pay bills, file paperwork, and sort through belongings. We are releasing possessions in order to create more space in our home and in our lives.

Occasionally, though, it helps to be reminded that DOING things rather than HAVING things brings us the greatest happiness. I know that I have no buyer's remorse about our travels in Latin America even if I must cut my spending in the coming year. My hunger for learning new things is sated, my vitality is restored, and ... I'm happy.