I was listening to the “Stuff You Should Know” podcast last night on the topic of “Do Objects or Experiences Make Us Happier”. They came to the conclusion that many of have to come to over the years – new toys buy happiness for a while before the fun of them wears off in a number of weeks. They estimated most things are fun for 6-12 weeks, but rapidly get boring after several weeks. Classic materialism.

They went on to note that an experience can provide longer term enjoyment. With an experience, you not only have the experience, but also the memories of the experience. Thinking about it further, they noted that sometimes material things can give you an experience too… like thinking about the good times you had with that beloved car or truck of years ago. The material object may have been sent off to the junk yard and landfill, but good memories associated with a useful item last for much longer.

Anticipation of an experience or an material object can often be a lot of fun too. While our culture rarely puts a priority on delaying material consumption, there are many reasons to think it’s a good thing. Delayed consumption avoids debt, and lets people more time to consider what they really want or need. It also gives people to think about the value of it and enjoy the anticipation. Without spending money, you can dream of better days to come.