By Jessie Schirrick Posted December 18, 2013
A recent study conducted by the University of San Francisco surveyed 10,000 people on their happiness and spending habits. The results suggested that people who preferred to spend their money on concert tickets or dinner dates were ultimately happier and more satisfied with their lives than those who blew their money on clothes and gadgets. This proposes a staggering theory that there is more happiness to be had when your money goes to experiences rather than materialistic items.
I can definitely relate to the ecstasy felt after ordering a new outfit online, but what happens once you finally get it in the mail? You wear it a couple of times, eventually, get bored with it and you’re right back in your closet thinking, “I have nothing to wear.” The price of a valid shopping spree is unbelievably high with boots and jeans going for $200 and more. As for other spendy items like iPhones and laptops: their value lasts about six months then a newer, more viable model comes out. The newest Apple devices debut at $600 and as financial trends go, that price will only increase. Keeping up with technology is a neverending rat race. That’s not to say you shouldn’t treat yourself to a personal gift every once in a while, but if you’re constantly putting your money towards material items, you’ll ultimately end up empty-handed.
When you take your friends to a movie or an amusement park you have a good time and make positive memories, inevitably furnishing your soul with bliss and pleasure. These affairs are also guaranteed to strengthen your relationships and social abilities. You’ll become more confident and comfortable in your own skin. You’ll become closer to your current friends but you will also be able to make new ones. These events don’t have to be extravagant; simply going camping or rounding up a couple of friends to play cards on a tame Saturday night can suffice. Spending your money on gifts for other people will probably warm your heart just as well.
Make your hard-earned money work for you by giving some serious consideration to how you’re going to spend it. Don’t spend it on the first flashy item that catches your eye, but think ahead and accumulate some ideas on how you can use it to truly prosper in mind and spirit.
