Spending money is usually a pretty stressful ordeal, but a new scientific study has found that there’s one thing actually worth splashing out on, that is proven to make you happier than any designer handbag ever could.
‘Life experiences’, is where it’s all at apparently.
San Francisco State University published a research paper that examined why people spend so much money on material things, when they admit that life experiences make them happier in the long run.
“People actually do know, and accurately predict, that life experiences will make them happier,” said SF State Associate Professor of Psychology Ryan Howell, co-author of the study.
“What they really underestimate is how much monetary value they will get out of a life experience. Even though they’re told experiences will make them happier and they know experiences will make them happier, they still perceive material items as being a better value.”
People find it easier to put a set value on a material item rather than memories of a happy experience, making it easier for them to justify spending money on say, a Rolex rather than a holiday.
“Happiness is not some fleeting, positive emotion we experience in the moment,” Howell added.
Think long term and go for the spa day instead of the fancy bag.
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