Spending on Experiences

What do you spend your money on? This isn’t a rhetorical question that I’m musing over; I’m asking each and every one of year that is reading this. What do you spend your money on?  Take a couple seconds and really think about the things you invest in. A lot of the time how a person spends their money can tell you quite a bit about a person.

For me, I can tell you that the three things I spend the most money on are food, movies, and gasoline. Food is probably the number one thing, partly because I am living on my own now and do my own shopping, but another reason is because I go out to eat once or twice a week. I LOVE FOOD. I can talk about food for hours: what is good, what I want to try, restaurants I've been to…and I never get bored. I like trying new things to eat and going to restaurants I've never been to before.  My spending on movies comes mostly from going to the theater a lot and Redboxing movies every once in awhile. I don’t spend a lot on buying movies because I used to and that added up FAST. I love getting wrapped up in those stories and seeing how the stories come to life on the big screen. The last item, gasoline, comes from how often I chose to travel.

One thing that I noticed about these three items is one word: experiences. Eating and trying new foods/places is about having the experience. Watching movies is all about the experience and the feelings you go through while watching it. Gasoline helps me get to and from experiences like seeing family, a New Year’s Party, and a trip to the zoo. I truly feel that spending money on experiences is one of the best ways to spend your money. Clothes only last so long and then they’re gone, and do you really need to upgrade a sound system to blow out your eardrums? I think not. Go to a concert or see a stand-up comedian. Take a road trip to see out of state friends or visit a place you've always wanted to visit.  Go out to that restaurant you've always wanted to try or plan to go out bowling or mini golfing with some friends. Oh, and don’t forget to get a camera J

Spending on experiences helps you to create wonderful memories. When I look back at the things I’ve spent money on over the years, the first things that come to my mind aren’t the Pokemon cards I spent WAY too much money on when I was little or the video games I’ve played. I think of the Spring Break trip to Gatlinburg, the New Year’s parties I’ve set up, and the trip I took to Universal Studios this past summer. I think of the road trip to IL and WI I took with friends this summer, the Pentatonix concert this fall (and soon in the spring too), and all of the disc golf courses I’ve played at.

In all honesty, material things are only going to last you so long. Clothes will rip, tear, or wear. Electronics will break or get lost, and a new model is going to come out soon anyway. The memories you get from spending on experiences, however, last a very long time, especially if you have pictures. And don’t just have these experiences on your own…share in them with people you enjoy being with, because then those experiences will be so much sweeter. Go on an adventure. Explore the many things the world has to offer. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.