Experiences make you happier than ‘stuff,’ even before you buy

The Washington Post:

Money can only buy you happiness if you spend it right. Previous research has shown that people value “experiences” like vacations and fancy meals more than they value material goods like cars and clothes. In a new study published in Psychological Science, researchers report that consumers actually enjoy waiting for experiences more, too.

In the first part of the study, titled “Waiting for Merlot,” 97 students were asked to imagine one type of purchase or another in their future and to rate their feelings as more like impatience or excitement. While they mostly reported positive feelings across the board, things like concert tickets and vacations were described as more exciting to think about than were laptops and clothes, which the subjects were impatient to acquire.

Read the whole story: The Washington Post