The Best Way To Spend Your Money: Don't Buy A Thing

Summer is well under way and many young adults have taken the opportunity to seek and obtain a summer job! So what is the best way to spend your money that will allow you to achieve the most amount of satisfaction and happiness? Don’t buy a thing. Not one thing. Literally. 

Scientifically the best way to obtain happiness is by spending money on others, however if you want to spend money on yourself, you are much better off investing in experiences rather than material items or “things”. Traveling and going to large events is an exponentially more effective method for achieving happiness and satisfaction. For example, buying a $2000 luxury coffee table will only be useful as a piece of furniture and the happiness gained from that investment will only last a few days at most. However, going to get a bite to eat with friends will be a unique and enjoyable experience each time. 

According to a 2014 Psychology Today article titled Why Other People Are the Key to Our Happiness, “The interactions we have with other people affect the way we feel about life. Our close relationships keep us grounded and influence both happiness and the sense that we are part of a larger community. Interestingly, even our interactions with people we do not know that well give us a sense that we are part of that larger community. When we are first introduced to that community, those interactions and that feeling of belonging also increase our happiness.” Luckily in South Florida, there are lots of events and attractions happening almost every weekend and when there aren’t, there are several outdoor opportunities that will allow you to make positive memories and create opportunities to build long term happiness and friendships with new people! 

So this summer, don’t buy a thing. Buy experiences! Now get out there and have fun!

^AC