Recently, a major study deemed the most significant purchase one can make:
Don’t buy objects. Buy memories.
Contrary to popular opinion, we can purchase happiness with our hard-earned dollars. While we can’t find happiness by buying clothing, cars, knick-knacks, movies, and the like, we can purchase happiness when we invest in doing things that are memorable.
For example, I have a beautiful painting on my wall. In muted shades of turquoise, pinks, and creams, the painting matches my furniture and the overall “Shabby Chic” feel of my home. But the only joy it brings is on a superficial level. Yet a sense of peace and happiness overcomes me when I remember my family’s trip to northern Michigan last summer. For a whole day my husband dug for Petoskey stones. Patiently he dug several feet down into the packed earth, tossing stones into a bucket of water to clean them off, and then discerning whether or not the stones possessed the famous pebbled look of lore.
Money well-spent.
Those summer memories were worth the costs of gas, campground space, and campfire food. The money I spent was worth it then, and it is worth it now when I stoke my memories.
Each of us only has so much money to spend. So here is my challenge to you: Invest in memory-making. What memories do you want to invest in this year? Put your ideas in the box below.
The memories I want to invest in are with my kids. Lots of time lost, lots of time bc of court issues, and its cause. (The cause won’t go away, there’s no bandaid. No prevention and no solution.) A lot of things can happen… Like a thief that steals (and tries to kill relationships and lives). So, instead of putting out fires, invest in memories some other way. It’s just figuring out how to do it, a conscious effort, but it shouldn’t have to be like that.
Memories this summers coming up. Up north, buy a cabin? Rent one?
Kayak? We have two of those.
Investing in memories is also often as simple as the little regular things you do. For example, my kids all have “their night” once a week. Each kid, once a week, gets to stay up past bedtime to spend an extra 45 minutes with mom or dad, whether it’s to read extra stories, go for a bikeride, or go to Panera for treat. Have fun!
Every Friday is DATE NIGHT with Bob. We often go out for dinner. During that time we talk and talk and talk. Sometimes it’s things going on in our careers, personal life, spiritual life. Sometimes we talk about books and movies. Both of us read and listen to radio, so we share things of interest we’ve heard or read about. There never seems to be enough time to talk to each other. We enjoy going out to the movies or taking a walk along the river in Rockford. Everyone who knows us knows we are “pre-booked” for Friday nights. You know you are a VIP if we get together with you on Friday because we don’t give up our Fridays together easily. 🙂
I also pick up my grandson once a week from the school bus stop. My job is to ask simple questions and LISTEN as he talks and bless and affirm him LARGE! I love this day where I get to hear what is on his heart and mind. Beautiful Thursday. 🙂
Good article, Kimberly!!! As we get older and our kids leave the nest, possessions have less and less value and time spent together is more and more precious.