Why Experiences Make Us Happier Than Stuff

Last summer, my neighbors Marianna and Sándor Subert embarked on a cross-country road trip with an altruistic twist. After driving their 2006 Volvo S40 from Virginia to California, they ended their two-week trek by donating the car to Goodwill in San Francisco, an experience I wrote about for Travel + Leisure.

Meaningful travel will likely be a post-pandemic trend, but the Suberts' trip also revealed the power of anticipation. Researching their journey, Marianna found, was exciting — “like we were living the trip just by planning it.” This is a common reaction: Studies show we get a bigger rush waiting for an experience like a cruise or a trip to Disneyland (well, unless you hate Disney) than we do for material goods.

“Trips don’t just make us happy while we’re on them,” explains Amit Kumar, an assistant professor of Marketing and Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. “They can make us happy before we get on the plane or go on a hike or play on the beach.”

As we ponder our post-pandemic lives, here’s a suggestion. Instead of buying more stuff, spend money on a trip. Or a concert (remember those?). Or a family dinner. Paying for experiences makes us happier than buying material goods, research shows, and once we start traveling again, we’ll likely experience a “happiness reset”: Small trips that may have seemed routine before the pandemic — like a weekend trek to the beach — might feel like an exotic jaunt to Bora Bora, a New York Times piece explains.

So start planning to go somewhere even if you can’t go anywhere. The mere anticipation may boost your mood. As wise bear Winnie the Pooh once noted, the moment before you eat the honey is often better than when you do.

Ken Budd is the author of The Voluntourist and the host of 650,000 Hours. His bylines include The Washington Post Magazine, The Atlantic, National Geographic Traveler, and many more. His work also appears in the 2020 edition of The Best American Travel Writing. This essay originally ran in the 650,000 Hours newsletter.

Lake Blanche in Utah was an unexpected stop on the Suberts’ road trip.

Who Is The Best Person in Your Life?

Jane Karigo is a foot and a half shorter than me, yet she’s the largest figure I know. For 22 years, since God told her in a dream to create the Calvary Zion Children’s Home, Jane has saved, raised, taught, fed, loved and sheltered orphans in Bamburi, Kenya. I wrote about Jane in my memoir, The Voluntourist, and for a Washington Post Magazine story that I’m THRILLED to say was selected for the 2020 edition of The Best American Travel Writing (available at bookstores if, you know, you’re looking for holiday gifts).

As we near the end of a dark year, I’d like to spotlight those who bring light to the world. If you’re in a giving mood this holiday season, here are eight extraordinary people and orgs I've profiled that deserve our support:

Be Someone Former at-risk student Orrin Hudson uses chess to develop Georgia kids’ critical thinking skills and inspire them to new heights.

Calvary Zion Children’s Home International teacher Susan Peattie created a trust to support Jane Karigo and her many, many children. Learn how you can sponsor a child.

Celebrate RVA While still in high school, Julia Warren started a nonprofit to celebrate the birthdays of disadvantaged kids in Richmond, Virginia.

Ferst Readers Sixty-one percent of low-income families don’t have children’s books in their homes. Robin Ferst-Marhaver formed a Georgia-based nonprofit to change that.

I Support the Girls Dana Marlowe’s org provides bras, underwear and hygiene products to D.C.-area homeless women. Another superb org is the Greater D.C. Diaper Bank, founded by Corrine Cannon, which has donated 12.7 million diapers to families.

One Global Village I joined founders Abigail Hayo and Tammy Neblock-Beirne, MD in India and Mali, where their nonprofit educates children and performs surgeries for people with little access to health care.

United Aid Foundation From Houston to Haiti, founder John Alex and his construction crews rebuild homes in areas devastated by disasters.

I feel blessed to have so many generous people in my life. Who are the best people in your life? I’d love to hear about the people who have enriched your world. Please contact me at ken@650000hours.com.

Ken Budd is the author of The Voluntourist and the host of 650,000 Hours. Sign up here for the monthly 650,000 Hours newsletter!