Choosing Experiences Over "Stuff"

In the latest Thrive Senses video, which you can watch here, I head to the Match for Hope charity football event in Doha, an evening that brought together over 40,000 people and raised more than 12 million dollars for charity.

Beyond the entertainment, the music and the energy of the stadium, the evening offered something deeper: a reminder of the value of shared experiences.

Psychology has explored this idea extensively. For years, researchers in positive psychology have examined the difference between spending money on material possessions and spending it on experiences. Again and again, the findings point in a similar direction: experiences tend to bring more enduring satisfaction than buying “stuff.”

Material purchases can certainly bring pleasure. There’s often an initial lift; the excitement of something new. But human beings adapt quickly. What once felt exciting soon becomes ordinary. Psychologists refer to this as hedonic adaptation: the tendency for our emotional responses to return to baseline after positive or negative changes.

Experiences behave differently.

When we invest in an experience, whether it’s a live event, a trip, a shared meal or a meaningful gathering, we’re not just buying the moment itself. We’re investing in anticipation beforehand, in connection during it, and in memory long after it has passed.

Research led by Professor Thomas Gilovich at Cornell University has shown that experiential purchases are more closely tied to our identity than material ones. They become part of our story. We talk about them. We revisit them. We integrate them into how we see ourselves. Experiences are also often shared, which strengthens social bonds -one of the most reliable predictors of long-term wellbeing. Even simply looking forward to an upcoming experience has been shown to boost mood and increase positive emotion.

There’s another layer, too. When an experience carries meaning, such as being part of something charitable, communal or purposeful, its psychological impact deepens. Shared energy, collective generosity and a sense of contributing to something larger than ourselves all reinforce feelings of connection and significance.

This doesn’t mean material possessions have no place in our lives. Practical items serve a purpose, and beauty can certainly enhance our environment. But when it comes to sustained wellbeing, the evidence suggests that experiences tend to leave a longer emotional imprint.

In a culture that often encourages accumulation, it can be easy to default to buying more. Yet sometimes the more nourishing investment is less tangible.

A concert instead of another item of clothing. A weekend away instead of a tech upgrade. An evening shared with others instead of something that sits on a shelf.

Experiences don’t just fill time. They shape memory, strengthen connection, and become woven into our identity. When we reflect on what we truly remember and value over time, it is rarely the things we owned. It is the moments we lived.