Experiences over stuffs?

These days, the popular expert advice is to spend on experiences rather than stuffs. The ad of a travel website Expedia.ca asked a seemingly wise question. On the day you die, would you regret things you didn’t buy or places you didn’t go. I would answer perhaps both. 😊

It might depend on what you bought and how much satisfaction and utility you extracted out of it. 25 years ago, I bought this long black dress with a big piece of flower embroidery for ¥100 RMB in China. I wore it in countless occasions and received many compliments. Every time, it brought me joy. Per Maria Condo, I should keep it. Does it mean that I got many great experiences out of this “stuff”? Therefore, stuffs can definitely bring us great experiences. Moreover, these fabulous experiences can repeat over and over again every time we use them. That ¥100 RMB was so well-spent which was only less than CAD$20 then. The ROI – return of investment is super high.

Perhaps, one thing I can do better is to maintain the things I bought better to make them last longer. 25-year keeping a dress is already record setting. In good old days, I might have passed it to my daughter or granddaughter. LOL! Perhaps the key is to maintain my body better. 😊 Make sure I can still fit into that black dress. Yes, that is exactly what I am doing. Lose another 5 pounds and get rid my “muffin top” to look better in those sports outfits I bought 15 years ago. 😊

Now, let’s talk about travelling for leisure. I am not quite sure that it has the right to look down upon other experiences generated from things. Usually, a week or two visiting a country or place can be quite superficial. Beautiful scenery, interesting cultural sites, and yummy food can definitely be experienced. However, it takes time to truly know a place. Ideally deeper understanding requires living and working in a place for a while with more interaction with the locals. Sometimes, reading a book or watching a film can be even more powerful. I could be totally wrong or biased. An old Chinese adage says that it is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books. I think this proverb doesn’t refer to leisure travelling. Not sure that I can or want to do the nomad living. How free-spirited it is!

Why do some of us want to read fictions or watch films? I guessed that we want to experience other people’s lives because one’s own life is limited no matter how full or diverse it could be. It can only be one type of life.

When we spend money, perhaps it helps to keep an open mind and truly listen to our own hearts while looking back on our past experiences rather than judge ourselves based on all the popular advice. In the end, only your feeling counts which is quite subjective no matter what others tell you.