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The Value of Experiences
Posted by Carol Coletta on February 15, 2009 |
Of all the impacts of this recession, one has received no attention. I've been musing about what people will do with their time when they don't spend it working and shopping. I've seen the impact of unemployment of a family member twice. In both cases, exercise became a positive focus of their lives. And one became a good cook during his time of unemployment.
Then today, I read about a new San Francisco State University study that found money can lead to greater happiness for the person possessing it and those around them, if it is used to buy experiences, not possessions.
The study by SFU assistant professor of psychology Ryan Howell, “demonstrates that experiential purchases, such as a meal out or theater tickets, result in increased well-being because they satisfy higher order needs, specifically the need for social connectedness and vitality — a feeling of being alive."
So experiences are critical to our sense of well-being. The good news is that many experiences require no money at all. Exercise is a good example. A fast walk requires very few resources. The same is true of learning something new, like cooking.
What can cities do to provide experiences? They can…
Dig This
Posted by Carol Coletta on August 05, 2008 |
Want to play in the dirt? Want to do it in big, heavy machines? The Wall Street Journal reports that Ed Mumm has taken a 10-acre plot of ground in Steamboat Springs and turned it into "the first, and only, heavy-equipment playground in the U.S." With 90 paying customers to date at $280-$650 a pop, the park, called Dig This, is likely a year away from profitability.
I am writing this while sitting in bed waiting for the construction workers to arrive at the Wit Hotel a half block away. Construction is fascinating to watch, and even though I am hardly the hearty worker man type, I think even I might enjoy giving Dig This a try.
Dig This is a good reminder that almost anything can be packaged and sold as an experience.