Second Cup: Invest this in your memory bank

I really like this idea. By now you have probably heard the advice that spending money on experiences tends to make people happier than spending money on things. There is a lot of gray area between the two. Of course, a car enables you to have various experiences, so does a tent. Correspondingly, a cheap pair of shoes might ruin an experience if you get a lot of blisters, so you would be happier paying up for the good ones. That said, the grandfather's advice gets at the connection between

experiences and happiness. When you have a good experience, you create a memory, just as investments can grow in value over time. Your experience and the subsequent memory becomes more valuable as the days and years pass by. I have certainly seen this in my own life. When I was in college, I studied abroad in Australia and chose to spend money on traveling around that country, more money than I had ever spent on anything before. But those memories

are completely irreplaceable. Now I have made more money, but with the busyness of life, I haven't been back to Australia. That was a good investment in my memory bank. When you have money that is not already designated for a necessity like rent, or groceries or retirement, consider whether you can invest the money in your memory bank. Is there an experience that you would enjoy while it lasts and enjoy looking back on. Maybe you've always wanted to take

your kids to the Grand Canyon. A trip there will probably give you a lot more happiness than a new couch. You'll have fun while you're there and enjoy looking back on the memories. Or perhaps you're a foodie and you've been dying to go to a restaurant in your town that you keep hearing rave reviews about so try it. You'll enjoy savoring the meal and joining in the conversations with others who have dined there. Even smaller scale experiences

can be good investments. The money I spent taking my kid's tulip picking at Holland Ridge Farms and eating at the lobster roll truck park there one Saturday has created lovely spring memories. Enjoy every time I look at those bright photos. When you give cash gifts, consider encouraging the

recipients to spend the money to make memories. You could even write the advice invest this in your memory bank in your note accompanying the gift on the memo line of your check, or the what's this for field and venmo. If you give your kids an allowance, you could coach them on spending money on making memories. Many families have the norm of kids donating some of their allowance, saving some of it, and spending some of it. You could add an additional category for investing in your memory bank.

You might not know what your kids will come up with, but the odds are good that it will yield some happiness. As with a financial investment, investments in our memory banks benefit us over time as the memories become part of our identities. As you plan out your spending for the rest of the year, maybe think of the discretionary categories with this in mind. Some money simply has to be spent on stuff that no one is excited about, but

some can be spent on other things. And when you spend with the goal of adventure and memory, you are far less likely to wind out up with buyers remorse. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.

That's b E the number four then Breakfast pod. You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.