As college students, we tend to be on a pretty low budget. We're constantly thinking, "what's the cheapest thing I can get off this menu," or "is it free?" While it's good to have self-discipline when it comes to your money and spending, we must try to resist becoming extremely frugal in our lives. We need to make an effort to go out and live life and take advantage of all the things it has to offer us, not just the ones that are free. Experiences are a unique commodity that are becoming more popular with consumers, particularly millenials, than other tangible goods. Examples of consumer goods that are experiences are concerts, comedy shows, vacations or study abroad trips, or even fun activities like going to a trampoline park or exploring a local exhibit. I think that the reason experiences are so popular with millenials can be attributed to a few factors:
1. Do it for the gram.
We are so immersed in social media that we love any excuse to post a fun, exciting picture. Go skydiving? Be sure to get some pictures from your adventure and you're set to get an overload of likes.
2. Some are actually free!
Not all experiences cost as much as a ticket to see Beyoncé. Check out what your community or campus has to offer, there are more free activities than you think, just waiting for you to stumble upon them!
3. To feel alive
Sure, that bowl you just bought from Chipotle tasted great, and your new handbag totally compliments your outfit, but most material items don't evoke the same feeling of excitement as experiences do. Can you honestly say that your new RedBubble stickers give you the same feeling that you got when you saw your favorite band perform live?
4. It's a one-time thing
If you buy a pair of shoes, chances are you'll have them for a while, and although at first you may be excited about them, over time you'll just start putting on the shoes because you have to wear shoes rather than because you're in love with how new and wonderful they are. With experiences, there comes a time constraint, which tends to take all of the excitement and compact it into a limited time period. When this excitement is compacted, it also intensifies, so you probably end up looking forward to your next vacation more than you look forward to getting some new shoes.
5. They won't always be waiting around...
Going hand in hand with #3, some experiences aren't always available for you to do whenever you feel like it. If you get accepted to a study abroad trip, you probably don't think "well, I can do that whenever." You have your chance now, so take it! Trust me, your local Dominos will still have pizza when you get back, and honestly, wouldn't you rather explore and experience new, awesome food abroad, anyway?
6. You'll always have the memories
Weeks, months, and even years after your awesome experience, you'll be able to look back on it with joy. Do you honestly think you'll regret checking out that comedy show you've been interested in? Not unless you hate laughter, and all things fun.
I think we should strive to invest in more experiences. They are all around us, but we often talk ourselves out of them because of money. Push yourself into a new experience. Make some lifelong memories. Hell, even Instagram it all along the way. Create a life that you'll look back on with pride and passion, not regret for missed opportunities.
