With the commercial side of the holidays in full swing, it's good to pause and reflect. Our culture is saturated with incentives for buying things, even as many of us realize that experiences make more sense. An abundance of psychology research has shown that money spent on doing tends to provide more enduring happiness than money spent on having. Four studies have demonstrated# that the most important benefit happens before we make a purchase. Anticipation or waiting for experiences feels better than waiting for things. It's not necessary to spend a lot on experiences, either. In many cases, a little... Read more →