This March 2009 article is part of a series of archived “Marriage Today” posts.

If you have some disposable income, will using it to make a new purchase bring you happiness? It all depends, says Ryan T. Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University. His current research indicates that money brings people greater happiness when it is spent on experiences rather than material objects. For one thing, experiences tend to be shared with others.

Howell told this Web site that he believes his research is valuable for married couples. He said he has “heard back from a number of couples that they attempt to spend some of their disposable income on experiences” as a step toward keeping their marriages strong.

The university said Feb. 7 that Howell’s new study “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.”

In an interview Feb. 13 with National Public Radio, Howell noted that spending money on an experience can be less expensive than purchasing a material thing. A shared experience such as time spent together in a coffee shop might cost as little as $5, he said. So the level of cost is not the determining factor. In fact, he has said that whether people spend a small or large amount on an experience, their ensuing level of happiness will be the same.

Howell doesn’t doubt that the purchase of a material object can sometimes yield feelings of happiness – for awhile. But he pointed out that experiences make people feel more alive and connected — related — to others. In a CNN report on his findings, Howell said that “when people spend money on life experiences, whether they also take someone with them or buy an extra ticket or whatever, most of our live experiences involve other individuals.” Thus, people fulfill a need for social bonding through experiences, he said.

If the purchase of a material object brings people happiness, it is likely to be short term, Howell thinks. But positive memories of shared experiences can endure far into the future. In his words, experiences build up our “memory capital.” He said, “We don’t tend to get bored of happy memories like we do with a material object.”

Do people still believe money will make them happy? Yes, says Howell, “even though 35 years of research has suggested the opposite.” Perhaps people hold to this belief, he postulates, “because money is making some people happy some of the time, at least when they spend it on life experiences.”

Howell’s findings will be published in the Journal of Positive Psychology. He presented his findings in early February to the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology in Tampa, Fla.

About the author 
David Gibson served for 37 years on the editorial staff at Catholic News Service, where he was the founding and long-time editor of Origins, CNS Documentary Service. David received a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University in Minnesota and an M.A. in religious education from The Catholic University of America. Married for 38 years, he and his wife have three adult daughters and six grandchildren.