Indulge Yourself
As the economy tightens and news continues to fill our screens about the demise of this bank or that mega corporation, or layoffs at yet another firm, it is a knee-jerk reaction to pull the purse strings tighter and give up “indulgences” like attending educational seminars and traveling to conferences. But that’s a mistake according to new research study to be reported in the Journal of Marketing Research.
In a recent HBJ Working Knowledge article entitled “Indulgence vs. Regret: Investing in Future Memories,” author Julia Hanna reported the study’s findings that when consumers anticipate their long-term regrets in life, they are more likely to indulge in a choice that gives them pleasure.
I may regret that pair of shoes, or an outfit purchased a size too small that I was sure I would get into come [name the season], or—heaven forbid! that fabric I just had to have—but I have never, ever regretted a single dollar spent on NALS dues, registration fees, or travel to a NALS conference.
To be sure, when I was a single parent with no child support, it was a challenge to find ways to meet those expenses and make those journeys and still pay the rent and put food on the table. It meant eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and dinner, or passing over that to-die-for batik fabric [okay, let’s be honest—I’d give up dark chocolate before giving up batiks—but that’s another story].
The point is, I’ve given up whatever I had to, or willingly paid the accrued interest charges incurred in order to invest in myself, my education, and my career. I’ve driven instead of flown; I’ve roomed with three, four and even five other people; slept on roll-a-way beds or on the floor. I was rewarded with memories of people and events and shared experiences that are worth far more than the money I would have saved by not going. I brought non-member friends with me to Hawaii and Las Vegas; to New Orleans and Los Angeles in order to share expenses. I brought my son with me to NALS conferences and together we’ve seen the Grand Canyon and held an alligator; visited plantations, NASA, Preservation Hall, Tombstone, and Carlsbad Caverns. The overtime, the skipped meals, making the car “do” one more year, was a small price to pay for a lifetime of memories.
Indulge yourself. Start budgeting now for Tulsa and Irvine (Disneyland) in 2009. Share your memories with family or friends and have no regrets. I don’t.
In a recent HBJ Working Knowledge article entitled “Indulgence vs. Regret: Investing in Future Memories,” author Julia Hanna reported the study’s findings that when consumers anticipate their long-term regrets in life, they are more likely to indulge in a choice that gives them pleasure.
I may regret that pair of shoes, or an outfit purchased a size too small that I was sure I would get into come [name the season], or—heaven forbid! that fabric I just had to have—but I have never, ever regretted a single dollar spent on NALS dues, registration fees, or travel to a NALS conference.
To be sure, when I was a single parent with no child support, it was a challenge to find ways to meet those expenses and make those journeys and still pay the rent and put food on the table. It meant eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and dinner, or passing over that to-die-for batik fabric [okay, let’s be honest—I’d give up dark chocolate before giving up batiks—but that’s another story].
The point is, I’ve given up whatever I had to, or willingly paid the accrued interest charges incurred in order to invest in myself, my education, and my career. I’ve driven instead of flown; I’ve roomed with three, four and even five other people; slept on roll-a-way beds or on the floor. I was rewarded with memories of people and events and shared experiences that are worth far more than the money I would have saved by not going. I brought non-member friends with me to Hawaii and Las Vegas; to New Orleans and Los Angeles in order to share expenses. I brought my son with me to NALS conferences and together we’ve seen the Grand Canyon and held an alligator; visited plantations, NASA, Preservation Hall, Tombstone, and Carlsbad Caverns. The overtime, the skipped meals, making the car “do” one more year, was a small price to pay for a lifetime of memories.
Indulge yourself. Start budgeting now for Tulsa and Irvine (Disneyland) in 2009. Share your memories with family or friends and have no regrets. I don’t.
posted by President Dee at
10:13 PM
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