For the recent long weekend, we took our children away on a trip to a dairy farm. The kids were bouncing off the walls with excitement, but I was not looking forward to it. (I am more of a day spa person than a cow patty person.)
On the drive up, my husband asked me if I recalled going to stay at a farm. To his surprise, I recounted a happy childhood memory of going to a farm for a week with my grandparents and my two cousins. To be honest, I don’t remember many gifts that my grandparents gave me as a child, but I do really remember this trip and think back on it fondly. I remember walking with my grandfather around the paddocks, and now that he has been gone for a long time, I am especially grateful for that experience.
The farm stay that we took our children turned out to be absolutely awesome. It was at Maleny, Wittacork farm cottages. I don’t have many farm experiences to compare it to, but wow, it was great. The farm overlooked a big lake and had views for days. There was a lot of joy in watching my children grinning while riding ponies and feeding goats. Surprisingly, feeding the pigs was a family crowd-pleaser (except for me). We hiked around the farm and rainforest and snuggled together next to a cheery fire. Memory-making!
This trip cost us about $635 for two nights. Was this trip a good investment of money?
This week I was reading The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness by Morgan Housel. This book matched with what I have been thinking about possessions, riches, and wealth. Three quotes from the book:
- “Wealth is the nice cars not purchased. The diamonds not bought. The watches not worn, the clothes forgone, and the first-class upgrade declined. Wealth is financial assets that haven’t yet been converted into the stuff you see.”
- “The highest form of wealth is the ability to wake up every morning and say, ‘I can do whatever I want today.'”
- “Having more control over your time and options is becoming one of the most valuable currencies in the world.”
Now, we spent a bit of money on this trip, but not on material things. I am actually quite grateful that because of my No Buy Year, I cannot spend this amount of money on possessions.
Joshua Becker’s quote echoed in my mind: “The desire for material possessions can blind us to the intangible riches that are the real source of happiness.”
From my perspective, the cost of this farm trip far exceeded any possession that I could have bought because I received a pocket full of memories, and hopefully, my own children will recall this trip with fondness, the same way that I remembered my own childhood farm stay.
To sum up, experiences hold far greater value and contribute to lasting happiness compared to material possessions for me.
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