Introduction
For many individuals, the festive season is, in most cases, associated with intense retail therapy, overworked credit cards and lots of visits to retail venues in search of the best gifts for kids, spouses, partners, parents or friends. It’s a yearly activity ingrained into the people’s psyche, much like on Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, anniversaries, birthdays, etc.
Did you know you can save time, effort and money by gifting experiences such as prison break escape room, cooking classes and skydiving? You can try these experiences instead of material things, irrespective of the occasion.
On the big day, gift providers savour the sight of receivers with enthusiasm, excitement, and delight and metaphorically rub their hands together in gratification. That’s festive season gifts done for another twelve months, and every recipient loved what they were gifted. Mission accomplished!
What Makes A Gift More Special And Unique?
Gifts are available in two main categories; experimental or experience and material or tangible. Several studies have looked at the psychology of giving tangible or material items vs gifting experiences.
While some people argue that receiving tangible gifts is important, after sinking deep into their psyche, they reveal that the feelings accompanying the actions were very powerful and offered more lifelong value compared to the gifts themselves.
Even though material or tangible gifts lose their value with time, the emotions and feelings invoked by their receiving or giving continue to be valued for many decades to come.
Material Gifts: What Happens When You Gift Them?
Studies have found that when you gift material things, they invoke the “What If” sense, especially for the giver. What if I’d purchase that type or colour instead of this one? Perhaps I should have purchased a different model or the next model.
The list of such questions and concerns is huge. In fact, gift providers, in most cases, focus on second-guessing the “rightness” of their gifts than they enjoy the experience of gifting them to their loved ones.
Experience Gifts: What Happens When You Gift Them?
Corresponding studies into experience gifts suggest they have multiple benefits over their material counterparts. An experience is something that doesn’t become obsolete or grow old. Instead, as time goes on, the memories they create from the experience grow while at the same time becoming increasingly precious.
Imagine, for instance, the difference between gifting a child their favourite cartoon character’s replica toy and giving them the chance to meet the character live. While the toy will trigger enthusiasm and excitement initially, it’ll get lost, forgotten or cast aside in favour of something new, shinier and brighter.
On the other hand, a tour to see the character live creates unique lifelong memories. It is a lifetime experience and will create recollections proportionate to that.
The Benefits Of Experience Gifts
Gifts have gone beyond wrapped boxes. The perfect gifts are experiences. Gifting has always been a perfect way for individuals to express their love, care and appreciation to their loved ones. Purchasing expensive material things may seem like the definitive affection show.
However, gift experiences come with a lifelong value that stretches beyond the price tag. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the main benefits of experience gifts.
Less Waste
Gift experiences do not have end-of-life periods. Consumer goods will always end up in the bin. Also, it makes the gift-giving act a lot more wasteful as there’s no wrapping ribbons, tape, paper, or packaging involved.
Experience gifts don’t occupy any storage space in the receiver’s home. Whether you’re buying or receiving an experience gift, you don’t have to think or worry about storage space, irrespective of the experience gift’s enormity.
Lasting Satisfaction
The cost doesn’t measure an experience gift’s value. The gift’s richness measures it. The material things satisfaction fades away as easily and quickly as more attractive options are introduced or available in the market.
But the experience, satisfaction and memories can last forever. The friend, family member or any other recipient plays a huge role in moulding it. That makes the gift more of a personal experience than a material thing.
Enhanced Relationships and Improved Well-Being
Studies have shown that gift experiences foster more robust relationships than their tangible equivalents. Most gift experience options available out there allow recipients to spend enough time with their loved ones. They allow everyone involved to interact and create strong bonds.
The giver and the receiver both can enjoy multiple health benefits from gifting and receiving gift experiences. Studies show that people who’ve got frequent social interactions with family or friends live longer. Also, they’re less prone to feeling isolated and can help them reduce their levels of depression.
Affordable
Gift experiences such as classes and vacations may cost money for registration, accommodation, plane tickets, and more. Additionally, they can add to carbon-releasing travel miles. But you can always opt for affordable gift experiences as a gift giver. There are numerous experience gifts you can give without spending any amount of money.
Setting up a scavenger hunt or teaching your loved one a skill will not cost you anything. The best thing about gift experiences is that you can gift your loved ones very precious gifts by spending little since it is the present’s thoughtfulness that matters.
Eco-Friendly
Gift experiences aren’t manufactured. That eliminates problems of unethical resource extraction, air and water pollution, and carbon emissions. Also, giving experiences involves and encourages sharing and renting instead of purchases. When you share or rent an item, you eliminate several issues, including pollution.
You don’t need to purchase an exotic car to give your loved one a memorable driving experience. A car driving experience is enough to satisfy your loved one who’s a luxury automobile lover. With a gift experience, there is no need to worry about product shipping and wrapping pollution.
Final Thoughts: Experimental Gifts Are The Perfect Option
Experimental gifts usually offer lifelong memories, which is their biggest benefit. They allow recipients to learn and gain new skills that can go a long way toward ensuring they enhance their life.
You need to remember that material or tangible items lose their novelty, get old, break, become obsolete, are duplicates of something the receiver already has or aren’t entirely appropriate.
Experimental gifts don’t, as each experience is unique and special. It doesn’t matter whether your recipient likes exhilarating adventures like skydiving or more relaxing experiences such as wine tasting, cooking classes or city sightseeing; you’ll find something special and unique to gift.
