Do you remember when you bought your first computer? No? OK, how about your phone? Still no?
Isn’t it interesting how the modern society is so concerned with material possessions (let’s call them stuff), yet the joy we derive from them is so fleeting?
Return to your memories. Do you recall your first trip abroad?
Yes, I thought so.
We’re Hardwired for Experiences, Not Stuff
However, owning material stuff does not.
The enjoyment we derive from collecting and purchasing physical items is ephemeral. Dr. Elizabeth Dunn of the University of British Columbia refers to this type of satisfaction as a “puddle of pleasure” since it soon dissipates. People gush over their new purchases before swiftly becoming overly comfortable with them.
It’s one of the reasons I enjoy living out of a backpack for extended periods of time (is that weird?); it causes me to take a personal inventory of what is essential to me and if I want it in my bag/life.
And to me, and so many others, none of it is particularly relevant.
It’s very tempting to slip into the comparison trap with material possessions. Have you got the best iPhone? Not for long! When the new version is released and someone/everyone you know gets hold of it, the money you paid on the previous version feels wasted.
You end up in this never-ending cycle of losing money and spending it on things that are eventually forgotten.
Material Things Have Expiration Dates—Experiences are a Lifetime Investment
This perpetual “raising the bar” with material purchases, along with our inherent tendency to adapt (where novelty turns into monotony), implies that using items to make you happy is bound to fail from the start—even if you’re fantastically wealthy, as many millionaires have discovered throughout history.
None of this occurs with experiences.
Would you compare your first travel experience to someone else’s? No, since that would be worthless. Everyone approaches situations differently, making them feel breathtakingly unique.
Even better, they are irreplaceable. You cannot improve your first time on a whitewater raft or jumping out of an airplane. You will never swap that in for a better model. It will never lose its value, and it will be with you forever.
How many times a week do you go skydiving or rafting through rapids? Experiences are unique in that they are only transient. And that’s the key of their appeal.
Giving The Gift of Experience with Travel Gift Cards
Imagine if you could share the feelings you had on a life-changing journey with someone else, rather than gifting them things that will swiftly fade from sight and memory. Consider how that would feel, both for them and you.
This is the philosophy underlying Tinggly’s travel gift cards, which are the most elegant solution to a problem we confront year after year: WHAT SHOULD I GET THEM THIS TIME?
If you want to buy travel gifts for those who value experiences over possessions, the solution is quite difficult. All of the items you offer will most likely wind up a) forgotten, b) in a drawer, or c) weighing down their backpack or suitcase.
Travel Gift Cards from Tinggly
Tinggly’s founding fathers are four world-traveling entrepreneurs who enjoy pushing the boundaries and experiencing everything life has to offer; they are a dedicated bunch of travelers that value the concept of experience before possessions.
They created travel gift cards to answer a previously unsolved problem: how to give the gift of experience.
Tinggly allows you to choose from three tiers, each at a different price range, when giving the gift of experience. The individual who receives the travel gift cards can choose any experience within that tier.
Tinggly offers activities in over 100 countries, including skydiving, helicopter rides, pizza-making, and romantic sunset river cruises.
Whether someone you know is celebrating a special occasion (such as a milestone birthday or life event), or simply enjoys traveling and trying new things, travel gift cards answer the problem of what to give them.
Why Travel Gift Cards Make the Perfect Gift
- You are not making decisions for them. You’re providing them a plethora of options to select from within one of three “Experience Collections.” Then you leave the rest to them. It is up to them, not you, to determine the type of experience they receive.
- You’re allowing them to choose the moment, which relieves you of the responsibility for a potential calamity. They can redeem it at any moment within the next two years, but until then, all they have is anticipation.
- You’re providing them an unforgettable experience. It will never lose value, bore them, or wind up in a cupboard collecting dust. It will never grow old.
- The gift cards can be sent promptly via email. If you’re running behind schedule, Tinggly is the ideal last-minute present.
- You may effortlessly offer the gift of experience to anyone in the globe, with no mailing address required.
It’s brilliant. Not only does it eliminate the arduous decision-making process of gift-giving, but it also allows you to provide a gift that the recipient will remember for the rest of their life.
So, the next time a special occasion comes up, try something a bit different—something that isn’t a waste of money, effort, space, or all three. Instead, give the gift of experience with a Tinggly travel gift card.