The Creation of Memories

I can think of any number of purchases I have made which have been useful in one way or another, but for me the main purpose of spending money is to create memories. A TV or a laptop or a new kitchen are all useful purchases but none of them, for me anyway, are anything other than utilitarian.

Our conservatory, on the other hand, has become a centre of family life and carries with it memories of Christmas Days with the family, board games and puzzles, laughter and love, which makes it more than a purchase in the economic sense.

The house we live in, and which we bought a few years ago is just bricks and mortar whose main value lies in the amount of money we have saved in terms of rent and mortgage payments. If we were still renters I would still be working all year round. That in itself makes it an incredibly good purchase for us. I can’t get attached to the house in and of itself, but I started enjoying it as a home once we added the conservatory. Until then we had the choice of meals on our laps or a table that took up most of the room when it was put up so the conservatory was a game changer.

Holidays are another kind of purchase that are very much about creating memories. I don’t want a plush hotel because all I do in the room is put my head down for the night. We stayed in hostels and in caravans when the children were younger and they were just places to keep our belongings. So, we keep the fixed costs, travel and accommodation, as low as possible and concentrate on outings instead. No one will be able to convince me that it is a good use of money to splash out on a hotel because a hotel doesn’t create any memories.

So, I do make purchases, but not for their own sake. Anyone who has ever been poor will know what I mean when I say that you need to make the most of your time through making the most of your money.