Modern marketing has convinced us that if we just had the right possessions, we would be happy.  The concept has even spawned "retail therapy", the idea that if you feel down, a good shopping trip will perk you right up.

In stark contrast, science suggests that buying more things makes us less able to appreciate life's small pleasures.  I've also noticed that any emotional boost I might receive from a purchase dulls quickly as I get used to my acquisition and the fun toy fades into the background.  (Often, the purchase glow dies even faster as I succumb to buyer's remorse.)

But sometimes, you really can buy happiness.  A full year after installing our ultra-efficient, tiny wood stove, I still smile every time I glance in her direction.  Basking in her warmth is one of my favorite cold weather activities, and perhaps that explains the longevity of my pleasure at the purchase.  Even though it seemed like we were buying a hunk of iron, we were really paying for a lifetime of experiences, and experiences are the one type of purchase that scientists report stand the test of time.

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About us: Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton spent over a decade living self-sufficiently in the mountains of Virginia before moving north to start over from scratch in the foothills of Ohio. They've experimented with permaculture, no-till gardening, trailersteading, home-based microbusinesses and much more, writing about their adventures in both blogs and books.



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