Suck It, Hippies: Study Shows Material Things Can Bring Happ

[saz]

I think gifts of all kinds are awesome. More gifts all around!

Ok also, backpacking around Europe costs nowhere near the amount that a Ferrari costs. Either that or I did Europe ALL WRONG.

[ESF]

Thank you. I am all about nice experiences, but I fucking looooove presents.

Years ago, I googled an ex-boyfriend and found his wedding webpage. They had this very flowery language about how they did not need anything and listed the charities they'd prefer people to donate to instead. Dodged that bullet! I love my Crate & Barrel shit so hard.

I donate to charity, I'm not a total asshole. I just prefer not to cut presents from my life in order to make it happen.

Presents = awesome.

[meshaliuknits]

I'm happier with a wall of yarn than I am without it.

[v]

Well, I can certainly understand why people aren't getting much enjoyment out of a gift of pepper spray...

[wawa]

Dec 22, 2015 0:49:27 GMT -5 ESF said:

Thank you. I am all about nice experiences, but I fucking looooove presents.

Years ago, I googled an ex-boyfriend and found his wedding webpage. They had this very flowery language about how they did not need anything and listed the charities they'd prefer people to donate to instead. Dodged that bullet! I love my Crate & Barrel shit so hard.

I donate to charity, I'm not a total asshole. I just prefer not to cut presents from my life in order to make it happen.

Presents = awesome.

I love you.  And this. 

One of my engineers is engaged and is resisting making a registry.  Because she doesn't have stuff she needs.  I just blinked at her.  It's not like she's getting married at 35 or something.  I bet money her pots and pans aren't great, she could use better knives, etc etc.  A nice chip and dip set??  PRETTY TOWELS???  SOMETHING??!?!?

but no. 

[downtoearth]

So basically in real time, we like getting presents, but looking back the experiences we had matter more than presents? Yeah, seems about right. I love opening presents and giving gifts, but I remember the things we do more than who bought be a cute sweater for Christmas 2 years ago.

[ESF]

Dec 22, 2015 9:30:21 GMT -5 wawa said:

Dec 22, 2015 0:49:27 GMT -5 ESF said:

Thank you. I am all about nice experiences, but I fucking looooove presents.

Years ago, I googled an ex-boyfriend and found his wedding webpage. They had this very flowery language about how they did not need anything and listed the charities they'd prefer people to donate to instead. Dodged that bullet! I love my Crate & Barrel shit so hard.

I donate to charity, I'm not a total asshole. I just prefer not to cut presents from my life in order to make it happen.

Presents = awesome.

I love you.  And this. 

One of my engineers is engaged and is resisting making a registry.  Because she doesn't have stuff she needs.  I just blinked at her.  It's not like she's getting married at 35 or something.  I bet money her pots and pans aren't great, she could use better knives, etc etc.  A nice chip and dip set??  PRETTY TOWELS???  SOMETHING??!?!?

but no. 

Please tell her that if she does not make a registry, she will inevitably get crappy presents. And crappy presents are worse than no presents.

[wawa]

Dec 22, 2015 11:14:34 GMT -5 ESF said:

Dec 22, 2015 9:30:21 GMT -5 wawa said:

I love you.  And this. 

One of my engineers is engaged and is resisting making a registry.  Because she doesn't have stuff she needs.  I just blinked at her.  It's not like she's getting married at 35 or something.  I bet money her pots and pans aren't great, she could use better knives, etc etc.  A nice chip and dip set??  PRETTY TOWELS???  SOMETHING??!?!?

but no. 

Please tell her that if she does not make a registry, she will inevitably get crappy presents. And crappy presents are worse than no presents.

she has a honeymoon registry...

[tacosforlife]

Dec 22, 2015 11:16:03 GMT -5 wawa said:

Dec 22, 2015 11:14:34 GMT -5 ESF said:

Please tell her that if she does not make a registry, she will inevitably get crappy presents. And crappy presents are worse than no presents.

she has a honeymoon registry...

See, and this is where I am a fuddy duddy. I will give cash if I feel like doing so, but I hate honeymoon registries.

You should tell her that even with a full registry, we still got THREE crystal bowls we didn't register for. And we lived in a one-bedroom apartment with a kitten who was hell-bent on destroying everything we owned. I hope she enjoys getting nine decorative vases!

[wawa]

Dec 22, 2015 11:19:20 GMT -5 tacosforlife said:

Dec 22, 2015 11:16:03 GMT -5 wawa said:

she has a honeymoon registry...

See, and this is where I am a fuddy duddy. I will give cash if I feel like doing so, but I hate honeymoon registries.

You should tell her that even with a full registry, we still got THREE crystal bowls we didn't register for. And we lived in a one-bedroom apartment with a kitten who was hell-bent on destroying everything we owned. I hope she enjoys getting nine decorative vases!

I tried.  she's stubborn.  And she really wants to do ALL THE ACTIVITIES on her honeymoon.  

[tacosforlife]

Dec 22, 2015 11:33:25 GMT -5 wawa said:

Dec 22, 2015 11:19:20 GMT -5 tacosforlife said:

See, and this is where I am a fuddy duddy. I will give cash if I feel like doing so, but I hate honeymoon registries.

You should tell her that even with a full registry, we still got THREE crystal bowls we didn't register for. And we lived in a one-bedroom apartment with a kitten who was hell-bent on destroying everything we owned. I hope she enjoys getting nine decorative vases!

I tried.  she's stubborn.  And she really wants to do ALL THE ACTIVITIES on her honeymoon.  

See, I think the better approach is to create a modest registry because a lot of people will still give cash, which she can then use on her honeymoon. We had a full blown registry because we did actually need a fair amount of stuff, but we still got like $1500 in cash. Since we were broke broke broke, we deposited the checks the day after the wedding, mailed thank-you notes from the airport, and used the cash gifts to eat on our honeymoon. No honeymoon registry but people still helped us with it!

Also, your honeymoon is not for ALL THE ACTIVITIES! It's for some activities, with heavy doses of napping and fucking thrown in.

[wawa]

Dec 22, 2015 11:37:48 GMT -5 tacosforlife said:

Dec 22, 2015 11:33:25 GMT -5 wawa said:

I tried.  she's stubborn.  And she really wants to do ALL THE ACTIVITIES on her honeymoon.  

See, I think the better approach is to create a modest registry because a lot of people will still give cash, which she can then use on her honeymoon. We had a full blown registry because we did actually need a fair amount of stuff, but we still got like $1500 in cash. Since we were broke broke broke, we deposited the checks the day after the wedding, mailed thank-you notes from the airport, and used the cash gifts to eat on our honeymoon. No honeymoon registry but people still helped us with it!

Also, your honeymoon is not for ALL THE ACTIVITIES! It's for some activities, with heavy doses of napping and fucking thrown in.

we discussed this extensively at our department holiday lunch last week.   Her H is in agreement with you.  (and me)  She's high energy and bossy as fuck and is perfectly willing to go ziplining alone while he takes a nap.  Everybody at the table was all, "but! honeymoon!"  He knew what he was getting into when he asked her to marry him though so... 

[tacosforlife]

Dec 22, 2015 11:54:34 GMT -5 wawa said:

Dec 22, 2015 11:37:48 GMT -5 tacosforlife said:

See, I think the better approach is to create a modest registry because a lot of people will still give cash, which she can then use on her honeymoon. We had a full blown registry because we did actually need a fair amount of stuff, but we still got like $1500 in cash. Since we were broke broke broke, we deposited the checks the day after the wedding, mailed thank-you notes from the airport, and used the cash gifts to eat on our honeymoon. No honeymoon registry but people still helped us with it!

Also, your honeymoon is not for ALL THE ACTIVITIES! It's for some activities, with heavy doses of napping and fucking thrown in.

we discussed this extensively at our department holiday lunch last week.   Her H is in agreement with you.  (and me)  She's high energy and bossy as fuck and is perfectly willing to go ziplining alone while he takes a nap.  Everybody at the table was all, "but! honeymoon!"  He knew what he was getting into when he asked her to marry him though so... 

To be fair, I was a little nuts about our honeymoon. We went to Rome, and I wanted to see and do EVERYTHING! On day 2, my husband was finally like, "Stop. This is our honeymoon. We are taking a mid-afternoon nap and having leisurely pre-dinner sex. Who cares if we miss seeing two random churches?" He definitely had the right idea.

[kme]

Listen, my ILs got me a car cooler that plugs into the AC adapter from BBB. I can't remember a time I was more happy.

[lg28]

I've received some amazing gifts. Including an iPad, MacBook and a car from my Inlaws. Sorry, those do make me very, very happy!!

[katietornado]

My new countertops are being installed today and for weeks I've been fantasizing about them. Suck it hippies. These things will make me happy for YEARS.

[earlgreyhot]

My DH and I are always arguing about what makes us more happy...he is solid in the experience camp. So I argue experience of wearing and using my nice stuff makes me happy. Very happy.

[ttt]

I'm so glad I married a man who didn't make me Do Activities on our honeymoon. We drank and ate and consummated our marriage and sunbathed topless and drank some more. Once we rented a scooter and drove around the tiny island and got poured on. So we stopped somewhere and ate and drank and he bought me jewelry. It was the best.


That jewelry still makes me happy, by the way.

[Deleted]

I think traveling together before marriage is almost as important as sex; you need to be compatible.

I tend to buy jewelry as my souvenier (sp?) on trips, because wearing the jewelry takes me right back to that experience.