{"id":7343,"date":"2015-02-13T08:59:38","date_gmt":"2015-02-13T16:59:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/about.zoosk.com\/en\/?p=7343"},"modified":"2021-06-01T00:01:27","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T07:01:27","slug":"which-will-make-your-date-happier-experiences-or-gifts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/dating-advice\/which-will-make-your-date-happier-experiences-or-gifts\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Will Make Your Significant Other Happier: Experiences or Gifts?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>After ringing in the holidays, you might have exchanged many gifts with loved ones and friends. But what type of gift is most memorable:&nbsp;the present you received from your boyfriend, or the office party you attended together on the hotel rooftop? <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2009\/HEALTH\/02\/10\/happiness.possessions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Studies show<\/a> that when it comes to impressing dates with experiences or gifts, experiences are&nbsp;much more memorable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to research&nbsp;by San Francisco State University psychology&nbsp;professor Ryan Howell, experiences make people happier than possessions. While material things give people an initial boost, the joy of acquiring a new item fades as people become used to seeing the object. Howell found that participants were happier\u2014especially over time\u2014with spending money on experiences that were fun and memorable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Experiences yield greater happiness for two reasons.&nbsp;First, those who purchased an experience often included others to share in the moment. This led to feelings of closeness and social bonding. Second, those who chose life experiences reported a greater feeling of vitality. In reflecting on their experience, people often said it made them \u201cfeel alive,\u201d a feeling that Howell says can\u2019t be replicated\u2014even with high-end gifts such as a computer or new car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So the next time you consider buying a present for your partner\u2014say, Valentine\u2019s Day\u2014think about purchasing an experience you both can share. Here are a few fun and memorable ideas for \u201cexperience\u201d gifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hot air balloon ride<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As long as your date isn\u2019t afraid of heights, this experience should stick with her in a positive way for years and years to come. Soaring high into the air, taking in the sights, and pointing out local landmarks is not only exciting experience, but can also be breathtakingly romantic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Couple\u2019s spa day<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While on the pricier side, a spa day for two can be a warm, relaxing experience where you both enjoy a little pampering and a lot of stress relief. Add in a bit of sensuality with a couple\u2019s massage, mud bath, steam, or shower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Concert<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tickets to see his or her favorite band will get your partner jazzed up for a night of singing, dancing, and (possibly) screaming with joy. When the band plays their classic songs, the look on his or her face will be worth the price of admission a thousand times over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Museum exhibit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is she a huge Star Wars fan? Is he a nut about postmodern art? Bringing your partner to an art or science museum to see a special exhibit tailored to his or her interests will make an impression for years to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After ringing in the holidays, you might have exchanged many gifts with loved ones and friends. But what type of gift is most memorable:&nbsp;the present you received from your boyfriend, or the office party you attended together on the hotel rooftop? Studies show that when it comes to impressing dates with experiences or gifts, experiences [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":12446,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[884],"tags":[781,756,755,588],"class_list":["post-7343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dating-advice","tag-seasonal","tag-universal-orientation","tag-universal-sex","tag-winter"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Which Will Make Your Date Happier: Experiences or Gifts?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When it comes to making a lasting impression on your date, which do you think goes over better: a thoughtful gift or an interesting experience?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/dating-advice\/which-will-make-your-date-happier-experiences-or-gifts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Which Will Make Your Date Happier: Experiences or Gifts?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When it comes to making a lasting impression on your date, which do you think goes over better: a thoughtful gift or an interesting experience?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/dating-advice\/which-will-make-your-date-happier-experiences-or-gifts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Date Mix\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Zoosk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" 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