8 Benefits of gifting experiences instead of material gifts
There are many reasons why it is better to give experiences rather than material gifts. They are unforgettable gifts, they break with routine, they don't take up space, they give us happiness and they create eternal memories. These and many other factors are the key points why we should give experiences as gifts instead of material objects. They are an extraordinary way to show our love, appreciation and best wishes to your loved ones.
Why gifting experiences?
Nowadays, we live surrounded by stress, anxiety and negativity. An increasing number of people need to stop and find moments to disconnect and find themselves. Many of us seek to find happiness through retreats, yoga, meditations, etc.
At the same time, we see a growing consumerism and materialism everywhere. You only have to stop for a minute and look around or open your social media and you will notice it. We constantly receive the message that it is necessary to "have" or "own" in order to be happy. We accumulate a lot of things that don't even do us any good.
The consequences of this consumption are not pleasant. We spend money that we could invest in other things. Our houses are filled with objects that we will never use. Our planet is also damaged by this way of living and, the worst thing is that we are not even satisfied.
Something is not right. Buying stuff for no particular reason leaves a void inside us that is not easy to fill.
We know that gifting is a beautiful expression of affection and, if you take into account the tastes and needs of the other person, it can be a very emotional and thoughtful gesture. But we can think of other ways of giving gifts that are much more conscious that you may not have considered: giving experiences instead of material gifts.
Unlike objects, experiences do not take up space, they recharge our batteries, fill us with memories and strengthen the bonds with our loved ones.
What do we mean by gifting experiences?
First of all, the difference between experiential gifts and material gifts needs to be clarified. That is, money spent on "doing", such as tickets to concerts, movies, travel and outdoor activities. And material gifts, i.e. money spent on "having" possessions, such as clothes, electronics, jewellery or cosmetics.
Certainly, people's tastes and preferences vary widely. But, in general, people tend to feel more gratification when they buy experiential gifts. These connect them to the person receiving the gift and, unlike material purchases, have a value that is not comparable to other objects.
At this point, some may object that things last longer than experiences. But while the material may last longer on a physical level, the experiential leaves a more lasting mark on a psychological level.
As mentioned above, there are many advantages to giving experiences, but let's delve deeper into the many benefits of giving experiences:
- They make unforgettable moments: A skydiving adventure, a cooking class, a massage session, or a dinner for two. These are gifts that your family, partner, or friends will never forget. But you should not only think about other people. Think about pampering yourself a little as well.
- They are eternal: objects come and go, break, are forgotten in a drawer or are lost. But these unique moments are the ones that remain in our memory and, year after year, continue to make us smile when we remember them.
- They strengthen your bonds: Giving an experience to a loved one shows that you didn't buy their gift in a hurry. You have stopped to think about what would make them happy. You have shown that you know the essence of the other person and that you have not chosen the first thing you saw in the shop. What's more, if you give something you can share with the recipient, your bond will be stronger than ever!
- We start to enjoy them in advance: When we give experiences instead of material gifts, they give pleasure in advance. Your giftee will start to enjoy just by thinking that they are going to have a good time, and that anticipation already gives them pleasure. Also, once the experience is over, they have memories and stories.
Benefits of gifting experiences in your day to day
- They do not take up space: The good thing about giving experiences is that they do not take up space in closets, cellars, and living rooms. Therefore, they are the perfect option to give to people that do not like to accumulate material stuff, or to those friends who live in small places.
- They break the routine: When life gets boring, it only takes a little push, an excuse to break the inertia and feel that rush of positive energy again. Having fun, breaking the monotony, making different plans, leaving your comfort zone, are some of the side effects you can create after gifting experiences instead of something material.
- They create conversation: It is more likely that, when talking to other people, we tell them about what we saw or the good time we had rather than how nice our shoes are, or our necklace. More specifically, the experiences live on because the people who receive them tend to remember and re-live them after they have concluded.
- They are unique: Part of the wonder of experiences is knowing that no matter how many times you repeat an experience, they will always be different. In the case of objects, the opposite happens: the last shoes that you have bought are not going to change.
So now you know, no matter the occasion and the recipient, experiences will always be a great alternative. Also, by gifting experiences instead of something material you will go for an original and thoughtful option. Your giftee will surely thank and remember you forever.
At We Wander we bring a whole new experience gifting concept. We are turning gifting on its head with Australia’s first curated range of experience gift-boxes. No matter the occasion, with our Gift Boxes you will impress everyone. With hundreds of experiences to choose from, the boxes adapt to all profiles.
- You Offer
Select a Box based on your budget and the number of recipients to please. Our gift boxes are the perfect gift for every occasion, whether it’s for a birthday, Christmas, or Mother’s Day, you can’t go wrong.
- They choose
Recipients will then choose 1 experience from hundreds available Australia-wide. All experiences match the price of the Box.
- The Book
Recipients will book the selected experience using the Pass in the Box. Because the experiences in our gift boxes are pre-packaged and pre-paid, they don’t need to pay any extra!
- They Enjoy
We are working with amazing partners that are taking care of everything! Supporting local businesses and offering boutique experiences is important to us. That’s why we are adding new experiences every month.
Our Experience Gift Boxes
Introducing the Inspire Experience Collection.
The 'Inspire' Experience Gift Collection was formerly known as "Table for Two" and has now been expa... Offer the choice of one Bucket List Experience Gift Collection.
The Bucket List Experience Collection includes hundreds of fantastic experiences ac...
We Wander 'Gourmet Dining' Experience Collection offers a diversity of exquisite fine dining experiences at some of the most iconic restaurants an... The Moments for Two Experience Gift Collection includes fantastic experiences all across Australia, from Rally car driving, Whale watching, Photogr... Offer the choice of one Wanderlust experience.
The “Moments of Wanderlust” gift box includes fantastic experiences across Australia, from Glamping ... Offer the choice of one Ultimate experience.
The Ultimate Collection includes fantastic experiences all across Australia, from Skydiving, Horse rid... Offer the choice of one Unique experience.
The Unique Experience Collection is the most premium experience gift Collection in our range, they'll fi...
Inspire
Experience Collection
Bucket List
Experience Collection
Gourmet Dining
Experience Collection
Moments for Two
Experience Collection
Wanderlust
Experience Collection
Ultimate
Experience Collection
Unique
Experience Collection