3 of the Most Valuable Things Money Can Buy - The Expectation Gaps (2024)

In my last post, we answered the question of questions . . . how much money do you need to be happy?

Then, instead of just talking about it, we took action, put pen to paper, and crunched the numbers to calculate what your happiness is worth.

And a few posts ago, we uncovered the controversial truth about your compensation.

Now that we’ve decided how much money we need to make and what we’re willing to give up in exchange for that money, it’s time to figure out what the most valuable things we can buy with our money are.

Of course we pay bills and sock some away for retirement, if we’re able to, but the way we decide to spend what’s left over has a huge impact on our lives. The way we spend this money could be the catalyst that decides whether we enjoy a fulfilling life or not.

Money often costs too much.

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you haven’t had a chance to read the posts I just mentioned, here’s what you missed:

We determined that you cannot “be” happy, but you can “be” fulfilled, which will make you “feel” happy more often than not. And, yes, in our society, you will need some money to live a fulfilling life.

In order to be fulfilled, you need to have enough money to cover your basic needs (shelter, food, clothing, etc.). Plus, you need some additional money to purchase the goods or services that are required to realize your full potential. For example, a writer needs a computer; an athlete needs equipment; an inventor needs tools and supplies.

With these thoughts in mind, let’s unmask the three most valuable things money can buy.

Well, duh! But I’m not talking about just any old possessions here. I’m talking about three types of possessions in particular.

#1 Basic needs: House, utilities, clothing, food, transportation.

Unless you’re living in the Alaskan bush, you’re going to need money for all of these things. Heck, even the bush people need money for some of these things.

These possessions are valuable because they help you stay alive (again, duh!), but they are also valuable because you will not be able to focus on any of your other needs (your psychological and growth needs) until these needs are met.

Frugality includes all the other virtues.

–Cicero

#2 Joyful possessions

What I’m referring to here are the possessions that truly bring you joy beyond the initial purchase or beyond the first couple of times you use them.

For me, this could be the Bluetooth headphones that I have on right now or the music that I am enjoying. It could be some of the pictures I have on my walls. It could be my comfy blanket. It could be my favorite coffee mug.

These things may seem trivial in the scheme of things, but they serve a higher purpose. These are the possessions that provide another one of our basic needs: comfort.

These are the things we turn to when we need to recharge. Naturally, we don’t need to be comfortable all of the time. We’ll never experience any personal growth that way. But we do need some joyful possessions to come back to after fighting the good fight all day long.

#3 Growth possessions

These are the goods or services required to help you realize your full potential. These could be books, training manuals, and classes; or these could be specific tools and supplies required to engage in an activity.

For example, my growth possessions are my books, my computer, my notebooks, my pens/pencils, my desk, etc.

Our lives are, quite simply, the sum of countless experiences, big and small.

Our experiences create memories, give us stories to tell, and foster our connections with family, friends, and even complete strangers.

Above all, our experiences establish our expectations, and our expectations create the lens through which we see the world. This lens shapes our thoughts, feelings, and ultimately our actions.

What I’m trying to say is, experiences are pretty important. ?

Of course there are plenty of free, fulfilling experiences — watching your kids play in the backyard; sitting on the beach listening to the waves roll in; enjoying a quiet hike on a beautiful day, or fully taking in the heartfelt smile of a loved one. But let’s face it, even those marvels require some money.

To watch your kids play in the backyard, you have to pay for a backyard. To sit on the beach, you have to pay for some form of transportation. To go on a hike, you at least need some decent shoes. The loved one’s smile may be free, but they probably aren’t smiling if they’re concerned about money.

Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one.

–Benjamin Franklin

Besides these “free” experiences that require at least an inconsequential amount of money, there are so many fulfilling experiences that do indeed come at a cost, and it’s often quite high. I’m talking about concerts, plays, and sporting events, to name a few. Not to mention travel and other excursions. And what about experiencing different types of cuisine, craft beers, and wines.

Each holds the potential to be a fulfilling experience — one that opens our eyes to something bigger than ourselves, gives us a glimpse into someone else’s world for a moment, and expands our view of what’s possible — but they definitely don’t come free.

Still, it will be worth the price if the experience helps us embrace The Cycle of Deliberate Thinking. So what exactly does that look like? How do we know if the experience is worth the price? Let’s put things into perspective using the five points of The Cycle.

• Examine expectations/limiting beliefs – Traveling, attending an event, and the partaking of an exotic cuisine can all challenge our expectations and limiting beliefs.
• Personify core values – Let’s say your core value is belonging. There’s no better way to gain a sense of belonging than through a shared experience.
• Execute with intention – Simply deciding which experiences to invest your money in will help you strengthen this skill.
• Respect other points of view – Many experiences give us a glimpse into someone else’s world and help to foster compassion and understanding.
• Stay curious – This one speaks for itself.

Yes, money can buy you time, so to speak.

Money gives you the ability to purchase appliances and tools that are made to free up your time. Dishwashers, computers, power tools, and editing software are some examples of devices that are made to shorten the length of time required to perform a task. A task that would have taken you an hour now takes you half an hour. Bam! You just bought yourself some time.

If you’re willing to pay the price, you can find someone to perform just about any service that you can imagine. From having your house cleaned to crafting a marketing proposal and everything in between. Then you can wisely invest the couple of hours you would have spent cleaning your house into pursuing your full potential, or you can even take a much needed break.

Since time is one thing that we can never renew, it is our most valuable possession. I’d say reclaiming some of it is worth our hard earned cash.

Answering this question will put you on the path toward developing a healthy relationship with your money. Our society is so focused on making money, but we don’t stop to Deliberately Think about what we are going to do with the money after we make it. Today is the day to change that!

Comment time… In your opinion, what is the most valuable thing that money can buy? Are you able to purchase it now? If so, do it! If not, what steps can you take today that will get you closer to being able to purchase it?

No one will have access to your email address except me, and you can enter a username rather than your name if you prefer.

Until next time . . . STAY CURIOUS!

Top 100 Money Quotes of All Time, Rob Berger, Forbes, 4.30.14