According to science, you should spend all your money on vacations.

Have you, let's be honest, bought a dress this week? Shoes? Slippers, a swimsuit, hand cream?

You probably shouldn't have done that. Yes, it's not fun but it's true: experts say you should spend your money on vacations. All your money, that is. Saving, working your teeth and then hop, especially those four or five times a year moving to another spot. To the snow, sun, the Himalayas. Because experiences make people happier than new things, scientists claim.

Here's the thing. No matter how beautiful that well-deserved Chanel bag looks hanging on your arm: after a while, it just becomes ordinary. Just another bag. A nice one, of course, but you don't get excited when you grab it off the coat rack for the 812th time. You no longer see the whole newness because you already know it. And so it might make you happy in week one, but not so much after that. And that's exactly why you start eyeing new contenders from Dior or Yves after a while.

On the other hand, trips and long days on the beach do make you happier, because in our minds those vacations or weekend getaways are always more positive than they might have been. We forget arguments and rain and only remember that one lovely afternoon in the sun. And that exciting rendezvous in the pool. And those oversized ice creams on the boulevard and those wonderfully tanned legs and those waving palm trees in your Stories. Why do we forget all the boring and dull stuff? According to researchers, it's comparable to giving birth. You still remember that you were in pain at that moment after a while, but you can't recall it exactly because you don't feel that pain anymore now. It's the same with a grumpy mood by the pool: you forget that moment and only remember that delightful rosé at that overly trendy beach bar. Quite handy. So we always look back quite happily on what we experienced that summer, chat about it for ages afterward, and tell every neighbor or colleague that they really should go to Southern Spain, Mauritius, or Swahili. It gives you a story, and that's worth something for a long time afterward. That bag might give you a charming arm, but no interesting anecdote that you'll still bring up four years later. Sorry Coco, we need to focus on the coconuts in Saint Barths.

Alright: I'm going to do my utmost this year with mainly a lot of vacation. And… On vacation, I can't shop online because I'm not home to receive packages – and that's the best trick in the world. Just give me that dose of happy moments. Okay, fine, secretly I brought one nice bag. One. Because it makes my beach day just a bit more cheerful. And I remember that better, you know?