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A Kiplinger contributing adviser recounts booking a last-minute flight, hotel and ticket to see the U.S. play Belgium in Seattle after his wife urged him to prioritize memories over money. His article argues that financial security remains necessary, but spending on meaningful experiences with loved ones can bring value through anticipation, the experience itself and later memories.
A Kiplinger contributing adviser says he booked a last-minute flight, hotel and ticket to watch the U.S. play Belgium in Seattle after his wife told him, “Memories over money.” In a personal essay, he argues that once people have financial security, spending on experiences with loved ones can create a different kind of value than accumulating more money or buying possessions.
The author, president of Exit 59 Advisory, says he had considered attending the match but kept finding reasons not to go. His wife’s comment the day before the game prompted him to book the trip. He reports that the U.S. result was disappointing, but says he had no regrets about attending. The article does not state the trip’s cost.
The adviser distinguishes financial security from spending beyond it. He says money remains necessary for a secure retirement and that his clients have financial plans that account for expenses they value. His argument is that, after basic security is addressed, money can also provide time, freedom and experiences—including activities that cost little or nothing.
He draws on family examples: his children, now 8, 4 and 1, have recalled details from trips, including a bunny they saw on a farm in Austria and the Statue of Liberty in New York. He also describes extended-family Sunday dinners held almost every weekend since 2011. These are personal anecdotes, not evidence that all children or families remember travel in the same way.
Spending Beyond Financial Security
The essay addresses a practical question for people planning for retirement and family finances: what is money for once essential needs and security are covered? The author’s answer is not to disregard saving or planning, but to make room in a financial plan for experiences that matter to the individual or family.
That distinction matters because spending on a meaningful trip, meal or shared activity can be difficult to weigh against a balance-sheet target. The adviser says experiences can provide value at several points: anticipating an event, living through it and remembering it afterward. His examples also suggest that an experience need not go perfectly to become a fond memory. This is a personal perspective, not a financial recommendation or a measured comparison of spending outcomes.
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From Family Trips to Seattle
The author says he and his wife began traveling before they had children and expected to pause larger trips once they became parents. They continued traveling despite hearing that their children might not remember the trips. He now recalls his older children bringing up details from those journeys, while acknowledging that their experiences did not always go as planned.
For a framework, the adviser cites fellow financial planner Carl Richards, a former New York Times personal finance columnist. Richards’s Venn diagram, as described in the article, places “experiences” and “people you love” in overlapping circles and points to that overlap with the instruction to spend money there. The author applies the idea beyond travel, including family dinners and walks.
The Seattle match provides the essay’s central example. The author says he bought the arrangements the Sunday night before the U.S. played Belgium. He describes the itinerary as unusually spontaneous compared with his everyday life and says that contrast added to his enjoyment. The source presents the piece as the contributing adviser’s viewpoint, not as Kiplinger editorial guidance or a research study.
“Memories over money — just do it.”
— The author’s wife, as quoted in the Kiplinger essay
Limits of the Personal Examples
The article does not provide research findings, cost figures or a comparison of the Seattle trip with other uses of the money. Its claims about happiness and the value of experiences are presented through the adviser’s professional view and personal stories; the piece does not quantify their effects or establish that the same choices suit every household.
The source also does not give the match date, the trip’s total expense or details about how the author’s financial plan assessed that purchase. Readers therefore cannot use the article to determine whether a particular trip is affordable for them. The author’s point is framed around spending after financial security is accounted for, but the essay does not define a universal threshold for that security.
Applying the Idea to Personal Plans
The author offers no announced follow-up, policy change or new financial product. His practical message is to include valued experiences in a financial plan rather than treating every discretionary expense as something to avoid. The article says his clients’ plans include a line item for such expenses, though it does not specify amounts or a standard budgeting method.
For readers, the next step implied by the essay is to weigh a desired experience against their own financial obligations and priorities. The adviser does not argue that people should spend without limits: he presents security as the foundation and memories as one possible use of money beyond it. Whether that balance makes sense depends on each person’s circumstances, which the article does not assess.
Key Questions
What is the news development?
A Kiplinger contributing adviser published a personal essay recounting a last-minute trip to watch the U.S. play Belgium in Seattle and explaining why he believes meaningful experiences can be worth spending on.
No. He says financial security is necessary and frames spending on experiences as a consideration after security needs are accounted for.
What examples does the adviser use?
He describes taking trips with his children, his children recalling details from earlier travel, extended-family Sunday dinners held since 2011, and his own last-minute visit to the Seattle match.
Does the article show that experiences make everyone happier?
No. The piece presents the author’s professional perspective and personal anecdotes; it does not provide a study or quantified evidence establishing a universal effect.
How much did the Seattle trip cost?
The source does not say. It confirms that the author booked a flight, one hotel night and a match ticket, but gives no total price.
Source: rss
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