The Ultimate Gift Guide: 'Tis the Season to Buy Happiness and Love
The season of gifting has come again and this gift list is not for the cheap of heart.
This year we are gifting priceless presents. From Salvator Mundi to Pink Star, we are keeping it real for 2024.
What else communicates love and happiness more than money.
Right?
The $cience
Studies found that money does buy happiness. And time. Few can afford either. People love prosocial spending because it puts them in a jolly mood. There is one caveat. A higher level of happiness comes from buying presents for people who are considered higher on the intimacy list. Closer to father than mother? Buy him a $450 million dollar da Vinci and take her out for a $4000 crab feast. You’ll feel great!
Or just try these alternatives.
A Facial for the Bestie
A LYMA facial costs around 5,000 British Pounds. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
A luxury facial for your BFF truly tells them you care. About how they look.
A $6300 LYMA facial is supposed to increase elasticity by over 100% in 30 days. The results are dependent on skin type, recovery and tolerance for a 1450mW laser. Remember Linda Evangelista’s Cool Sculpting debacle?
Give them the gift of a natural facial. Tell a joke for a real glow! Jolly laughter is potently positive for the brain. Funny stories not only stimulate the dorsal and ventral striata, but also counter the negative effects of Winter on mood. There is the added value of long overdue spending time together either on the phone or in-person.
Make her smile. That is probably the best facial of all time. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
A Car for The Offspring
A top of the line Rolls will set you back $30,000,00. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
What better way for your kid to get away from you than with the most expensive ride on Earth?
According to Robb Report, the Rolls-Royce Droptail costs around $30,000,000. Not bad for the yacht of the road.
Unless you want to go even more extravagant with a walk. What?!
Twin turbo-charge on a nature walk. Stimulating favorable emotions and cognition, walking provides more than step quotas. Not only will the two of you feel more connected to each other, but also to nature. Both increase cheeriness, contentedness and cooperation. These effects make social isolation less obstructive to the reward system and gut-brain axis.
A 2 hour stroll through a natural habitat increases connection. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
A Diamond for The SO
Putting the bling in $71,000,000 is the CTF Pink Star. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Why stop at a ubiquitous 3-carat gem when a near 60-carat diamond ring will surely make your SO shine brighter. The Chow Tai Fook Pink Star sold for over $71 million at Sotheby’s in 2017. De Beers mined the gem from Africa in 1999.
Uh oh, what to do?
Unless you want to be that Heart of the Ocean Titanic guy, spend a night stargazing. Staring into our universe reduces stress and anxiety. December offers spectacular viewing of Spica, which is in the top 20 of brightest stars for Earthlings. December 24, 25 and 26 are ideal viewing dates.
Gaze at Spica on Christmas Eve to reduce seasonal anxiety. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
A Meal for Mummy
For the bargain price of 300,000 Yen, get a crab sliced and diced in front of mother. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Fly mother to Tokyo to watch a snow crab get butchered and cooked in front of her. For over $2100 per diner, the Echizen Crab “KIWAMI” dining experience at Ginza Kitafuku is truly royal. Studies have shown that people in higher income levels prefer to spend their money on experiences, but it does not necessarily make them happier.
Cannot find or care to spend 300,000 Yen on food?
Shabu-Shabu at home! Spend time cooking a meal together. From a heartily intricate Julia Child recipe to the easiest Sandra Lee-style meal, cooking at home is a perfect gift during winter.
Homemade soup combines warmth for the body and heart. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Art for Dad
Who knew Jesus only cost $450,000,000? (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
He’s like Jesus in your eyes, so buy him Jesus. Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi sold for a record $450 million in 2017. It is currently sitting in a storage space somewhere on Earth. We think.
Not in this year’s budget? Okay…
Bust out the easel, mix up the palette and try not to stain the rug. Get together for an art session! Paint, draw and color outside of the lines. Art reduces depression and has been used to improve wellbeing of patients experiencing neurodegenerative disorders.
Art decreases depressive moods in Winter. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)
Bottom Line
The world’s most expensive items are not priceless. Are they fun? Sure! But, they lose their luster when they are bought out any other reason than delight. People cannot be bought in the long run and it is a never-ending cycle. Most of the time they want to one-up the previous year’s gift.
With the alternative gifts, the most expensive commodity is spent- time.
No need to worry if the toast burns or the paint stains the rug. The gift of time spent on these moments cannot be returned. They can be enjoyed through memory for decades.
Hey, remember that time when we…