I've thought about this a lot while debating a new purchase that I have a few months to sit on. The author hit the nail on the head with this:

  > But what this rationalization ignores is the extent to which tools and possessions enable new experiences.

The opening paragraph mentions a Lambghini as being a poor buying choice because "it'll fade into the background" after a few weeks. I think back to my first car, a LeBaron Convertable that I bought with cash at seventeen. Considering where I live, owning a car for the first time was something that enabled experiences that I couldn't have had without it. The car, itself, faded into the background, but the experiences it enabled me to have did not.

But there are some "things" that are new experiences on their own and don't fade into background if using them is something that brings you joy. About a decade ago, I purchased my first motorcycle. I fall into a little bit of depression when the weather turns to winter, stressing over the fact that it'll be months before I'll be back on it.

Back to the purchase I'm thinking about, now. I own a Future Motion OneWheel Pint. I purchased it more than two years ago. Over the last two years, if it's not snowing, I'm riding it every day. I ride almost the exact same route on this thing every time I'm on it. I'm using it for the experience of riding it and because the device offers so much to me as a rider, as I get better at mastering it, I experience new things. It is so much fun to use, in fact, that I'm looking at getting an upgraded version of the same board. I'd like to have longer range and slightly higher speed, but more importantly, I'd like to be able to ride with other members of my family at the same time on the same devices rather than fight with them over "who's taking the bike".

For me, I'm using this approach from now on: "prioritize purchasing things that are experiences on their own to use (my OneWheel), followed by things that enable new experiences (my car), followed by things that free up time to do the things I want to do, instead (my lawn care services)"