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How much ongoing joy can you get from something that weighs eight ounces?
For Simon Spichak, it’s a lot, thanks to a hedgehog that fits in his palm. Mr. Spichak, a science writer who lives in Toronto, bought his new companion in May 2023 for $280 and named it Goober. He has spent an additional $200 on food, a wheel, bedding and toys, as well as $150 in their first year together to visit an exotic-animal veterinarian.
Goober has improved Mr. Spichak’s life in small and big ways, he said, providing him with entertaining material to post to his social media accounts and helping to introduce him to some of his neighbors when he takes Goober around his block, where they’re met with delighted curiosity.
“There are lots of people walking by from the neighborhood who start conversations because of the hedgehog,” Mr. Spichak, 29, said. “It’s a great way to open the door to talking to people and their kids in the community.”
Millennials and Gen Z are more likely than older generations to make spending on a hobby or nonessential purchases a priority, according to a study published last year by Intuit, the parent company of TurboTax. The study suggested that this was because younger generations placed a high value on personal growth and mental well-being.
While gym memberships or self-help books may be more obvious purchases for improving lives, less typical options, even quirky ones, can make a lasting difference by helping people find happiness and connect to new communities.
For Anni Sheid, a pediatric occupational therapy assistant in Austin, Texas, it was a cheap pair of roller skates they bought in 2016 that made their life more meaningful.
“I skated consistently for a couple of years until the pandemic hit, which put things on pause,” Mx. Sheid, 29, said. “During the pandemic, I realized just how much roller derby meant to me.”
In 2021, they decided to upgrade their gear and spent $900 on custom skates. They now skate twice a week and compete twice a month in Texas Roller Derby, an Austin-based league, on a 12-member squad called the Rhinestones.
“As a queer and trans person, this has brought immense joy, community and personal growth into my life and introduced me to Texas Roller Derby, a diverse and inclusive full-contact roller derby league,” Mx. Sheid said. “This investment in roller skates wasn’t just about skating — it was about embracing happiness, identity, and community.”
Ritesh Seth, a human resources specialist in Columbia, Md., bought a solid brass, Italian-made coffee pot for $400 from an antiques store, and said it had helped him expand his network at his co-working space.
“Other business ventures and start-ups who work out of the office space have noticed my coffee pot and out of curiosity come over to chat,” Mr. Seth, 38, said. “Usually, after the polite introductions, we discuss what product or project we are working on, find common business challenges, refer potential prospects and sometimes talk about sports.”
Jonnie Lynn Kaplan, a small-satellite test engineer manager in Boulder, Colo., said she had improved her life by spending money on outdoor recreation. She spent $12,500 on a personal watercraft she found on Facebook Marketplace despite not living near a body of water.
“I use it all the time — almost any free weekend in the summer,” said Ms. Kaplan, 40, who drives to reservoirs about an hour away. “I grew up in Central Florida, wakeboarding and surfing, and felt the water calling me.”
Ms. Kaplan’s second splurge was on a paraglider wing and paragliding lessons, which she began in July 2020 because it was a fun activity she could do outdoors during the pandemic.
“To fly, you hike up a mountain, lay your wing on the ground, strap into a harness and run off the mountain so your wing fills with air,” she said. “You glide down to safety or, if you’re lucky, catch a thermal ride up. My lessons cost $1,800, and the rig was an additional $4,000.”
Ms. Kaplan has gone on at least 50 flights, she said, and paragliding has introduced her to a group of fellow enthusiasts, including co-workers she wouldn’t have interacted with otherwise.
“Because I am still learning and certainly not a pro, I am part of a group where we text and coordinate when we are flying together,” she said.
For Arianna Beetz, a founder of a food company in Tampa, Fla., the thing that has improved her life is the small edible garden outside her 600-square-foot apartment.
“We have planted everything from basil to rosemary, mangoes, figs and lettuce on our tiny balcony,” Ms. Beetz, 30, said. “It gives my husband and I a ton of joy to be able to take care of our edible plants as it gives us a peek into our dream life of having a farm in the middle of nowhere while living in the downtown of a city.”
The couple spent $300 for plants, about $300 for soil, $500 for containers and about $45 a month for upkeep.
In laboratory research, a centrifuge is commonly used to separate substances in liquid or solid media according to particle size and density differences. But Stephen Seyer, a senior technical support engineer in Chicago, uses his to make homemade cocktail infusions.
He bought one after getting the idea from Dave Arnold, a bartender and the author of the book “Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail.”
“Typically, they’re purchased and used by restaurants and bars commercially,” Mr. Seyer, 31, said. “It’s probably my favorite piece of kitchen hardware ever. ” The machine cost him about $1,100.
Mr. Seyer has used the centrifuge to make banana rum, combining overripe bananas and alcohol. After mixing them in a standard blender, he runs the concoction through the centrifuge, which spins at a rapid pace.
“After six or seven minutes, the banana rum is ready, and it comes out perfectly clear and tasting like the most delicious fresh banana infusion I’ve ever tasted,” Mr. Seyer said. He has made about 10 bottles of banana rum and given them away to friends and family. His new pastime has also given him an opportunity to get to know the people who work at his local watering holes.
“I have noticed that whenever I’m out at bars and talking to staff there, as soon as I mention certain things like ‘acid adjusting’ or ‘centrifuge’ or ‘liquid nitrogen,’ their ears perk up and we start to really get into talking about it, which is always lots of fun,” he said.
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