Buy Now, Consume Later
Not only does delaying consumption provide more anticipation, which can extend the happiness we receive from a purchase, but it can also help us to make purchases that have more of a long-term benefit.
For example, a 1998 study published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes found that when study participants were asked to choose between healthy and unhealthy snacks, they chose unhealthy snacks for immediate consumption, but healthy snacks if they were choosing a snack to eat the next week.