When was the last time you tried something for the first time? According to new research we’ve commissioned, one in four Brits can’t remember their last ‘first’, and many of us feel like life is on a never-ending loop.
In fact, 64% reckon every week resembles the one before, and psychologists tell us, when we’re stuck in a routine rut, time also appears to speed up as the days blur into one.
It’s no wonder that 68% of Brits worry that life is passing them by.
But encouragingly, the same also works in reverse – try something new, and time seems to slow. It’s a phenomenon known as the novelty effect. Our brains file away the familiar but record fresh memories in richer detail. Which means that new experiences can actually help us reshape how we perceive time.
61% say their strongest memories come from doing something new (rising to 69% among millennials)
60% of millennials feel truly present trying something unfamiliar, vs 51% nationally
68% agree a week with a ‘first’ felt more memorable
Claudia Hammond, the author of Time Warped: Unlocking the Mysteries of Time Perception, says: “It's no surprise that 61% of people in this research say new experiences create their strongest memories. If life feels as though it's rushing by, novelty is the antidote.”
A summer of firsts
“One of the key ways we judge how much time has passed is by the number of new memories we make. It's why a week on holiday feels so much longer in retrospect than a normal week at home,” Claudia goes on to say.
Summer is built for new experiences. It’s a season where we have a little more time to nudge ourselves out of the repetitive loop. Think back to a first you remember.
Maybe it was a summer you watched Wimbledon and decided to buy a racket and have a go. Or downloaded Couch to 5k and broke in some new running shoes. Maybe you signed up for ParkRun or picked up a crochet hook. Or was it as far back as a childhood summer?
Learning to ride a bike or how to swim. Picking up a paintbrush. Climbing a tree. Trying something new was just what you did, and the days didn’t blur then. They were long and full of promise. And plenty of firsts.
There's something powerful about doing something for the very first time – whether that's a solo trip at thirty, wild swimming at forty, or finally booking that festival you've talked about for years. These are the moments that stick with us. What this research shows is that people want more of them, but money and routine keep getting in the way.
Adam Bullock
UK Managing Director at TopCashback
In fact, 43% said it’s a lack of funds that stops them, swiftly followed by 29% saying the daily grind gets in the way. And 28% admit they simply never get around to doing something new. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, only 31% of Brits are planning to try something for the first time this summer.
Does this sound all too familiar? Does time seem to race as fast as your diminishing bank balance? Are you doomscrolling rather than trying out rollerskating? Is the ‘same old, same old’ summer starting to feel stale?
Experiences over things
Despite the squeeze, 64% of Brits plan to prioritise spending on experiences this summer, and 35% would sooner spend on a new experience than a material thing. What's driving them:
- Making new memories with loved ones: 33%
- Having something to look forward to: 32%
- Breaking free from routine: 29%
Both Gen Z and millennials feel stuck in a loop, but they want a different way out.
Gen Z | Millennials | |
|---|---|---|
Feel life has been | 64% | 67% |
Most drawn to | Adrenaline experiences and watersports (24% each) | Creative hobbies (23%), camping or glamping (20%) |
Gen Z:
- 64% feel life has been 'on repeat'
- Most drawn to: Adrenaline experiences and watersports (24% each)
Millennials:
- 67% feel life has been 'on repeat'
- Most drawn to: Creative hobbies (23%), camping or glamping (20%)
We know from psychological research that spending on experiences - which needn't be expensive - rather than things, tends to make a bigger difference to wellbeing because we get the pleasure of looking forward to them, enjoying them at the time and then looking back on them afterwards.
Claudia Hammond
Author of Time Warped: Unlocking the Mysteries of Time Perception
Savvy summer spending
With cost being a top blocker, the savvier among us have found a workaround.
Interestingly, nearly half of Brits keep an eye out for deals and discounts on activities they wouldn’t otherwise try, and a quarter turn to cashback sites and apps to offset the expense of daily living so they have funds for routine-freeing fun.
Other firsts on people’s lists include:
37%
exploring a new country or city
21%
trying a new fitness activity
20%
taking a solo trip
A first (and last) they’ll never forget
Jonny and Mia are both 37 and huge Alan Jackson fans, so when they saw the country legend announce his final ever show for this June (and in Nashville, Tennessee, no less!), Jonny knew straightaway they couldn’t miss it.
Real life, though, had other ideas. The couple had just moved house in January, costs were piling up, and the trip kept sliding down their priority list. On top of which, the day after moving in, they discovered they were expecting their first child.
With the concert fast approaching, they decided it was now or never and booked their flights, car and hotel through TopCashback. Their savings added up to hundreds of pounds, with the hotel alone earning £65 back in their pocket.
The couple used the kitty to buy baby clothes during the trip, so their little one came along for the ride while mum-and-dad-to-be enjoyed preparing for their next family adventure.
Adam Bullock concludes, “If cashback can help someone afford an experience they wouldn't have tried otherwise, that feels like a genuinely good use of what we do."
TopCashback is helping you make this a summer of firsts, with cashback available across a range of travel, experiences and activities.
Total sample size: 2,000 nationally representative UK adults. Research was undertaken between 16th and 18th June 2026. The survey was carried out online by Censuswide.