Most days, I’m lucky to have a 30-second commute, down a couple flights of stairs to my home office. Recently, I had to be cross town first thing in the morning, in the south part of Denver, making my commute considerably longer.

HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes in the Denver area can be used if you pay a toll or if you have two or more people in your car. I had never used the lanes during rush hour, as a toll lane, until this month. I’ve used it twice now.

For the price of a grande chai at Starbuck’s, I bought myself the thrill of passing miles of early morning traffic surging into Denver and peace of mind that I would reach my destination with plenty of time. Think if it. For $3, you buy yourself ease and the kid-like joy of cutting in line.

A friend of mine relayed the same feeling when he took his family to Disney World over Christmas week and paid for a $40 upgrade to use a special, no-waiting line. It was especially satisfying given he’s got three kids under the age of 8.

People will pay for convenience, ease, and joy.  Marketers just need to be clear on what they are selling.