I’ve never met anyone who regrets buying less stuff

I’ve had a core group of friends for 20 years. And in the past 12 months, I’ve watched each of them face the consequences of buying far more than they need for the past two decades. <br><br>One friend’s got a garage full of worthless junk that she can’t face, so she’s paying a professional organizer to sort it all out for her. Another has realized her entire basement is full of useless stuff that she can’t throw out because it “might be useful someday,” but she’s started to clean it out on her own. <br><br>Both are happily lamenting that they wish they had spent their money on more vacations and travel experiences. <br><br>Then there’s the friends who are downsizing to smaller homes - one to an apartment and another to a tiny house. Both have realized that they don’t know where to start with all the stuff they have to get rid of but both are happily embracing the minimalist lifestyle. Neither are regretful of the choice, just the amount of work that comes with it. <br><br>I think of my grandmother, who was a typical baby boomer who bought new stuff constantly, and when she passed away at 96 all her kids and grandkids took a few items and the rest was sold at an estate sale. In the end, it helped pay for her funeral. <br><br>Honestly, I’ve never once met anybody who’s regretful that they bought too little and spent too much time traveling, visiting loved ones, or doing fun stuff. If anything, they always wish they had done more of those things and spent less time collecting stuff they didn’t need.<br><br>Yet people continue to buy more than they need, and lament about their clutter. It’s just weird. <br><br>Discuss.