A couple weeks ago I wrote a post about why your heirs ‘don’t want you sh*t.’ The point being we spend so much time, energy and money acquiring stuff that in the end isn’t worth much to anyone but ourselves.

Jonathan Clements at Humble Dollar had a fantastic post up recently talking about some of the big money lessons he has learned over time. You should read the entire thing, but #7, not surprisingly, jumped out at me:

You’ll end up treasuring almost nothing you buy. Over the years, I’ve had fleeting desires for all kinds of material goods. Sometimes, I caved in and bought. Most of the stuff I purchased has since been thrown away.

Today, I have a handful of paintings and some antique furniture that I prize, and that’s about it. This is an area where millennials seem far wiser than us baby boomers. They’re much more focused on experiences than possessions—a wise use of money, says happiness research.

To put it another way: if you were forced to flee your home in a hurry, what would you grab? The question really forces you to think about what matters. Once you get your family members and pets situated, there isn’t much that is obvious for rescue.

Sure we would all grab our phones, but the point remains. Stuff doesn’t matter all that much. Every trip to Goodwill is an example of the disposability of much of what we purchase. That doesn’t mean don’t buy things you like and will use, but don’t think they will move the needle on your happiness in a meaningful way.