Experiences Vs. Material Things: Are Experiences Always Better?

If you had asked me a year ago to pick between experiences vs. material things, I would have picked experiences all the way. After all, you can’t take your ‘stuff’ with you when you die. If you haven’t noticed, there’s a big emphasis right now on travel, intimate experiences, and extreme sports over physical goods.

For the most part, I’m in agreement with this shift. Most people naturally value something tangible that theoretically be used repeatedly. A mindful call to action to stop hoarding and start experiencing the world we live in is easy for me to scream “hell yeah” to.

It’s also worth mentioning that research backs this up. Studies have shown that our satisfaction and enjoyment of material things diminishes over time while our satisfaction with experiences (i.e. memories) increases over time.

Here’s the thing, all experiences and all material things are not created equal. Let’s take a closer look to help you make those daily decisions about your purchases and belongings.

Material Things Are Also Experiences.

It wasn’t until recently that the realization hit me that “things” are also experiences. There isn’t a single belonging that you’ve purchased that wasn’t because of some immediate or eventual experience.

The problem is that we have the tendency to have unrealistic expectations about the experience that our belongings will provide. It’s a daydream effect where you fantasize about how much joy and use you’ll be getting out of something.

If you could accurately weigh the experiential value of your belongings you would probably find that some of them (maybe 20%) provide just as much value as a life experience. The trick is getting really good at picking out that solid 20%. That obviously doesn’t include clutter items. In general, you’ll always have more money with less clutter.

Weigh The Experiences.

Not all experiences are created equal. Traveling across the United States to see the beautiful landmarks and meet new people was truly life-changing for me. I wouldn’t trade that experience for any belonging I own.

However, there have been some experiences that were mediocre at best and some that were great once but I’m not itching to do again. Turns out, that while I loved Universal Studios, I’m not a huge fan of Disneyland. If I had a thousand dollars to dedicate to Disneyland vs. a new laptop, I would get more of a lasting experience from the laptop.

Do The Math.

I believe that in most cases the 80/20 rule applies to your belongings. That means that you likely use 20% of your belongings 80% of the time. So, the majority of your funds would be better dedicated toward non-material life experiences.

Think of the random pieces of clutter gathering in drawers and closets throughout your home. Chances are, the majority of those weren’t even sought-after purchases. You may have purchased them on an impulse in the check-out line.  

So, let’s do the math. If you spend an average of $30 per week on non-essential random things (an average of $4.30 per day) that comes to $1,560 per year which is roughly a 1-person travel cost.

You could fly round-trip to Thailand for that amount.

On the other hand, my robotic vacuum, Eufy, was totally worth the investment for me because of the daily time and energy it saves me. In fact, it was the #1 mention in my list of my 13 favorite simplifying tools. The experiential value (for me) is worth its equivalent cost of 6 trips to eat out with the family.

Nothing Is Black And White.

Just like in life, there is rarely one “right choice”. There are many choices weighted differently that can offer different benefits and drawbacks. This is a matter of balance.

Unfortunately, the black and white glamorization of only investing in and valuing experiences is usually accompanied by some kind of sales pitch that waters down the message (a message that I firmly agree with).

Similarly, people use the “quality of life” excuse to support impulse buys that actually end up detracting from their quality of life in the long run by adding to financial guilt and stressful clutter.

The Takeaway Of Experiences Vs. Material Things…

Be honest with your evaluation of your experiences vs. material things (purchases). Your needs and interests aren’t necessarily the same as someone else’s. This article isn’t a crutch to make you feel better about your clutter; it’s a call to hold your belongings up to the same standard as you would other life experiences.