What Our Emotional Connection to Stuff Says About Us

We all have a unique relationship with our belongings. From the sentimental to the purely practical, the things we own often hold more significance than we might realize. This connection becomes particularly evident when it’s time to part with our possessions, whether through decluttering, downsizing, or handling a loved one’s estate. Below are some fun—and sometimes surprising—facts about our relationship with our stuff that shed light on just how intertwined our lives are with the items we accumulate.

Question: How much stuff does the average person own?
Answer: 300,000 items, ranging from pianos to paper clips.

Question: What’s the hardest thing to let go of?
Answer: Photographs

Question: What’s the oddest thing anyone has left someone in a will?
Answer: Shakespeare left his wife the “second-best bed” in the house. Napoleon Bonaparte left his friends and family his hair.

Question: Where’s the weirdest place people leave their wills?
Answer: Tattoo’d on their back so they’d never lose it. (Not to mention change it!)

Question: What are the most argued-over items?
Answer: Jewelry. The Astor family spent many years and thousands of dollars arguing over who was to get Grandma’s diamond studs…..

Question: How much do people spend on cleaning out a loved one’s home?
Answer: $3k-$5K on average, which sometimes costs more than what was paid to acquire those items in the first place.

Question: What is the most expensive thing someone’s found while cleaning out?
Answer: A first-edition U.S. Constitution tucked in a drawer which then got sold at auction for $43.2M

Question: How much clothing does the average American throw away in a year?
Answer: 81 pounds of clothing, or enough to fill two extra large suitcases.

Question: Where do we put all our stuff?
Answer: There are over 50,000 self-storage facilities in the United States alone, more than the number of Starbucks and McDonald's locations combined.

Question: What eventually happens to all this stuff?
Answer: Up to 90% of storage units are eventually abandoned, giving rise to shows like Storage Wars, where people vie for the opportunity to grab someone else’s stuff.

Conclusion

While our relationship with our stuff can be a little, well, quirky, it’s also complex and shaped by emotions, memories, and societal influences. Whether we’re holding onto a cherished heirloom, arguing over a loved one’s will, or trying to declutter our homes, the things we own can tell a rich story about who we are and what we value. Nemu is here to honor and respect all that our stuff stands for. And maybe help you feel that you’re not alone in dealing with it all.

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