Experiences > Things

When I see an expensive object, like a car or a house, I’ll admire it if it’s well-designed. But that admiration is quickly replaced by wondering how costly the maintenance is.

The maintenance seems tiring, especially for things that are mainly ornamental. I realize there’s a social status thing going on with such objects. But I need the things I buy to be utilitarian. And cost-effective. It’s why most of my wardrobe is from Costco.

I’ve seen luxury up close through the people I know. The poorest I’ve ever felt in my life was going to a private exotic car meetup as a +1. The cheapest car there cost more than my net worth. These people weren’t bothered by the maintenance. They were obsessed. I appreciated their passion (it’s good to be passionate), and I learned something about myself that day: I do not care for luxurious things.

I do believe in splurging on experiences though.

My best vacation stay was at a beachfront villa in St Thomas that I found last minute after my hotel reservation got cancelled. I took in incredible views during the day, and I fell asleep to the sound of the ocean at night.

When I was checking out, I couldn’t stop raving about the place to the villa’s caretaker. He knew how I felt. When he first moved to the island, he managed a house on a mountain overlooking the island, and it had the most beautiful views he had ever seen.

Then he managed another property on the water, and it was even more breathtaking than the first. With each new property he managed, the views got better. After managing a few more properties, he stopped saying how beautiful the views were. Because they were all incredible.

He said that being a caretaker of these properties was the best way to enjoy the island. You could get tired of the same view if you stayed at the same place. Luxury can become boring.

But I’d argue that you can enjoy the same thing or experience if it truly brings you joy.

I only buy nice things if they bring me genuine joy. And I’ll buy them second hand. These objects make me happy every single time I use them, and are not just for show. Check them out: Used Stuff.

—

P.S. I built the “Used Stuff” page in Framer to learn the tool. Because blindly following tutorials is boring. I took inspiration from Tobias Van Schneider’s essentials page. He has some very nice things that my frugal mind won’t allow me to buy.