WONDROUS THING: Collect experiences, not stuff (it pays better dividends, especially at the end)

I recently read about a 107 year old man that has been retired for 41 years and is still paying his own bills!

According to the article, he managed this even though he never made more than $10,000 in a single year. He owned only two cars in his entire life, and only bought what he really needed. (His wife wasn't crazy about this, but she went along. They were married for 75 years.)

I’m not sure I intend to be as frugal as the gentleman in the story, but it did get me thinking about how we spend our money… and our time.

In his book The Sabbath, Abraham Joshua Heschel suggests that we are - to paraphrase - lost in space. In his words, we are “infatuated… with the grandeur of things of space.” iPhones, cars, houses, objects d'art and the like.  



In contrast, he says, “Judaism is a religion of time aiming at the sanctification of time.” In his view, moments spent in time matter more than “stuff.”

How many of the things we buy do we really need?  And do the many things we buy really bring us lasting satisfaction and happiness?

According to many psychological studies - and Judaism - it is experiences and moments that ultimately bring us the most happiness, not material possessions.

What do you think… experiences or things... which brings you more joy?  And which of the two are you spending more of your resources on?

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