{"id":5354,"date":"2025-10-02T19:43:51","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T19:43:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/?p=5354"},"modified":"2026-05-08T17:56:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T17:56:36","slug":"your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Relationship with \u201cStuff\u201d (Material and Emotional)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Reviewed by <\/em>Dr. Erika Rasure<\/em><\/a>, PhD, CFT\u2122<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our homes tell stories \u2014 about safety, scarcity, nostalgia, joy, and sometimes shame. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a recent client Financial Wellness session, our financial therapists, Dr. Erika Rasure and Nathan Astle, explored how our emotional attachments to \u201cstuff\u201d shape our spending, our spaces, and our financial well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We share their wisdom here, as well as some actionable steps to take to start allowing your things to align with your values!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stuff Is Never Just Stuff<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Rasure set the stage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHere\u2019s what we mean by \u2018our relationship with our stuff is really the attachments we have to the things in our lives\u2019 \u2014 the way we choose to surround ourselves in our environments with things can really inform the choices we make with our finances.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Astle connected those attachments to lived experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll of us have a very deep emotional connection with our money\u2026 Financial trauma often comes from a place of scarcity \u2014 \u2018there\u2019s not enough, so I have to collect, hoard, or spend while I have it.\u2019 That informs our beliefs about money and the things we buy with our money.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He normalized a common response:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne very common response to financial trauma is physical hoarding: collecting stuff we think we might use but realistically don\u2019t. It\u2019s more common than people think.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name the Emotion Beneath the Object<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To work with our attachment, Dr. Rasure instructed us to first notice what an item represents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of this starts with being able to evaluate your emotional attachment to material things\u2026 \u2018Why am I attached to these things?\u2019 Often our attachment comes from emotional needs like security, status, or nostalgia.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you identify the need, you can meet it more intentionally:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you know what an item represents emotionally, you can work on fulfilling that feeling in other ways that don\u2019t compromise your financial values.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And do it without shame. Astle added:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving a messy house doesn\u2019t define you, and getting it clean doesn\u2019t define you either. The question is: how do we take care of the wonderful parts of you?\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Move Beyond \u201cNeeds vs. Wants\u201d Shame<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Astle called out an important trap to keep an eye out for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe \u2018needs versus wants\u2019 conversation often leads to judgment and shame. It\u2019s hard not to end up telling yourself you shouldn\u2019t want something.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Rasure reframed it with discernment and a practical example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNeeds are what keep the lights on and food in our bellies. We still have wants, and that\u2019s normal. The magic is in choosing your battles. Sometimes paying a dollar more for the thing you\u2019ll actually enjoy and use prevents waste and supports consistency.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Astle added some balance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn a debt journey, we can pendulum-swing into \u2018I can\u2019t enjoy anything.\u2019 It\u2019s important to have things that bring joy. Just ask if this thing brings the short-term pleasure <\/em>and the longer-term feeling you\u2019re seeking.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHell Yes\u201d or \u201cHell No\u201d (and Why the Middle Is Exhausting)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Rasure shared a simple rule to reduce decision fatigue:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re on the fence, that\u2019s a red flag. I like to ask: is this a hell yes or a hell no? If it\u2019s not a clear \u2018yes\u2019 (and affordable) it\u2019s a \u2018no\u2019 for now.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Astle touched on why this is so important:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we\u2019re in the middle, we get decision paralysis. \u2018Hell yes or hell no\u2019 moves us forward and reinforces that you are worth \u2018hell yes\u2019 experiences.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Letting Go Without Guilt<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Astle explained why a gentle goodbye can help release the shame:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you feel guilty letting go of something you bought, it\u2019s okay to thank it: \u2018Thanks for what you gave me then; I don\u2019t need you now.\u2019 It helps you let go of the item <\/em>and the guilt.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For sentimental items, he told us to keep the experience, not necessarily the object:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe thing itself doesn\u2019t change the fact that you had the experience. Find ways to honor the experience \u2014 journal a memory, capture what you learned, then donate or return it if that aligns with your values.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Redefine \u201cWealth\u201d Through How You Use Things<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Rasure shared that in her own life, books became a metaphor for value and intention:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes a book isn\u2019t what you expected \u2014 that reflection can change how you interact with purchases. The library helps me be more intentional; if a book truly belongs in my collection, then I buy it.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Astle added that values create tradeoffs you can live with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAsk what you value, and what you can give up. I value space! Visual clutter makes me uncomfortable, so I challenge myself: does keeping this align with what I value?\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start Small (Really Small)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Astle shared that a tiny starting point builds momentum:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf your home feels overwhelming, start with your sock drawer or one kitchen drawer. Lay it out, decide, and move on. Next day, another drawer. That\u2019s how big change happens.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally Dr. Rasure summed up the spirit of this action:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDeclutter with intention. Align your choices with your financial values, notice your triggers, celebrate small wins, and remember: you\u2019re already showing up for yourself by thinking about this at all.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall Takeaway<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your relationship with stuff is a mirror of your emotions, needs, and values. When you notice the feeling beneath the purchase, reduce shame, and choose intentionally \u2014 one drawer, one decision, one \u201chell yes\u201d at a time \u2014 you make your money and your space work for the person you\u2019re becoming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Try This This Week<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Name the need.<\/strong> Pick one item you\u2019ve been unsure about and ask, \u201cWhat feeling does this represent (security, status, nostalgia, comfort)?\u201d<\/em>
    <\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Apply \u201chell yes \/ hell no.\u201d<\/strong> For one pending purchase (or one thing in your closet) decide today. If it\u2019s not a clear yes you can afford, it\u2019s a \u2018no\u2019 for now.
    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Release with gratitude.<\/strong> Let go of one lukewarm item and say, \u201cThank you for what you gave me then.\u201d<\/em>
    <\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Protect one joy.<\/strong> Choose one small, budget-aligned thing that genuinely brings you joy and enjoy it \u2014 shame-free!
    <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Our financial therapists, Dr. Erika Rasure and Nathan Astle, help us understand that when you notice the feeling beneath a purchase, reduce shame, and choose intentionally, you make your money and your space work for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":5355,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[166],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-your-relationship-with-money"],"yoast_head":"\nYour Relationship with \u201cStuff\u201d (Material and Emotional) - Beyond Finance<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When you notice the feeling beneath a purchase, reduce shame, and choose intentionally, you make your money and your space work for you.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Your Relationship with \u201cStuff\u201d (Material and Emotional) - Beyond Finance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When you notice the feeling beneath a purchase, reduce shame, and choose intentionally, you make your money and your space work for you.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Beyond Finance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-02T19:43:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-08T17:56:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/your-relationship-with-stuff-ADR_1025_Post.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1536\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"863\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Stella Martin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Stella Martin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Stella Martin\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/024257f55492e1915da34c62cb983536\"},\"headline\":\"Your Relationship with \u201cStuff\u201d (Material and Emotional)\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-02T19:43:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-08T17:56:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/\"},\"wordCount\":1047,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/your-relationship-with-stuff-ADR_1025_Post.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Your Relationship With Money\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/\",\"name\":\"Your Relationship with \u201cStuff\u201d (Material and Emotional) - Beyond Finance\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/your-relationship-with-stuff-ADR_1025_Post.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-02T19:43:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-08T17:56:36+00:00\",\"description\":\"When you notice the feeling beneath a purchase, reduce shame, and choose intentionally, you make your money and your space work for you.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/your-relationship-with-stuff-ADR_1025_Post.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/your-relationship-with-stuff-ADR_1025_Post.jpg\",\"width\":1536,\"height\":863,\"caption\":\"Woman carrying material possessions to throw out with smile of hope on her face.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Your Relationship with \u201cStuff\u201d (Material and Emotional)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Beyond Finance\",\"description\":\"Moving Beyond Debt\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Beyond Finance Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/logo-a5030ff7f0cc0e8b6e87107311dd1205.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/logo-a5030ff7f0cc0e8b6e87107311dd1205.png\",\"width\":105,\"height\":27,\"caption\":\"Beyond Finance Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/024257f55492e1915da34c62cb983536\",\"name\":\"Stella Martin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1cbecc45201ef1341553bfea55814251b4483b34bf1faef347d61ca7d4b8c060?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1cbecc45201ef1341553bfea55814251b4483b34bf1faef347d61ca7d4b8c060?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Stella Martin\"},\"description\":\"Stella Martin is an IAPDA-accredited financial wellness expert and Product Marketing Manager with Beyond Finance. A former contributor at tastytrade, Stella specializes in debt elimination strategies, financial wellness planning, and the behavioral side of building long-term financial health. Her work has been featured in MarketWatch, AOL, and WFMZ News. When she's not writing about personal finance, she's reading, catching a show at the theater, or spending time with her cats.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/smartin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Your Relationship with \u201cStuff\u201d (Material and Emotional) - Beyond Finance","description":"When you notice the feeling beneath a purchase, reduce shame, and choose intentionally, you make your money and your space work for you.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Your Relationship with \u201cStuff\u201d (Material and Emotional) - Beyond Finance","og_description":"When you notice the feeling beneath a purchase, reduce shame, and choose intentionally, you make your money and your space work for you.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/","og_site_name":"Beyond Finance","article_published_time":"2025-10-02T19:43:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-08T17:56:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1536,"height":863,"url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/your-relationship-with-stuff-ADR_1025_Post.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Stella Martin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Stella Martin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/"},"author":{"name":"Stella Martin","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/024257f55492e1915da34c62cb983536"},"headline":"Your Relationship with \u201cStuff\u201d (Material and Emotional)","datePublished":"2025-10-02T19:43:51+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-08T17:56:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/"},"wordCount":1047,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/your-relationship-with-stuff-ADR_1025_Post.jpg","articleSection":["Your Relationship With Money"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/","name":"Your Relationship with \u201cStuff\u201d (Material and Emotional) - Beyond Finance","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/your-relationship-with-stuff-ADR_1025_Post.jpg","datePublished":"2025-10-02T19:43:51+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-08T17:56:36+00:00","description":"When you notice the feeling beneath a purchase, reduce shame, and choose intentionally, you make your money and your space work for you.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/your-relationship-with-stuff-ADR_1025_Post.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/your-relationship-with-stuff-ADR_1025_Post.jpg","width":1536,"height":863,"caption":"Woman carrying material possessions to throw out with smile of hope on her face."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/your-relationship-with-stuff-material-and-emotional\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Your Relationship with \u201cStuff\u201d (Material and Emotional)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/","name":"Beyond Finance","description":"Moving Beyond Debt","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Beyond Finance Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/logo-a5030ff7f0cc0e8b6e87107311dd1205.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/logo-a5030ff7f0cc0e8b6e87107311dd1205.png","width":105,"height":27,"caption":"Beyond Finance Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/024257f55492e1915da34c62cb983536","name":"Stella Martin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1cbecc45201ef1341553bfea55814251b4483b34bf1faef347d61ca7d4b8c060?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1cbecc45201ef1341553bfea55814251b4483b34bf1faef347d61ca7d4b8c060?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Stella Martin"},"description":"Stella Martin is an IAPDA-accredited financial wellness expert and Product Marketing Manager with Beyond Finance. A former contributor at tastytrade, Stella specializes in debt elimination strategies, financial wellness planning, and the behavioral side of building long-term financial health. Her work has been featured in MarketWatch, AOL, and WFMZ News. When she's not writing about personal finance, she's reading, catching a show at the theater, or spending time with her cats.","url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/smartin\/"}]}},"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":166,"label":"Your Relationship With Money"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/your-relationship-with-stuff-ADR_1025_Post-1024x575.jpg",1024,575,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Stella Martin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/author\/smartin\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":166,"name":"Your Relationship With Money","slug":"your-relationship-with-money","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":166,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":20,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":166,"category_count":20,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Your Relationship With Money","category_nicename":"your-relationship-with-money","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/your-relationship-with-stuff-ADR_1025_Post.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5354"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5354\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beyondfinance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}