'Enjoy your inheritance': Elder Millennials cringe about 33 "keepsakes" they're leaving behind for the next generation

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Mar 23, 2024 11:00 PM EDT

If you're still hoarding an iPhone box from 2015, this is a PSA: Throw it away already! One man's trash may be another man's treasure, but future generations are going to have a mountain of ACTUAL trash to sift through. A lot of us elder millennials and Gen Xers have heaps of 'junk' that our kids are starting to cringe about. 

Does that make us any different than our own parents? 

40-somethings have a notoriously long list of "keepsakes" that'll ultimately find their way into the trash when our kiddos inherit them. But like the Boomers before us leaving behind crochet patchwork blankets, baseball cards, antique end tables, and semi-haunted family portraits, we'll be leaving behind band tees, Target birds, and half-used Bath and Body Works products. You're welcome, kids!

Scroll to cringe and get called out by this collection of memorabilia that's bound to find its way into the dumpster once us elder millennials are gone. 

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  • 01
    "And to my grandchildren, I leave my box of tangled and confused phone chargers. To my darling nephew, I leave my collection of Game Boy and cell phone...boxes. To my darling niece, I bequeath four old laptops, three old cell phones, and two neglected Tamagotchi..." 17
    via canva
  • 02
    The millenial junk our kids will throw out when we die. Discussion You know how our parents have junk that they hang onto that we just don't see the value in?
    via Hey_its_me_your_mom
  • 03
    I'm thinking of Christmas villages, Precious Moments figurines, baseball cards, antiques for that "rustic" look, Thomas Kinkade-type pictures, etc.
    via Hey_its_me_your_mom
  • 04
    What types of things do you! think our kids will roll their eyes at and toss in the bin when we die? I'm thinking they might be: 1. Graphic/band t-shirts 2. Our sneaker collections 3. Target birds/holiday decor
    via Hey_its_me_your_mom
  • 05
    4. Hoarded, expired makeup (especially the Naked palletes and from Glossier) 5. Funko pops and similar figurines 6. Disney
    via Hey_its_me_your_mom
  • 06
    7. Bath and Body works products 8. Every concievable cord and converter known to man (since we lived through all of the progressive technology) 9. Stupid Amazon gadgets
    via Hey_its_me_your_mom
  • 07
    Katdai2 21 hr. ago Boxes that our phones came in 5.0k Reply Share klausdahaus 19 hr. ago Members of this thread...you are my people. Never met a box I didn't want to keep. Drives my gf crazy
    via Katdai2
  • 08
    mightbeacat1 · 18 hr. ago "It could be useful for wrapping presents," I mumble, as I shove another empty shoebox into my closet. 319 Reply Share Darkdragoon324. 17 hr. ago "What if we move again?" The next time we move: "None of these boxes are big enough!"
    via mightbeacat1
  • 09
    Inevitable_Professor 17 hr. ago There's where I keep assorted lengths of wire 38 Reply Share aka_mythos 17 hr. ago Miscellaneous spare buttons I get with shirts, that's another box use I found.
    via Inevitable_Professor
  • 10
    WarmResound - 22 hr. ago Jokes on them, I'm gonna turn all my band t-shirts into a quilt. Then it's functional
    via WarmResound
  • 11
    Ok-Traffic-9967 20 hr. ago My parents it was plastic grocery bags...I mean thousands of them. My kids will inherit boxes of cables I have no clue go to what. Enjoy your inheritance
    via Ok-Traffic-9967
  • 12
    . jobezark 19 hr. ago In my will I wish to be buried with the large bag of random cables I have amassed over my life. Never know when you might need a 50 foot Ethernet cord
    via jobezark
  • 13
    Dizno311 20 hr. ago Kids? My empire of dirt will be the State's problem. 1.7k Reply Share flammenschwein 18 hr. ago Get a load of this guy, owning enough property to have dirt.
    via Dizno311
  • 14
    Additional-Sky-7436 20 hr. ago There is some kind of collective mass trauma yet to be described in academic literature related to elder millennials need save every dongle and power cord in a box forever.
    via Additional-Sky-7436
  • 15
    mrsalderaan 19 hr. ago My hoard of stickers I have no intention of ever sticking on anything
    via mrsalderaan
  • 16
    BawRawg 20 hr. ago My jars, my precious jars; 196 Reply Share lahdetaan tutkimaan 19 hr. ago Younger Millennial • Reminds me, my family has tons of empty tea tins They're actually useful for organizing stuff, though.
    via BawRawg
  • 17
    9_of_Swords 20 hr. ago My carefully curated jar of rubber bracelets with non-profit logos, hahahahahaha! 392 Reply Share . guhracey 18 hr. ago LIVESTRONG
    via 9_of_Swords
  • 18
    Sweetpants88 · 19 hr. ago Millennial Graphing Calcluator needs to be mentioned. I don't know why I still have mine. 365 Reply Share Bloodhound209.19 hr. ago The TI-89 will be the slide rule of our generation
    via Sweetpants88
  • 19
    SuperAwesome13 19 hr. ago not my beanie babies 109 Reply Share Fancy-Plantsy 17 hr. ago I had tons of beanie babies. Not to collect-to play with. I kept them all, and now my kid is playing in the back yard with Early the Robin. So there is hope!
    via SuperAwesome13
  • 20
    TribblesIA 18 hr. ago • "And to my grandchildren, I leave my box of tangled and confused phone chargers. To my darling nephew, I leave my collection of Game Boy and cell phone...boxes. To my darling niece, I bequeath four old laptops, three old cell phones, and two neglected Tamagotchi..."
    via TribblesIA
  • 21
    Beginning-Pen6864 · 20 hr. ago Personally it would probably be my physical media, including my VHS, DVD, game cartridges/discs and special editions. Beyond that, my magazine collections, shonen jump, Nintendo power, nickelodeon magazine, and lastly probably my digital media too, like downloaded seasons of TV shows, movies and music. What a shame.
    via Beginning-Pen6864
  • 22
    Ilmara 20 hr. ago 1985 Definitely those Funkos and similar plastic "collectible" figurines. 219 Reply Share unicorn_hair 20 hr. ago Hopefully by that time, there's a way to recycle this plastic trash.
    via Ilmara
  • 23
    ZestycloseCattle88. 20 hr. ago Good lord hopefully the "hang onto it it's a limited edition and could be worth something some day" dies with us
    via ZestycloseCattle88
  • 24
    theycallmewinning. 19 hr. ago They'll end up stripping or cannibalizing our old electronics for parts, to be sure. Water bottles and thermoses and other containers for emotional support beverages! Packaging. My GOD, packaging.
    via theycallmewinning
  • 25
    elizican 19 hr. ago Our grandchildren will come across the random shake weight and wonder were people thinking
    via elizican
  • 26
    lahdetaan tutkimaan 19 hr. ago Younger Millennial I still have my grade school papers going all the way back to kindergarten, including homework, classwork, tests, and whatnot I'm thinking it's time for me to just let it go already
    via lahdetaan_tutkimaan
  • 27
    ADAM WhatAdamSays. 19 hr. ago My many many wooden boards of many lengths will meet there doom when my nephews get my
    via WhatAdamSays
  • 28
    . NimDing218 19 hr. ago My Pokémon cards. But that's still a work in progress.
    via NimDing218
  • 29
    Jackers890 20 hr. ago I have a collection of polish pottery and a vast magnet collection. Also three drawers of cables that "might come in handy someday". Also, the top shelf of the closet is full of old t-shirts. My husband has like 12 computer screens still hanging around.
    via Jackers890
  • 30
    harkandhush · 19 hr. ago Laptops that haven't turned on in 25 years A shoebox of pogs we forgot to recycle A half-crocheted i-don't-remember- what-this-was Stuffed animals in great condition because we bought them at age 35+ as "decorative pillows"
    via harkandhush
  • 31
    Dextersdidi 19 hr. ago Harry Potter memorabilia 13 Reply Share deep_blue_au⚫ 2 hr. ago Idk, my young Zs and all their friends are really into Potter, so unless it gets "cancelled" it probably will be their kids throwing that stuff out. It's pretty shocking how popular HP still is.
    via Dextersdidi
  • 32
    jayhof52 19 hr. ago Lots of bottles of beard oil with about 1/8 of the bottle left, in my case. 11 Reply Share science_puppy 8 hr. ago Decant them in to each other! It's what I do with my hair oil, saves so much waste.
    via jayhof52
  • 33
    ImpertantMahn · 19 hr. ago You stay away from my miscellaneous cord collection! 10 Reply Share dbeards 21 hr. ago This was the first thing I thought too. So may cords and power cables. Many of them are useless now, but I always thing maaaaaybe I can use that in the future. The next generation will know for sure that they're all obsolete/useless.
    via ImpertantMahn

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cringey inheritance elder millennials relatable millennials cringe lol gen x generations gen xers cringeworthy funny
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