Several years ago, we made a bold, life-changing decision. We decided to intentionally live with fewer possessions. It had become very clear to us that our clutter was stealing time, energy, and focus from our pursuits that mattered most. And removing unneeded possessions would free up precious resources and opportunity.
We started right away working through each room, closet, and drawer in our home to remove the unnecessary clutter from our home and lives.
Along the way, we began noticing a troubling trend: duplicates. In fact, we owned duplicates of nearly everything. We began to quickly realize we had bought into thinking that went like this, “If owning one of something is nice, owning more will be even better.”
But we were wrong. And lately, I have begun to intentionally embrace a new philosophy. I have begun to appreciate the simple joys of owning one.
Consider the benefits of owning just one of an item:
- We own only our favorite of every object.
- We take better care of our belongings.
- We routinely use each of our owned possessions.
- We can quickly identify what needs to be repaired or replaced.
- We can easily identify the importance and purpose of each item.
- We create opportunity to own higher quality items.
- We find more capacity to help others with our excess.
- We experience increased intentionality in our purchases and possessions.
There is indeed a peaceful joy to be discovered in simply owning one. And this principle can be applied to almost any item we own: One coat. One spatula. One mug. One pen. One set of bedding. One television. One…
Surely, the practical implications of this principle will vary from household to household. Its opportunity will play out differently in your home than mine.
But the simple joy of owning one has too quickly been forgotten. It is time we remember its simple beauty… and live less cluttered lives because of it.
Image: Wolfgang Staudt
Linda Sand says
Because I snowbird alone I don’t even need one mug. I use my measuring cup.
carole steinberg says
I use a mason jar w a lid, I can eat from them, store stuff in them fill them with stuff to give away.and they can go in the freezer, micro etc. they have measuring lines on them too. we use them for everything from coffee to champagne and soup. It makes our friends and family laugh but they all like the idea and some have even started using them too.
laps says
Although we are not down to one of everything, we have been applying the spirit of the rule for the past year. We moved from a 3200 sq foot home to a 1400 sq foot apartment. We are down to one eating area instead of two. We only used our dining room when we had guests. We are down to one sitting area instead of four in our old house. We are not yet where we want to be, but we are much more critical of each purchase. Its very liberating to reduce our possessions and mostly it frees up time for more enjoyable activities than maintenance.
AlexM says
I feel this way about pets. We are now down to one dog. Oh, I do miss my cat, but now I am focused on just one animal. For many years, we had two cats and a dog (plus fosters).
I’ve been solicited to add a feline back, but I like just having one animal to relate to. As a dog trainer, I always felt you did best if you had just one dog and could focus on just that animal for all the behaviors you want. I know others don’t feel that way, but for me, I like to have one animal at a time so I can have a more solid/intimate bond with her.
Diane Balch says
I’m a Simple Living person which I guess makes me a Minimalist Lite. I dont’ have a ton of things, but I blog a lot about food…so I do own quite a few dishes… but they are used and loved. I think that is what is most important.
Julie says
Love this concept. We have been whittling away at clothing, cups, dishes, sheets, blankets and other household items. We do keep enough stuff for guests, but I often keep the extra dishes for guests put away somewhere else. It helps keep our kitchen tidier and it forces us to do dishes and keep up with the housework better. It doesn’t become so overwhelming. Limiting outfits has helped tons with keeping up with the wash, we have 4 kids, six of us total. Too many clothes makes mountains and mountains of laundry. We are down to about 10 outfits each.
Judith Pohlman says
Joshua, two years ago, my daughter in law, opened my eyes to this idea (which I think is what you are really saying). I will say that she is from Colombia, South America. She had gone shopping with me. Upon check-out she had asked me what I had purchased. I told her that I had bought cereal bowls for my youngest daughter still living at home who wanted a deeper bowl to eat her cereal bowl from. My daughter in law laughed and said this (which I thought was profound and of which I have shared many times over) “This is why people in the United States have so many things, You have to “NAME” everything. Cereal bowls, soup spoons, coffee cups, salad plates, etc..” She proceeded to tell me that her family in Colombia uses the same bowl for soup, salad, ice cream or cereal. Same cup for juice, coffee, tea and sometimes icecream. This experience with my sweet daughter in law really did open my eyes to how we can be viewed as a culture, but more importantly just how blinded I was to my wants instead of my needs. Thank you for your daily thoughts.
Linda Sand says
I recently decided a Corning pie plate was the perfect piece for me. Wide enough to be a plate but deep enough to be a bowl. I have not yet found anything I cannot eat from this one piece. And it can go into the oven or microwave for heating my food.
TB at BlueCollarWorkman says
One. Huh, now that’s itneresting. ONe set of sheets. ONe plate. Well, for our family of four, maybe it shoudl be four. Four plates, four forks, etc. Sort of a neat idea. I never really thought much about duplicates, but that is a big cause of clutter, you’re absolutely right!
tVM says
I love the quote from the Baptist, Josh. Your concept has GREAT value for our children. Think of all the toys that get played with just once and then get tossed aside, relegated to that forlorn Land of Lost Toys. How much dearer would our children regard their personal possessions if they were not over-loaded by well-meaning parents who want to give them everything. In giving our children everything, we give them little!
Tony says
Thanks for the quick response – I enjoy your work here.
Tony says
I like the idea of owning one of everything in theory, but I can’t get my head around this: if one of the ways I share myself is to feed other people I invite to my home, it’s difficult to do this with only 2 cups, 2 bowls, etc. (one each for my wife and I).
Any thoughts on that? Or is this worrying about the extreme case, vs. trying for the most reasonable minimalist situation?
Thanks!
joshua becker says
I think you are jumping to the extreme case on this one Tony. No doubt, one cup or one bowl may be a practical application for some. But if your values and pursuits are centered around showing hospitality and inviting others into your home, I think it is completely reasonable to keep the possessions necessary to serve them.
Spendwisemom says
Great post. We each have to find the right balance for ourselves and our family situations. But, too many times people have duplicates of things that they don’t need. We have very few knives in our home, but we use what we have and wash it if it is dirty. They are a better quality and I can depend on them. I don’t want more. I like what I have: one serrated, one paring and one butcher. I don’t need any more. A lady once told me about someone she worked for. They had around 15-20 shirts of one color. This isn’t a business man who wears suits each day and needs white shirts. This is a woman who loved to shop. In the long run, we know how much we need of our items depending on our lifestyle. Thanks for your inspiration Joshua.
Annie says
I agree. I look at my possessions through both a minimalist and a pragmatic eye. I have only one purse that goes with everything and never have to worry about switching over to another one. On the other hand, I have three sets of scarf/hat/glove combinations and one set goes with a particular one of my three winter coats. I store them in each coat, on its’ hanger. I have a full-length down coat for frigid days, a lighter pea-coat for moderate days, and a raincoat for wet days. That may sound like too many to some people, but it is the best practical solution to get me out the door as quickly as possible each morning, properly attired for the weather. I justify it by the fact that I shopped very carefully for each item, bought the best I could afford and they have all lasted me for many years so far. I also repair them rather than replace them if at all possible when they are damaged.
Caitlin says
Annie, I think your take on coats is totally fine. They all have their place. I, on the other hand, have an incredibly nice-looking 3/4 length peacoat which only can be worn in the fall. It’s too tight for many layers underneath, too dressy for most outfits, and, as I’ve noticed, actually instills a sort of guilt in me when wearing it in my community (rural Missouri, many people on Medicaid, I work at a church where plenty of people come in asking for food & gas money). So it’s going away via Craigslist. On to more important, meaningful endeavors!
Suzanne Vosbikian says
I agree that 1 cup, 1 plate, 1 bowl might be a bit extreme. But, how about 1 “set” of dishes. Getting rid of the other 6 that I have would be a considerable simplification. I related the idea more to electronic devices, as in 1 TV, 1 Camera, 1 computer, etc. Is it really necessary to own a desk top, lap top, IPad and Iphone?
Also, shoes – ha! Running shoes, tennis court shoes, gym shoes, Zumba shoes, dress shoes, casual shoes, ahhhh. Might be a problem.
Annie says
I think the idea is to get you thinking about what you truly use on a regular basis and keep only that. We have a desktop and a laptop, but my husband needs both for work since he freelances and often has to go to the client’s office. The laptop is good for quick work done at the client’s location, but for extended jobs he’s needs the power and storage that only his desktop can provide. He thought about getting an iPad as well but realized the laptop would serve the same purposes and do even more so he only bought that.
Your comment about the shoes made me laugh. I recently pared my collection down and it was tough. There is no way I can own only one pair for everything. On the other hand, I now buy them much more carefully and wear them out beyond all hope before replacing them. I decided it was easier to place a limit within each category; exercise, work, and casual and stick to that.
Amelia T says
I am totally with you on that! We have one tv, one laptop, a mobile phone each (mine is very basic, only texts and calls). It has made life feel lighter!
Reginald Hollinger says
How about one set of dishes, rather than, as some have, sets for different occasions?
Deb says
We have all been to a potluck or a BYOB, why not a bring your own place setting or chair? If your friends and family are aware of your minimalist household, it should be no different than a picnic, bring your stuff, use it, wash it up and go home. No fuss and no big load of dishes left for your host.
carole steinberg says
I belong to a camping group and when we get together for a pot luck or party we all bring our own chair, plate, bowl, cup etc. it takes the burden off the host. when I travel I take a real plate, cup and utensil so I don’t have to use paper.