“Anything you cannot relinquish when it has outlived its usefulness possesses you, and in this materialistic age a great many of us are possessed by our possessions.” —Peace Pilgrim
Three years ago, we sold, donated, or discarded over 70% of our family’s possessions. We removed clothes, furniture, decorations, cookware, tools, books, toys, plus anything else we could find in our home that was not immediately useful or beautiful. The result has been a completely transformed life and lifestyle. It is a decision we have never regretted.
The intentional choice to pursue minimalist living and owning less has brought with it a great number of benefits. It has been the answer to much of the discontent we felt in our lives when we owned more. And the decision holds the potential to do the same for you.
Consider these Seven Common Problems that Can Be Solved by Owning Less Stuff:
1. “I don’t have enough money / I’m in debt.” The simplest solution to almost every money problem is “spend less.” In fact, it’s the first step in almost every financial program ever devised. Purposefully deciding to own fewer possessions is an important step in getting your financial house in order – and often times, it’s the only step you really need to take.
2. “There’s just not enough time in the day.” We were immediately surprised at how much extra time we found in our lives after removing our unnecessary possessions. We came to realize, if we aren’t careful, the things we own quickly move from “time-saving” to “time-consuming.” Just think about all the time we waste caring for our possessions: shopping, researching, organizing, picking up, cleaning, repairing, replacing – even earning the money to buy them in the first place. And the reality is, it can be difficult to determine how much time our possessions are actually stealing from us until we actually remove them.
3. “There’s always so much cleaning to do / Even after I clean, my house feels cluttered.” Want to have a cleaner home? Own less stuff. It works every time.
4. “My house is too small / There’s never enough storage around here.” Chances are pretty good that your house isn’t too small – you’ve just put too much stuff inside it. Case in point: according to statistics, the average house size in America has doubled since the 1950’s… yet, many of us still think that we need something bigger. You probably don’t. And removing the unneeded possessions from your home and life will likely provide the opportunity for you to discover that again.
5. “I’m too stressed.” The artist and philanthropist, John Ruskin once said, “”Every increased possession loads us with a new weariness.” Every increased possession weighs down our lives with new things to worry about, care for, and maintain. Our purchases have far surpassed bringing convenience and ease into our lives. In fact, they have begun to do just the opposite – they have brought new forms of stress and anxiety instead.
6. “I can’t decide what to wear / It’s so hard to keep up with the changing fashions.” On the surface, fashion appears to be an ever-evolving game where the rules change with each passing season. As a result, it demands astute attention (and an expansive income). But it does not have to. Instead, carry a beautiful wardrobe filled with a few timeless pieces that you truly love to wear. Once you love everything hanging in your closet, deciding what to wear will be one less problem to deal with in your morning.
7. “I wish I had…” Our culture begs us to own more. Advertisements call us to purchase the latest and the greatest. Our natural tendencies cause us to compare our lives with those around us. And we seem to have a built-in desire to impress others by owning as much as possible. As a result, we spend precious energy wishing we had more. But this constant dreaming, hoping, and envying other’s possessions is stealing from our joy and contentment today. It makes us feel like we are missing something – even though there is so much joy right in front of us.
We made the decision years ago to live with fewer possessions. Sometimes, I get asked, “Do you think you’ll always be a minimalist?” My response is always the same, “Oh yeah, I’m never going back. There is just too much joy and freedom on this side.”
And I cherish the opportunity to invite others to experience it as well.
as i am in my 70’s now, i have started to think of the burden i am putting on my daughter and grandkids who will have the job of cleaning out my life’s “treasures” when i die. after our mom died, my sisters and i had to do this big job and we found that none of us cared to take on much of her “collections”. we got brutal with donating, holding a yard sale but it was heartbreaking to see all the things that we ended up just throwing away.
so i am now decluttering my own home and asking the kids what they might want to have and sending them on now instead of later. they feel like it’s christmas when one of their boxes get to them. for the stuff that they are not interested in, i am doing the usual…donate, give away or toss method. it’s a slow progress but eventually, i will be happy with what i have left!
Doing the same! It’s hard but, feels so good afterwards!
How do I minimize my photo albums…pictures prior to digital pictures.
A few years ago I went through all our photo albums, took the photos out, weeded a bit, and put the rest in one archival box, about the size of a shoe box, with filing cards showing the year range and subject. I was amazed that about 10 albums fit into the one box. It’s much easier to find a photo now, and I hope will make it easier on the next generation when it comes time for them to decide whether they want to keep any of them. I’ll be doing the same with an elderly relative, but also being sure to identify who is who, place and aprox. year on the back of each photo. Good luck!
scan everything and print it out in photobooks instead. Add in text, stories etc. Photo books are far less bulky than photo albums and you can have extra copies made for other family members if you choose
Since moving from a 2857 square foot house to a 1045 square foot condo 2 1/2 I have stressed out about my never ending quest to get it organized and clean. More than once I even considered moving back to my home state to find a bigger place. Yesterday some wonderful friends came over and picked up some big furniture items. After a little rearranging, I cannot believe how much larger my home looks. It’s still a work in progress, but the change is miraculous. I still own way too much (and contrary to what people might think, I’m not spoiled nor am I a hoarder), but yesterday was definitely a milestone and it’s so motivating to want to work harder to get it all done.
You’re all spoiled as hell. I don’t have anything. No house, no car, 5 pairs of shoes, 5 pairs of shirts, a few jackets and some t shirts. A laptop, and some sports items. That’s literally it. Stop complaining how bad your lives are!
I like having 10,000 items. It’s awesome. I am ready for anything and do very little. It’s actually awesome. I have an entire personal library of neatly organized books dvds cds and records. I have an extensive wardrobe of hundreds of perfect items that all give me joy even though some are only for formal, winter, adventure, and even costumes for local events like Gasparilla Parade of Pirates (super fun here in Tampa.) the renn fest, and sci fi conventions. Each collection creates value and is accessible to enjoy. With solid intent I am happy to also incorporate minimalist aspects to my life and within this I have a set small group of core items I use year round and are more of a minimalistic element.
You don’t have any pants?
“i don’t have anything”. then you go on to list quite a few things that you DO have! some are less fortunate than you! maybe look at it that way instead of sounding jealous for what others do have.
I only dabble at becoming minimulist and am saving hundreds of dollars a month by not shopping for ‘stuff’ and clothes – not to mention the time I’m saving! I’m donating slowly but not bringing new things into the house so will get there. Life is less frantic this way because my lists of wants and projects are less and it feels very good. My point I guess is you can be minimally minimulist and still feel better, save time and money :)
I don’t necessarily want more “THINGS” …it’s doing improvements to our house. Be it painting, expanding our deck, adding colorful plants to the garden, etc. It never stops.
Absolutely! My situation, too!
Every time I clean out it seems to come back in one way or another. I find myself feeling like I’m taking away from my children or letting go of their early childhood memories. It is emotional and overwhelming, but I know how it feels to be to be standing on the other side. It is worth it. Pray I’ll get my focus back…
Let your family go through all the old pictures and things you have kept. Then you keep a few favorites and get rid of the rest.
Old friends that your family never knew, keep one favorite picture of them and trash the rest. They will throw them out after your gone anyway. Do the same with all the keepsakes and sell or donate.
Save the money for a rainy day or pay off your debt, that alone will make you feel good.
It’s a wonderful life go out and live it. That’s my plan at 81…🫶🏼
Wonderful little bits of wisdom. With our consumerism-obsessed culture today, it is inspiring to have a community of people sharing their own experiences and ideas.
So far, I have been on 6 year mission toward simplification – and hopefully, I will continue on with the journey!
I will surely confess that I do hold on to old stuffs. However there is “Hope”!! I find that if I pray before cleaning/purging, God will help me release unnecessary items in my house hold that i need to disconnect. We tend to have soul ties to our belongings that it becomes attached to us, thus creating a heavy weight and burden. You will feel so much freedom and peace physically and spiritually if you allow Him to help you through the process.
I hope this will help someone out there who’s still having a hard time let go of their possessions.
Hauoli Makahiki Hou 2017 (Happy New years)