“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
SIxteen 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.
I believe this is the very reason people feel the need to leave their homes and go on vacation. While new terrain offers joyful exploration, it also makes possible the shedding of everything stressful in the form of over-cluttered lives. Simplification brings a vacation-like feel to the everyday. :)
I give away a bag or two each week to Sal Army or Goodwill or if it’s books, the library. I haven’t missed anything. As I clean out cupboards I am thinking of what furniture I can get rid of. Stocking up more than 4 extras is more than I have space for. I looked once and I had 7 bars of soap and we go through about one a month. So unless it’s a really super sale I don’t buy more than a few extra, they will be on sale again.
It’s funny how the things you think you need or want become useless in a short amount of time. Maybe we don’t give our purchases enough of thought or buy things just for the immediate gratification it gives. I believe this is true for a lot of people. Consider hosting a garage sale and instead of using the profits on yourself, donate it to someone else. I was able to sell things I don’t really need and contribute to a nursery school in Gulu, Uganda. I don’t miss the things or the extra money, but the children in Gulu are very happy with the school we started through donations.
Children’s toys are probably one of the biggest source of clutter in my house. Every birthday, each of our kids gets toys. It might be one kid’s birthday, but all three get toys from uncles and aunts, grandparents and cousins. It’s easy to see how the clutter builds up.
I put the excess toys down in the basement but every day they end up all over the living room, kitchen, dining room….UGHH!
I have a friend who would ask relatives to give a gift of money instead of toys for her children. She diligently put that away in an account for them and when they were in their late teens. She was able to buy them their own first car when they started to drive or put it towards college. I wish I had followed the same path.
HI Felix
One of the best lessons I learned was from my daughter’s teacher. She put the toys in boxes and then rotated them each week. The kids enjoyed them as though they were NEW each week and came to look forward to certain ones coming out again. They took better care of them too by not having all of them available all the time.
Great article. I have been downsizing my life for a few years and have made a conscience effort to get rid of something first before another item comes in. I have found that when there is less stuff to deal with my house does not need as much of my time organizing it or cleaning nick nacks :) It is hard though to do some of the items on the list because my husband is addicted to TV so we are always bombarded with advertising or marketing and of course there is always the question “Maybe we should get that or this?” Our house is larger for us then it needs to be, most people would think it was fine (about 1800 sqft with another 500 basement) and eventually my goal is to downsize into something smaller (about 800-1000 sqft). Cheaper, less debt, less stuff….
I was curious…are there ever times when you needed something you got rid of or were sorry that you dont have it anymore?
Scarlet, lol! Yes! Sometimes i get rid of it before really thinking it through and then i regret the decision later. For example, i sold a somewhat expensive mummy sleeping bag, a camp stove, tent and other camping items at a yard sale when i thought we were going to be moving out of state…. well the market crashed and of course we stayed put in our house (we were somewhat upside down) and figured in a year or two we would re-evaluate. I kept getting rid of “stuff” and a few years turned into about 5 and we figured we would just stay put. Now over the last few years that my son is older we have started to really get into camping again. Wouldn’t you know it we ended up having to purchase more sleeping bags and camping gear ugghh… now i try to think things through a bit before it goes to the donate bin. :)
Yes. Definitely. But I was packing to move over 1,000 miles and was under pressure to get it done. In retrospect, I wish I had taken more time to pack so that I could have made better decisions. I did indeed have too much stuff and needed to get rid of a lot of it. Just not hastily as I did.
I figure for every 100 items you remove from your house, you might actually need a few sometime again. So worth buying those few items, because it actually “costs” you to keep so much extra stuff around! :)
We are down-sizing (our house got listed Friday) from 3300 sq. ft. to a 1938 Craftsman bungalow which is half the size! We couldn’t be more excited! Why? Because we used to live with all 7 of the stresses you listed! Here’s to freedom!!! Loved this post!
I have experienced giving away all the stuff that are no longer usable. It made feel more comfortable and happy at the same time because those people who received them are very grateful. When I had the chance to read this article, I felt more confident and justified that my decision was really good. If you have less possessions, you will surely have have less mess and curls in your head, thus giving you more time to think of the the more important things in life that do not involve money or materials things. You will be more focused to your social and spiritual life instead. Thanks a lot to all minimalists. May our tribes grow bigger…
Great overview Joshua. I started to look into minimalist living after I returned from India. Seeing how people lived in India was an eyeopener and made me realise I was living in excess (and that many of us do in the West). http://travelartfood.com/what-india-taught-me-minimalist-living/
http://thesimplehedonist.blogspot.com/
Living with less stuff reminds me that the pioneers basically only had necessities. I am starting in that direction, but I’m sure I’ll stop at some point before I actually own what the pioneers owned.
I have been on a serious quest for simplification for about a month now. I have mostly been working on purging items I don’t need, or never use. I have found that I have to go back to the same area over and over again after realizing how little I really do wear or use something. It’s definitely a process, but I love the results. Plus when I do end up moving again it will be a snap!
Our family found early on that having too much stuff was distracting to our already distracted ADHD kids. It wasn’t just toys – it was clothes!
It was a challenge, but at one point we pared down to a certain number of outfits for various occasions. We knew it would help with the clutter, but it was amazing the difference it made in the amount of time that we spent doing/sorting laundry, looking for something to wear, picking up, etc.
Kayla, I’m an ADHD adult and I can attest to the calming effect it has had on me. Although I always supported this concept, I was forced into it through divorce, employment loss, three moves/downsizes. amazing how it makes me feel.
Wonderful blog! I featured this article today because we found it to be very true and well said. You can see it here: http://cozyminimalist.blogspot.com/2013/01/7-common-problems-solved-by-owning-less.html (we just linked up this page with our post feed). Thank you for writing this post. Its so true! Losing weight led me to minimalism (if you can believe that) and becoming quite frugal :) I figured if my body didnt need all the food I was feeding it then certainly my life didnt need all the stuff I was trying to fill it with either lol.
Great ideas! I’m going to be downsizing because of plans to build a tiny house & love all the great ideas people like you share. I want to semi-retire in a couple of years when my youngest graduates & goes off to school on her own. I’ve decided that I’m not going to spend the last few decades of my life chasing some dream just because someone said I should!!
Thanks so much for sharing! :)
Number 6 can also be resolved by knowing the difference between fashion and style. If you follow fashion you will spend too much time and money trying to look like everyone else and will likely never be happy with your wardrobe. If you choose classic, high-quality, timeless pieces as you suggested, and pair them with accessories chosen the same way then you will develop a style all your own and not look like everyone else. Some of my favorite accessories are vintage scarves, jewelry, handbags inherited from relatives, or purchased second-hand after careful consideration to be sure I will use them regularly.
♦ ♦ ♦ SIMPLE LIVING leads to LESSER WORRYING. ((^_^)) ☻☺☻☺☻
You don’t mean giving away the money on your bank account though? As read the blog I understand you mean possesing less THINGS.
Giving away one’s money could open up an even broader perspective. I’m not saying i’m ready to do so myself, though… more than a little now and then, of course. But it’s an interesting thought. And sure, possessing less things leaves the possibility to donate more money.
I always hear people saving things because they are going to “use it someday”…problem I noticed as you get older you start running out of
“someday’s'”
I downsized from a large expensive home into a modest stone cape. It was a shock
Now living in a small town with middle income people. As I off load so many things the thing most valued by me is open space. A clutter free space is a joy to live in. I don’t live cheap but live well with less. Everyday is a struggle because I am artist who works at home. I can collect things with intentions. Lol
Great thoughts. All is so true. We as a family with two children try to live this way. We only want to own what we realy nead. We live in a small place, but it is good for us. No big furniture. In the kitchen no dishwasher, no toaster no other electrical equipment. The only thing is a coffee maschine. We count every plate and bowl. It is tidy, easy to clean.
Our traveling is minimalistic too. Sleeping in a tent or couchsurfing. Traveling long time on a budget. Going slowly.
We don’t spend our money on consum items, so we are able to save from our income (others couldn’t survive from that, they tell us).
I would like to add a note that many of what we (my house) get are objects that are replacing other objects that do not need replacing yet. We have a large family, 6 children, and live in a small 1100 sq ft remtal apt.people always ask how we do that. I point out that 1. For a long time large families lived in small houses. People don’t NEED nearly the space we have grown accustomed to giving them and 2. When you remove the gross excesses we have plenty of space. It’s the extras that get in the way. We buy in bulk-but we have priced the items that are worth it (ie: paper goods are substantially cheaper), but we cannot store tons of random bulk buying. It’s a conscious thing. And it has to stay that way or it just becomes a burden.
Excellent post! I’m almost finished reading (for the second time) ‘Paradox of Choice’ by Barry Schwartz. It’s an eye-opening book about how more choice actually lessens our experience of joy and satisfaction. Mr. Schwartz tells us to keep wonderful experiences rare. No matter what you can afford, save great wine, the perfectly cut silk blouse, dining out for a gourmet meal; rare. It’s about keeping our expectations modest so that when we do experience a special treat it feels like a treat.
The phenomenon of ‘keeping up with the Joneses also lessons our experience of happiness. I went through a ridiculously long period of mourning for my big house, big property in an exclusive rural neighborhood when we sold. Some of my sadness was that it took me and my ex 4 years to build the house of my dreams and design, that I wanted to leave the property to my son, and that it is a beautiful house in beautiful surroundings. But I also missed the ‘status’ I perceived it gave me. I was surprised and embarrassed that I felt this way. We do tend to judge people by what they have and what they do for a living. Now in the second half of life I’m committed to having less regardless of what we can afford. Less burden, more fun. It is truly freeing.
Wow! This blog is an inspiration! Thank you so much for enlightening me with your stories. I hope I can reach your level of minimalism in the near future — I’d like to believe I am on my way now.
Thanks!
70% !!?? WOW. I would love to do this. We are definitely in the “it’s always a mess around here” camp. We are overdue on some major decluttering.
I strive to live minimally but it’s hard with 2 young children and grandparents, aunts and uncles who like to spoil them with “things”. I want them to enjoy what they have but find it’s a fine line between minimalism and being extreme. I also don’t want to make them into future hoarders by not letting them have anything now. We work together to find a balance and they provide input into what we keep and what we give away to children who don’t have toys.