“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.
About Joshua Becker
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.
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…
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)
I went from nothing to to much. Keep going to the thrift store and goodwill. Thinking. I’ll buy so I can help others. Now I have to much clutter. Now to try and donate it back. Need.prayers. It’s become an obsession I’m afraid
I know I have too much stuff but the burden of where to begin and the thought of the effort it will take me to get rid of it, gives me anxiety and I just avoid it all together. It’s a war of one over here.
Try starting very small…perhaps a single junk drawer? You know that drawer where we dump all the little things like take out menus, rubber bands and all sorts of miscellaneous stuff we don’t use. Pick a different drawer another day and just continue like that until one room is done. If you do only one dreamer or cabinet or only spend 10 minstrel. at a time it won’t feel so overwhelming.
great idea, and when on the phone, listening to audios etc,
Have a blessed 2017
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I believe that most people’s problem with owning less is letting go of things that they think should be ‘worth something’. Well, that money is already spent (to own it in the first place) so if you have to, like I did, find a way to sell some of it. I found a local ebay merchant! It might not fetch what I think it should but it isn’t being ‘given away for free’ at least. Nor any longer cluttering up my 2800 square foot farmhouse that I thought ‘didn’t have any storage’. Guess what? I just had too much stuff. Hunh. It’s almost like a miracle.
take video, or photos of your stuff, and donate it, if you want. Pack everything up, and see if you miss anything. Leave only your basic items you use everyday, pack away some books, journals etc. and exchange them in and out periodically. ifnot using it, pack it away.
Have a blessed 2017
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i gave away plenty things for free. it was a blessing,for money will be worthless.
Have a blessed 2017
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And too, when you try to sell it, the stuff stays in your house! Then you may end up waiting for the day that never comes when no one buys it. Let it go!
Thank you so much for all your posts I love them! Still trying fyi convince my husband to get rid of even more! I’m always trying but it never feels like we get rid of enough! :-)
What do you do with all your extra “stuff” donate? sell? give away? Seems like quite a task but I am up for the challenge. I am going to get a donation box right now!!!! Please pray I can do this, I feel the need but I gave trouble following through. Thank you!!!
Paula,
If you need some extra cash, selling on ebay can get rid of your stuff and put some money in your pocket as well. I’ve sold oddball things such as food processors, old leather jackets, some antiques. I usually donate clothes and small “knick-knack” type items because the $ gained by selling isn’t worth it. Books in good shape can be donated to your local library or senior center. Some churches collect items for people in need. Check on craigslist for “wanted”…you may just have something that you don’t need but someone else does. And it really feels good to clean house, even a little at a time!
I’ve really enjoyed this article because I know I have to much stuff. I’m a pack rat you can’t find a empty corner in my house. I have been giving away a lot of clothes but now it’s time for the what nots. I need to dump everything that I have in tubs. Pray for me!
I’ve already got a donate box started and it’s in my front hallway. I’ve got a Salvation Army pick-up scheduled for November 3 and I plan on having them take quite a few things away to people who need them and can put them to good use. Really need to scale down. It’s incredibly tiring trying to keep everything sorted and in it’s place.
Getting rid of items I have had for 30 years is difficult but I went through an old box, walked down memory lane, and let it all go. Feels good. Thanks.
I love the idea but how do I get my family on board?
This is complete my at a good time in my life I downsized little over a year ago. Got rid of a lot of stuff then. Still have too much stuff I will get my box out and start reducing. It is such a good feeling when you have so much I really don’t enjoy it. It’s just here
i know i possess too much stuff,i’m going to try what was suggested. thanks, trying.
I would love to live this way when I got remarried I came into the marriage with very few possessions I just didn’t want the memories that came with them.!However I believe I married someone somewhere between a picker and a hoarder everything is a cherished posession it drives me crazy. He has a small trailer full of items from an antique store he owned 6 years ago that could just go to GoodWill
I have controlled clutter in 13 gallon Rubbermaid containers, covered by beautiful clothes. i keep an index box of the RM #, location and contents. I use different sizes ziplock bags inside the RM to keep thing seperste. i use RM for everything! I place books on top or pillows. Once I am dead, then i leave it all to my family to do what they want. i am very generous to others also, for all my life. i treat myself to online grocery, and I love my apartment. Social Security may force me to live in a cheaper country in the future. Rent etc, are too high, and we are not crooks, so we live off our income.
Have a blessed 2017
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I became a minimalist almost 2 years ago and I’ve never regretted it. In fact, I’m looking to purchase a tiny home in the near future. I love how freeing it is to live with less. I’m sure there are still areas where I can condense more and I’ll continue to do so. But as mentioned above, I’m never going back to the materialistic way of life again.
Someone needs to teach myself how & especially my family how to live with less. Maybe someone needs to teach a class on this kind of stuff. 1 know I would definitely attend. ????
thank you.
Judi Grace StoryCorps.
Enjoy your stuff, for you can be dead in an instant.
Have a blessed 2017
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I became interested in Minimalism when I discovered The Minimalists. It was a great inspiration to me. Since then, I have taken time to declutter, keeping only what brings me happiness.
However, I have one big problem: I own four computers, a Kindle, two iPods, and my iPhone 6S Plus. This is way too much. Yet, I’m afraid that I am going to lose something important. I will tell you that I am a tech junkie, and this is does not make me feel good. My files on these devices have no organization. I have way too many files, documents, music, and photos. I have no idea how to declutter this mess. I decided that I needed to pay $9.99 per month for a Google Drive. I really have no need for such a service. I have a peripheral hard drive which I use to back up my Mac. I don’t back up the other computers. What should I do?
Que belo experimento!
Sempre tive muitas dificuldades em doar o que me pertence. Tenho muito entulho!
Graças pela oportunidade de poder exercitar!
Gratidão!
This hits home with me. I realized just how much my possesions were ruling me after I left my husband. I moved into a studio apartment and had to lug all of my belongings up 5 flights of stairs, organize it and try to stuff it all into a single closet (wasn’t possible). After a month on my own, feeling cluttered and closed in, I realized how many of my marital problems must have stemmed from having and wanting too much stuff. I spent a week tossing out 70-80% of it and instantly felt lighter and happier. I got back in contact with my husband and found out he had done the same. Now we’re working on mending our broken marriage and I honestly think that wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t let go of all the clutter, both physical and emotional.
I am excited to learn this next 14 days. We are packing and preparing to move semi off-grid and into a tiny house. The trigger was a layoff, but God has been working this in our hearts for a while. I am writing our story in a blog. Check out my website.
What made me start to simplify happened 15 years ago. I decided to move from Washington State to Wisconsin, but didn’t want to pay thousands of dollars for a mover, so I decided to move everything in my car in one trip. At the time, I was living in a 5-room apartment, which I considered pretty simple living. But, as I evaluated everything by the “will this fit in my car, and do I actually need it” criteria, I found I was keeping a lot of stuff either because someone gave it to me, so I felt bad throwing it away, yet it was not good enough for someone else, or because of sentimental value and the memories it elicited. I found I didn’t need those things which weren’t good enough to pass on and wasn’t willing to make room for them. And, the sentimental stuff just took up room, while the memories would remain with me, long after I got rid of the mementos. That experience started the ball rolling, and since then, I have downsized several times. It is so much better living with less! Life is a lot more enjoyable when it becomes simpler!
Joshua thanks lots.
It amazes me whenever I go camping for weeks, I travel with less and enjoy more than when am at home with luxuries: that consume more time I would use for self development or helping others in life.
Although camping life cannot be adapted at home, there is lots to learn about to live simply, reducing on earthly possessions and committing time to relax and enjoy life like on a camping holiday.
I have just told my husband this past week. We are going thru “everything” in the house. EVERYTHING! I’m so tired of clutter and unused items.
I really want to downsize all my belongings. I have so much and my house is cluttered and dirty because of all the “stuff”. My problem is that I am so overwhelmed I do not know where to start. I cannot seem to find the little picture that says to do a little bit each day. I only see the big picture and I don’t know where to start in that big picture? Do I start in the living room, where my family likes to hang out. Do I start in the kitchen when we used to cook meals? Do I start in the master bedroom and get our bed back in there and out of the smaller bedroom? Do I start with my daughters room so she has a clean room to go into? Where do I start? I am overwhelmed and need help. PLEASE
Jane,
I’ve been there. It’s hard to focus on something small when all you see is the entirety.
My first step has been to get some containers/boxes for organizing, some boxes/bags to put things in that I will be donating, and to have a trash bag (or many) ready for the stuff that goes in the garbage. Then, after a good night’s sleep, and a large amount of time budgeted for cleaning (for example, a Saturday morning/afternoon), I set to work on one single area…kitchen cupboards, or bedroom closet, etc (and once done there, I move to the next small area)….put things in their places….whether it’s on the shelf, in the box to be organized later (when I’ve made the space), in the donation box, or in the garbage. At the end of the time you have, get the garbage out, and the donated things to your vehicle (and to the donation center within a few days)….that way you won’t be going through and second guessing your decisions to get rid of things (if you are someone who tends to hold on to things….I am).
When you look back at all the things that you’ve accomplished in that time (even if it’s just a few small spaces), make sure you acknowledge your hard work with a simple reward, and mentally process that you HAVE done a good job. It should give you a little motivation for the next day/time you budget to get things done. And, I would recommend, don’t wait long periods of time until the next time you try to get things done….spend 20 minutes a day doing something (more if you can)…that way you get into a rhythm, and it gets done. For me, my self-esteem gets a boost when I can look at what I’ve accomplished and know I worked hard.
Last, I’ve heard that there is a really good book that people like for organizing their homes….”The life-changing magic of tidying up.” I’ve reserved it at my local library….have not read it yet, but I’ve been told great things. The premise of the book seems to be to take each item in your hands and decide if it brings you joy. If it does not, get rid of it. (A painstaking process, but thorough and rewarding in the end.)
blessings to you!
In the process of learning more about simple living and slowly working towards it. Thank you for your useful sharing!!
You could not have expressed my feelings better. I have been slowly trimming down my excess possessions. I live I a cluttered space mostly because my husband houses product in our garage and spare places in our home, so trimming back is difficult. Because I like to cook and have a number of gadgets, I noticed that I only use a few of these regularly. So, I’m thinking to have a box nearby and after using one of these items, throwing them in there. Anything else still left in the drawers after lets say a month will have to be discarded. Because it’s obvious it’s only taken space. Same with clothes and on down the line. When I worked, my wardrobe was considerably more extensive, but totally unnecessary, so it’s time to eliminate those items as well.
Thanks for a well written article.
I don’t know what to do. I have always tried to live a minimalist life, but I fell in love and now have been living with him for ten years. We have two children. Our house is a screen shot from some Twilight movie. Neither of us is into buying, but he hoards. He drags home cut tree branches and grass from the neighbors and dumps them in the parking spot. He picks up broken planters’ pots and rusty nails. He gathers used cardboard boxes and gift wrapping papers from other people’s recycling bins. Never throws away anything and fishes out what I throw way from the garbage can, hides them from in the most unlikely places. They become nasty surprises. In the drawers meant for keys and maps he puts drained batteries, broken sunglasses, extra keys from apartments he rented twenty years ago in Switzerland and broken arms and legs from Playmobile dolls. Once he kept a dead cat (road kill) in the garbage can for a day so that he could dig hole in the garden to bury it….for fertilizer purpose. Am I too paranoid but is this still normal? I have a feeling that this is not a “decluttering” problem only.
No, this is not normal. Your husband is a hardcore hoarder. If he won’t get help, you should look into getting therapy for yourself, to learn ways of asserting yourself and setting boundaries. He is probably so caught up in his fixation that he can’t see how this harms his relationships, especially with his family. You can’t change him, but do you really want to watch it getting worse and worse, for the rest of your life? He hoards trash, for heaven’s sake! You may have to consider living elsewhere, at least for a while. This is not a good environment for children. They will grow up with the message that nothing in the world matters more to daddy than his useless, dangerous stuff – not their comfort, their safety, or their sanity.
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Go AWAY; peddle your wares elsewhere!
Question. I have had to move home and take care of my elderly mother. I AM A MINIMALIST. She is not. Each time I mention something or I share an article about removing clutter, she gets angry. She tells me these things will mean something when she is gone. I do not want material things. I want to live in peace and to visit with her each day. It makes me crazy to see a dining room table with books and the daily newspaper on it and to have a small trash can and 2 other recycling containers just “hanging” out in the kitchen / dining rooms. Help me help myself. I want to respect her things however it is truly making me physically ill to have so many “Treasurers” laying on each level surface!?
I have the same problem with my mother. She fills many rooms in our house with her stuff or brocken/useless things (she even takes things back from the garbage!). I don’t know what to do anymore.
Teresa, I hear what you are saying. However, try to allow your mom just to have what brings her happiness in this time of her life. She has many things going on in her life that she has no control over; allow her to hold on to her possessions as long as she can because that is all that she can ‘control’. Her health is failing, she can no longer care for herself, her independence is gone. Of course she will fight you in trying to downsize; she may not realize that she is fighting the loss of her independence, so just let her have what she wants. This will not last forever; eventually you can purge her home and have the peace you need. She will never need to know that you don’t value the things that she values, and that is a good thing because it makes her feel good that she will have stuff to give you that she thinks you will value. Allow her to have the last bit of her independence available; your job is to make her remaining life easier for her. It will be harder for you to allow her to have her clutter, but in the end, you will know that you did everything to preserve your mom’s happiness, and isn’t that more important in the final scheme of things?
Super great advice!!
After reading your posts for several months, I finally took the plunge and began downsizing! Four bags and three boxes want to Salvation Army, a few things to friends and more to trash and recycle. I hope to keep the momentum going! Thank you for sharing your experiences and wisdom!
There’s an old book called “Your Money or Your Life” that has you go through some of your things or desired purchases to figure out how much that costs in your time – how many hours (or minutes) do you have to work in your job to own that. It can be really a really enlightening perspective and help in making some of those decisions to de-own or not purchase in the first place.
#2&3 particularly hit home for me. Thank you for these inspiring posts. They help!
Yes we wish we had a million pound right now so that my hubby can quit his backbreaking job as a carer.
Otherwise we are quite ok.
Only one debt, which is covered by savings. We only keep the debt going because of job uncertainty so that we can service the debt and pay the rent if anyone of us loses his job.
There’s just one easy rule to follow. Remove more stuff from the house than you bring in.
And a few more for beneficial side effects.
At spring cleaning sort out the damaged and useless. If you can’t fix it today, dump it.
Don’t just dump things to clear the house. If it would be useful to someone else give it away. If you know him, don’t wait for birthday or Christmas. This way they all get useful stuff over the year and focus on Christmas and birthday on you.
And fashion? Fashion is so ugly it has to be replaced every 6 months.
Go for style instead. Style lasts for years.
Go for twoo weeks of underwear so that you don’t need the washing machine for a shirt and a pair of socks.
And forget hand wash. A washing machine is far cheaper than a new back.
Every single of one these seven things is absolutely golden! I started flirting with minimalism a few months ago, and I love the feeling of slowing going through my belongings and paring down. And now that I’m fully self-employed running my own copywriting business, I’m especially thankful that it’s easier to want less and spend less now. Great post Joshua, thank you!
Number 2 could have included having to protect one’s possessions from being lost or stolen.
I have a problem with having too many possessions, I have lived on so much less now since I was not able to do my laundry in months, since my ex-friend is not in my life because of financial reasons.
I agree with you Tom,
Owning less, not wasting money, food etc can be beneficial but it is human nature to share life with others and if there is no one to share your limited possessions it won’t help all problems.
Once you decide to live a simpler life, you start looking at how else you can minimize. Last summer we decided to make a drastic change and sold our home (3600 sf ft) and moved across country. We were tired of the up keep and purged our belongings down to 22 feet of a moving truck for a family of four (and an office). We moved into a 1700 sf ft home. We spent more time with our kids and being active. We recently moved again and were able to go down to 20 feet. We are still unpacking, but are filling our dining room with more things to get rid of. It is very freeing to live minimally. We still feel we have too many belongings, but I think once you put your mind to it, you always will think that way. Plus, by selling or donating the unwanted items, it helps pay off debt or other expenditures. Anyway, thanks Josh for championing the cause.
I’ve never lived in a home larger than 900sqft, not even with our parents.
I rent a room in a house where I have lived for almost 24 years. It’s small and I have a lot of clutter but my monthly rent is low and I have no plans to move unless it’s absolutely necessary. Last week, I did remove some of the clutter from my room which helps a little so this helps somewhat.
It took my a single day to realize, I want to stop buying clothes. After discovering minimalism, and what it is all about, I came to this realization. I never shopped much, but I liked to look at clothes online and WANTING to buy them. And when I did, I rarely wore them. Now, I feel like that self of me was crazy. What was I thinking? Why did I want that stuff in the first place?
I now find myself trying to get rid of a lot of my clothes. I no longer give shopping a single thought in my head. And I do not worry about not having enough money for clothes, because I already have all I want and need.
I enjoy shopping now more than ever. I’m not quite there, but have found freedom in NOT needing stuff!!
I ask myself “do i need this?” The answer is most often NO.
This is so where I’m at, so I feel you, I trick myself into believing when i lose weight I get in it then, NOT! Lol! Get rid of it, it really does fill good.
Having freed myself from a lot of clutter, not all of it as yet,….the next big things are heaps of books….many are gone, but still more need to go, also the ones I am attached to. The dismal weather has a silver lining: I read or scan, no not onto,the computer, but with my eyes, one book after another and make a few notes in an especially designated note book, and then the book goes to the goodwill store….it is a good process. Thanks for the continual and needed inspiration!
I love this article and it really reflects where I am right now. I embraced minimalism a few months ago, when my boyfriend moved into my comfortably-sized home and I started fretting about where to put all my “stuff”. As I went through my stuff, item by item, I realized that I had absolutely no emotional attachment or need for most of them. It hit me like a brick wall as I tried to cram things into my closets: life is not about the things around us, but rather about the people we love and the wonderful experiences we have with those around us. That moment inspired me to purge huge loads of items to Goodwill, thrift stores, Craigslist, the city dump, and my friends. I get just as much of a “high” now from purging items as I used to get from buying them! I wish I could share my newly found happiness with everyone around me, but most still don’t get it. In particular, I have one friend who constantly frets about the amount of debt she is in; however, when I visit her place all I see is rooms full of unnecessary items. She often falls victim to buying something if she feels she may want or need it “someday”. She lives in a huge home that is overfull with clutter, and it’s stressful for me just to stop by. I can’t imagine how she lives with it. I wish I could explain to others how much easier their lives would be if they let go of the extra clutter. I think it’s just something you have to discover for yourself.
I hear you. I’ve managed to unload some stuff that’s been cluttering up the garage, porch, house…and when I got rid of those things, I felt a great weight lifted from my shoulders and that was just scratching the surface. This weekend I’ll be taking a load of clothes and stuff to charity, old towels to the vet and putting a bunch of stuff out front with a free sign on it. I can’t wait. My husband’s not totally on board with it, but I’m working on it. He’s not the one always picking up stuff moving it from one place to another and is pretty oblivious to it.
Speaking of spending less: I had a co-worker who used to say all the time how he needed more money and should ask for a raise. I suggested he give himself a raise: stop spending and that’ll put some cash in our pocket!
All very true… Owning lots of possessions can easily allow anxiety to creep up. Owning less frees up so much mental space.
I agree with all the sentiments you express, Joshua. Over the years I have moved house a number of times. Each time, I have discarded absolutely LOADS of stuff. I still seem to have heaps of stuff, but it gets easier every time I up-stumps to discard those extra items I have collected along the way.
Some years ago our family of 5 travelled in a caravan for 8 months. We each took 2 sets of clothes each, 2 saucepans, an electric frypan, a plate, bowl,cup and cutlery and we were HAPPY. We didn’t miss a thing.This experience taught me that you don’t need much to enjoy life.
People laugh at my old TV with the digital set top box and my 7 year old Nokia phone which does all that I want it to do – phone and text. But I think sometimes we up-date, and fill our houses with new stuff just to impress other people with how well we are doing, how much we are earning, how much we are keeping up with the Jones’, etc.
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Spending less is such a basic advice that oozes common sense and yet very few people seem to pay heed to it. I’m never against investing money but spending on things and not assets, is mostly unnecessary.
I am so happy that you put in that quote by ‘Peace Pilgrim’. I was trying to think of her ‘name’ all day and how I was so impressed with her, loved the book and tape. I gave them to my UU church for an idea for a sermon in ’99 but it was never used… I never got the materials back. I also remember that when I sent for the books and VHS from the person who offered them, all of the materials were free. I believe that that woman was killed by a car as she was walking along the road. Is this true? I love your newsletters! Thank you. Linda
Linda, there is lots of information about Peace Pilgrim online and it looks like most of it is free.
http://www.peacepilgrim.com/index.htm