“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.
Teri Clifton says
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. :)
Tina says
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.
Mary says
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.
Felix Erude says
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!
Miriam says
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.
Nancy says
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.
Chris says
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….
Scarlet says
I was curious…are there ever times when you needed something you got rid of or were sorry that you dont have it anymore?
Chris says
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. :)
Linda- says
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.
Jane says
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! :)
Leslie says
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!
cynthia sarmiento says
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…
Karlos says
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/
Jonathan says
http://thesimplehedonist.blogspot.com/
Lee Ann says
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.