{"id":26950,"date":"2022-07-10T16:03:54","date_gmt":"2022-07-10T23:03:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.becomingminimalist.com\/?p=26950"},"modified":"2024-03-15T11:10:06","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T18:10:06","slug":"134-items","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.becomingminimalist.com\/134-items\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s What It\u2019s Like to Own Just 134 Items in the World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Note: This is a guest post by<\/em> Charlie Brown of Simple and Straightforward<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The average American household owns 300,000 possessions<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I own 0.05% of that number. In other words, 134 items. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was never my intention to live with so little. But back in 2020 my husband and I had the opportunity to sell our wine business, house and most of what we own in order to travel the world indefinitely, working online as we go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All I had room for was what would fit in my suitcase, plus a box or two to be stored in my family home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People will tell you it\u2019s unrealistic to live with so little, that it\u2019s deprivation under the guise of \u201cminimalism\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After nearly two years of this lifestyle, I can say with absolute conviction that it\u2019s neither of those things. In fact, more and more people are choosing to live like this, and finding freedom like they\u2019ve never experienced before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what it’s really like to live with fewer than 150 possessions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You miss less than you expect <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the number one question I get asked – don\u2019t you miss all your stuff? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I went into this new traveling phase of my life with very little expectation as to whether I would miss anything or not. I figured that if I did, I could always stop traveling and settle again. (Hey, it\u2019s always <\/em>an option). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As it turns out, I miss very little indeed. The only two I can think of are the guarantee of a good mattress and bedding, (not a given when you live out of short term accommodation,) and a choice few pieces of cooking equipment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even these I miss less than I thought I would. I used to sleep terribly at home – despite an exceptionally comfortable bed – because I was stressed and burnt out. When I started to travel, I worked hard to eliminate many of the big stresses in my life and to recover from the burnout. The result is I\u2019m sleeping much better, despite the occasional bad bed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the kitchen equipment? As a self-confessed foodie, I\u2019ve made it my mission to become super flexible with my cooking, getting creative with what my short term accommodation provides me. It\u2019s been a real education, one that I might not have had if I had the opportunity to keep my prefered kitchen setup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re taught that possessions are of the utmost importance in life, that they should be prioritized above everything else, including travel, sustainable living and even our mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s only once you shed the excess that you realize how we\u2019ve been duped. Because like me, you\u2019ll probably find you miss many, many <\/em>fewer items than you expect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not about the number of items <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question isn\u2019t how many possessions should you live with, rather how does what you live with make you feel? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life is about balance. Deprivation has no place at the minimalist table and is just as unwelcome as too much clutter. And in order to find that balance, you need to discover how many possessions is the optimum for you and you only. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my case, I wasn\u2019t trying to live with an arbitrary number. It was simply about what would fit into my desired lifestyle. Or indeed, my suitcase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My number happened to be 134. Yours might be much more and that\u2019s cool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minimalism is all about living with intentionality which can be found in thousands of items just as much as 100. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can always rent what you don\u2019t own <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t have to own everything in order to make use of it. In fact, almost everything in life is available to rent, from accommodation filled with kitchen equipment, bedding and furniture, to cars to bicycles to, well, pretty much anything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless you\u2019re happy sleeping on the floor and eating out everyday, the only way one can live with so few possessions is to make full use of this sharing economy<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really enjoy renting what I need. It gives me full flexibility and is often a cheaper and more sustainable way of living. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And you don\u2019t have to be a permanent traveler in order to make use of the sharing economy. In fact, if you\u2019ve ever taken an Uber, ordered from Just Eat, even looked something up on Wikipedia, then you have already utilized it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Renting is underrated. Sometimes it\u2019s the best option in life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This isn\u2019t an unrealistic lifestyle <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After \u201cwhat do you miss?\u201d the next question I get asked is \u201cwhen are you coming home and settling down again?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traveling with just over 100 items is not thought of as a realistic, sustainable lifestyle. Most people assume it\u2019s just a phase, one you\u2019ll grow out of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the longer I spend on the road, the more people I see making this lifestyle work long term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many countries, renting a fully furnished apartment, complete with bedding, furniture and a fully equipped kitchen, is pretty standard. I even have friends in their 50s – with a couple of kids in tow – who have rented like this for years, sometimes staying still, sometimes traveling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Predictions say there will be up to a billion nomads in the world by 2035. That\u2019s 13% of the world who will be, by design, living with fewer possessions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There will likely come a time where I will own more possessions than I currently do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But now I know how little I can happily live with, I will probably never own much more. And just because I might <\/em>live with more stuff in the future doesn\u2019t make what I live with now \u201cunrealistic.\u201d This has been my life for the last 20 months, and is going to continue to be so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minimalism isn\u2019t an unfeasible lifestyle. It\u2019s gaining popularity across the world as more and more people realize they\u2019re overburdening themselves – and the world – with excess stuff. That\u2019s not unrealistic – it\u2019s just different. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, do you want to know what the 134 items are? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s my latest inventory:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n