Levels of possessions

[SecondCor521]

Hi all,

I've noticed something about levels of possessions. It seems to me that there are somewhat reinforcing and stable levels of the amount of possessions one owns:

Homeless people, like Jesus
Extreme minimilists, perpetual travelers (the Terhorsts or the Talbots)
Full time RVers
Housebound minimalists
Typical Americans
Affluent Americans

What I mean by reinforcing and thus stable levels can be conveyed somewhat by the following examples:

Typical Americans own a house, car, and lawnmower. They own a lawnmower because they own property with grass on it, and they own a house with a garage because they need a place to store the car and lawnmower. They need to car to travel to the job in order to pay for the house to put the car and lawnmower.

RV wanderers own a car and a house all in one. They don't own a lawnmower because they don't have a lawn. They probably own a coffeepot out of convenience.

Extreme minimalists and PT travelers don't own a lawnmower or house, and therefore they may not need a car or a job, so they can own less stuff. But they own a backpack to carry their stuff. They buy coffee at Starbucks with their debit card.

Homeless people don't own a backpack, because they don't have enough stuff to need one or have enough money to get one. They drink coffee that is free from one place or another.

Affluent Americans don't own a lawnmower, tools, ladders, or cleaning supplies because they have enough money to hire out those kinds of jobs.

What level are you at? Why? Have you considered changing to a different level? Why? Has anyone transitioned across three or more levels?

(By the way, I am not implying any value judgments)

2Cor521

 

[tightasadrum]

Typical American. I'd enjoy RV-type I think, but I would have to proceed with dual type identification because DW couldn't be blown out of her castle/nest.

 

[FIREd]

I am currently a "Typical American" though I will soon become a "housebound minimalist".

Right now: we own a 2500 sqft house with garage, 2 cars, lawnmower, and all the trimmings... In a few weeks: we will be renting a 800 sqft condo, we will still own 1 car but no lawnmower. I am ruthlessly getting rid of a lot of stuff in preparation for the move. At least 70% of our possessions gotta go. I don't want to live in a small condo stuffed with things, so it's a great motivation.

Why do it? No profound reason for it. Just moving from an inexpensive suburb in Dixie to an expensive downtown area on the West Coast. Completely different lifestyle, completely different needs.

 

[Midpack]

Interesting OP. I am probably also typical American (even though income was affluent) and happily moving toward minimalist, though not housebound (?). Seems like a prerequisite for ER...

 

[Nords]

I'd like to think that we're housebound minimalists because we're [-]cheap[/-] frugal. We have what we need without going overboard. For example, spouse has a CRT TV because she sees no reason to upgrade to an LCD, let alone HD. But we have more house and more land than we really need.

We got our lawnmower for free from a typical American neighbor who was upgrading... and he's still working for a paycheck.

 

[rmark]

Housebound minimalist I guess - 800 sq ft mobile home on 2.5 acres. Two vehicles, but the truck only gets driven about once a week. DW complains I sometimes donate stuff too fast.

 

[Onward]

During my w*rking years I bounced between extreme minimalist and housebound minimalist, according to your categories. I'm now an extreme minimalist. I've always needed to feel I could pick up and go anywhere at a moment's notice. That was true when I was a teenager, and it's still true today.

 

[haha]

Homeless people don't own a backpack, because they don't have enough stuff to need one or have enough money to get one. They drink coffee that is free from one place or another.
2Cor521

Maybe that is the way Jesus did it, but not most homeles people. If they are quite mobile, they own a huge backpack. Less mobile, a grocery cart and various large balck garbage bags.. They have cardboard to put under their sleeping bag or bedroll, they have wool blankets. They migh have a doll or stuffed aninal for comfort. Their lives are mostly wretched, but they do what they can to achieve some physical and emotional comfort.

As for moderately well off Americans, when is a last time you saw one with only a house, car, garage and lawnmower? I refer you to to the garage thread currently running on this site for more information.

 

[Amethyst]

We have a house with 3.5 acres, a 2-car garage, but only one car. The other side of the garage contains the lawn tractor, lawn mower, rototiller, brush hog, electric chain saw, and dozens of other yard tools. We use 'em all. Personally I like the outdoor exercise, and love plants and trees. I will be sorry when, one day, I can no longer do the work myself.

Neighbors don't lift a finger - [-]illegals[/-] hired hands do everything. Sooo....I guess we are "typical," while neighbors are "affluent." But somehow, as a middle-aged lady who knows her way around a chainsaw, I don't exactly feel "typical"

Amethyst

 

[Sirka]

Hi all,

I've noticed something about levels of possessions. It seems to me that there are somewhat reinforcing and stable levels of the amount of possessions one owns:

1)Homeless people, like Jesus
2)Extreme minimilists, perpetual travelers
3)Retired - downsized
4)Full time RVers
5)Housebound minimalists
6)Typical Americans
7)Affluent Americans

What I mean by reinforcing and thus stable levels can be conveyed somewhat by the following examples:

Typical Americans own a house, 2cars, and lawnmower. They own a lawnmower because they own property with grass on it, and they own a house with a garage, so they can store all the extra stuff in it.
The cars and lawnmower are parked outside. They need the cars to travel to the job in order to pay for the house, storage units and the stuff!.

I had to revise your definitions (I hope you don't mind), so I can fit in
We are 3)Retired - downsized: 1 car, 1 RV, 3 bedroom home with garage, 1 cell phone and no landline (only NetTalk). We got rid off most of the 'stuff' when we sold our home and downsized. It does not pay to store it, except in the basement.

 

[Alan]

Not sure which definition I fit into. I used to be "Typical American" but now rent, and have no garden to look after or house maintenance to worry about. We own a car and live away from our town several months of the year in other rented accommodation in various parts of the country and also abroad.

 

[W2R]

Typical American, sort of

I own my own home and car, but no lawnmower because I have a lawn guy to mow for me. At some point I sold him my lawnmower for three free mows.

No garage either, although I wish I had one. My Venza sits out in my driveway, exposed to the rain, dirt, and hail. (sob!) Better than no Venza at all, though, and at least I have off street parking.

 

[PaddyMac]

Typical Southwest American. Have courtyard garden - but no water-hogging grass. So no need for a lawnmower. (I haven't seen a lawn since moving to New Mexico and good riddance to them!)

 

[grasshopper]

Same here in SE Arizona no grass to mow, but plenty for the wildings. No garage, but a barn full of stuff, looks like a hardware store, grocery, that two trucks drive in. We did get a little LCD TV, so we could move it about our home. The old 25 YO Sony was just heavy and falling apart(think plastic and sun). I had a new toaster oven in the barn after the old one took a dump. I have spare DVD players, air compressors, computers/parts, keyboards. Swamp cooler motors, pumps, I could just go on. 100 mile drive to a hardware store makes you buy two of everything.

 

[Nords]

... electric chain saw, ...

I had no idea these things existed.

Meanwhile, at Intergalactic Chainsaw Inc's HQ, R&D Division:
Researcher #1: "We keep making the teeth sharper, and the chain spins even faster, but the customers keep coming up with better protective gear. We're losing the danger race!"

Researcher #2: "I know-- let's make it electric. With a 20-amp cord to wrap around the chain!!"

 

[Khan]

~900 sf house (with attached garage) 5000 sf lot
1 car (2005 Kia bought used, ~2000 miles/yr)
Sporadically give stuff away (tools, car stuff, plants, clothes, costume jewelry...).

 

[tightasadrum]

~900 sf house (with attached garage) 5000 sf lot
1 car (2005 Kia bought used, ~2000 miles/yr)
Sporadically give stuff away (tools, car stuff, plants, clothes, costume jewelry...).

Khan. You're my hero.

 

[Alan]

I had no idea these things existed.

Meanwhile, at Intergalactic Chainsaw Inc's HQ, R&D Division:
Researcher #1: "We keep making the teeth sharper, and the chain spins even faster, but the customers keep coming up with better protective gear. We're losing the danger race!"

Researcher #2: "I know-- let's make it electric. With a 20-amp cord to wrap around the chain!!"

Can't be more dangerous than electric hedge trimmers. I've cut through the cord twice while cutting the huge hedge we had in our house in Baton Rouge

The GFI breaker works better than my hedge trimming abilities (these tools are also double insulated).

 

[Dreamer]

We are the typical American h/h. We own our house, 3 car garage, 3 vehicles, lawnmower, snow blower, etc. I don't think that I could ever get my DH to give up his baby (sports car) and his 2 car garage. If I could, I would love to live Alan's lifestyle of renting and then traveling and renting in different places for part of the year. It sounds ideal to me.

 

[Amethyst]

Ha ha ha! Yes, I've cut one or two electric hedge-trimmer cords in my day. I like the electric chain saw because it's far lighter than a gas-powered saw, and doesn't make smoke. It's not as powerful as a gas saw, but it gets the job done - just takes longer. I have a regular 16-inch saw, plus a small 10-inch electric pruning chainsaw mounted on a pole, for reaching over my head while I'm standing on a ladder! I am just an old cut-up!

What really frosts me is the following "safety feature" dreamed up by the manufacturers - I use heavy-duty outdoor electric cable with 3-prong male and female ends, but the hedge trimmer and chain saw only have TWO prong plugs - the better to suddenly fall out, causing the machine to quit while you're using it.

Amethyst

 

[NW-Bound]

I used to have a gas chain saw. When it quit (the magneto coil opened up and I could not find a replacement), I bought an electric one. Also have hedge trimmer and electric pole saw. You mean there are home owners without these gardening tools?

Anyway, being a DIY'er, I have lots of tools. And with two houses, each with a garage, that means some of the tools have to be duplicated. Not everything, but some.

When faced with some repair work on the houses or the cars, instead of running to the phonebook (in the old days) to look for someone to call, I thought of what tools I would need to do it myself. So, I ended up with four ladders of different configurations, radial arm saw, table saw, circular saw, saber saw, wrenches of different contortions, air impact wrenches, two air compressors, pulley pullers, floor jacks, engine stand, etc... And I am not going to talk about the esoteric electronic equipment that I own for work as well as for play.

Even entertained the idea of having my own scaffolds, but then decided that my fear of height might not allow me to make full use of them. And I never, ever, thought of owning a tractor! Not even a riding lawnmower! See, I only get what I can use.

 

[rmark]

'What really frosts me is the following "safety feature" dreamed up by the manufacturers - I use heavy-duty outdoor electric cable with 3-prong male and female ends, but the hedge trimmer and chain saw only have TWO prong plugs - the better to suddenly fall out, causing the machine to quit while you're using it. '

+1

usually quitting right as you make good progrees after suiting up to crawl into the bottom of an overgrown red cedar tree. Followed by words normally used only when working on the car.

 

[Nords]

... but the hedge trimmer and chain saw only have TWO prong plugs - the better to suddenly fall out, causing the machine to quit while you're using it.

You mean there are home owners without these gardening tools?

usually quitting right as you make good progrees after suiting up to crawl into the bottom of an overgrown red cedar tree. Followed by words normally used only when working on the car.

Well, based on my experience with our tree-trimming reciprocating saw and my pole-mounted hedge trimmer: by the time gravity finishes with me and I finally hit the ground... I'm usually pretty happy that the power tool is no longer plugged in when it lands on me.

 

[Amethyst]

Or gotten to the "don't go beyond this point" rung of the extension ladder, which is leaning against the 20-foot columnar yew that is getting a haircut. You've got the picture

Nords - You've confirmed what I suspected.... the so-called "safety" features are actually for the manufacturers to be "safe" against lawsuits

'

+1

usually quitting right as you make good progrees after suiting up to crawl into the bottom of an overgrown red cedar tree. Followed by words normally used only when working on the car.

 

[rescueme]

You could call us typical (still cut grass and shovel snow on my own), however we've planned to be "affluent" in the future as we age and don't have the ability to perform these "chores" anymore. We'll just pay to have somebody else do them.

Unlike many others, we have no plans to downsize or move just for the sake of moving. We like our home/lot size, our area, and yes we enjoy the change of seasons (e.g. we like warm - sometimes, and cold - sometimes).

Since we plan (at the current time) to age in place, we've plugged in the numbers to our retirement income plan to take care of future anticipated expenses. I guess that means we will become affluent because we have to! ...