Has Minimalism bitten anyone?

[Blue Collar Guy]

We're presently minimalizing from 5 cars to 4 cars, from 4 houses to 3 houses (10,000 square feet total to 7500 square feet), 2 boats, 2 ATV's and 1 Rottweiler (down from two Rottweilers).

Had our first garage sale a week ago and pocketed $1,250--going into our travel fund.

Now, we're evicting our daughter from her (our) house and will be going down another 2,800 square feet.

7500 sq feet, thats my idea of minimalist, i like it.

 

[RobbieB]

Reacher never washed anything, he just tossed the stuff and bought new stuff.

 

[Fedup]

Reacher never washed anything, he just tossed the stuff and bought new stuff.

He sounds like my ideal guy. I don't wash things either, especially when I travel.

 

[HFWR]

If it stays in the hamper long enough, it's clean again!

 

[brucethebroker]

Fed Up. Yea. By the time you spend 4+ hours selling your yard-sale items and having everyone nickel and dime you, you get almost nothing for it. You might as well donate it and take the tax bracket write-off.

I suppose that happens, but we usually make $200 plus for each 1/2 day spent selling-much more if decent furniture is included. Of course, there is time invested organizing and pricing, but the money (tax free) is not bad when broken down by the hour. Combine your sale with a friend, and have a nice time socializing while the buyers are busy. After the sale, call GW or Salvation Army to take the remnants.

As an incentive, we take the cash and use it for a couple of dinners out or to purchase something special.

 

[Koolau]

I have read almost all the Reacher books, and he has an interesting philosophy. If he had more clothes the would need something to carry them,like a suitcase. more STUFF!!
As an aside, the casting of Cruise in the movie was a joke. In the books, Reacher is a former Major in the MP's, is well over six foot tall, and weighs about 225-250-all muscle.

I've not read the books. Tom IS tiny but the film made him look big (and he had obviously been at the gym.) I thought the film had lots of holes and "suspension of disbelief moments." Still, it was kinda fun and made me think of an alternate life-style. Of course, DW thought the minimalism concept silly, so there's that... YMMV

 

[Totoro]

Some take it too far. You should keep at a minimum. 1 fork, one knife, a spoon, a bowl, 2 sets of undergarments, one pair of shoes, slacks, shirt. Belt will come in handy also, as will socks. A phone, a bike, and a towel. Hat is an option as is cold weather clothing. If you minimize beyond this, you will likely regret it and have to buy something.

spoon & fork => spork. Clothes: one to wear, one to wash, one to spare.

And sunscreen. Trust me.

 

[Pellice]

I have read almost all the Reacher books, and he has an interesting philosophy. If he had more clothes the would need something to carry them,like a suitcase. more STUFF!!
.

St. Francis refused to even own a bible, because then he would have to have something to carry it in. And one robe only (remember, this is a man who threw off all his clothes in church to free himself from encumbrances!)

But I spent enough of my life as a poor graduate student. I plan to upsize now that I am retiring. Not in terms of space or numbers, but I hope soon to buy a true bedroom suite. And I just bought a new car with heated seats, a moon roof, and a remote open! And I am REVELING in it. Waiting 40+ years for these delights!

 

[W2R]

But I spent enough of my life as a poor graduate student. I plan to upsize now that I am retiring. Not in terms of space or numbers, but I hope soon to buy a true bedroom suite. And I just bought a new car with heated seats, a moon roof, and a remote open! And I am REVELING in it. Waiting 40+ years for these delights!

Your life sounds a bit like mine! After decades of living like a student, I am now enjoying a well funded retirement and the novelty of having enough money to buy what I need or want.

So far in life I have never bought a new bedroom suite, but the one I bought used for $400 almost 20 years ago seems adequate to me. I went shopping for a new one several years ago and saw some beautiful ones but was shocked at the low quality that I encountered, and at such high prices. I decided that I'd rather keep what I have, and gave up. Hopefully you will have much better luck than I did in your shopping expeditions.

 

[Doribe]

I retired in May of 2016. I refused to spend my first year out cleaning closets. Now that I have passed the one year mark I am hitting downsizing in a big way. I started selling stuff on eBay and I am donating a lot of old clothes. I'm trying to get DH to sell larger stuff on craigslist. I am very comfortable in my 3000sf house. I could use less space but I am so happy here I don't want to blow it. I plan to start renting out a room on airbnb to help with my huge property tax bill. I am in the process of selling off my vacation properties.

 

[Koolau]

Your life sounds a bit like mine! After decades of living like a student, I am now enjoying a well funded retirement and the novelty of having enough money to buy what I need or want.

So far in life I have never bought a new bedroom suite, but the one I bought used for $400 almost 20 years ago seems adequate to me. I went shopping for a new one several years ago and saw some beautiful ones but was shocked at the low quality that I encountered, and at such high prices. I decided that I'd rather keep what I have, and gave up. Hopefully you will have much better luck than I did in your shopping expeditions.

You are so right about the poor quality of furniture. Unless you pay big bucks, most of it is some level of cheep pressed wood put together with nail guns. DW and I kept our BR suite bought when we first got married. It cost a month's pay but we still use it when we visit the mainland. It's Ethan Allen and you wouldn't know it's used with the exception of a couple of dings and the occasional claw mark (don't even start!) YMMV

 

[daylatedollarshort]

We live in an area that is getting a bit tonier each year which means great pickings at the thrift shops and estate sales. I never used to go to either or shop at Ikea until I helped one of the kids furnish a first apartment. It looked so cute when it was done, cost next to nothing, and the treasure hunt part and price bartering were a lot of fun. Since then I've gotten some great buys for us, too, but the thrift store buys and minamalism are kind of yin / yang hobbies. I've got to focus on the decluttering and minimalism a bit more for now.

 

[HFWR]

I can't say that I take minimalism to the extreme, but there aren't that many things I want that I don't have, and, other than guitars, I don't collect anything besides dust... That's not to say if my stash gets much larger than I anticipate that I might buy a few things I otherwise wouldn't...

 

[Shanky]

When I was a young, single man, my policy was I needed to be able to carry all my earthly possessions down a couple flights of stairs in one trip. Worked well for me at the time. Marriage, Kids, life made that impossible a few years later.

 

[haha]

When I was a young, single man, my policy was I needed to be able to carry all my earthly possessions down a couple flights of stairs in one trip. Worked well for me at the time. Marriage, Kids, life made that impossible a few years later.

This is exactly correct. If you are really committed to minimalism you must avoid children, and IMO also marriage. If you have a live-in boyfriend or girlfriend and said lover wants to junk up, you can sometimes say, OK, see you around. While often in real life we cannot summon the courage to do this, the choice is at least possible, especially if you have been aware of various patrimony statutes and court decisions. But if you are married 95% of the time expedience dictates that you suck it up and make room in your life and budget for storage, large closets full of almost unfathomable clothing collections in various stages of used to fit, almost fit and might fit someday, as well as fit now if I lie down and suck in my tummy, sports equipment, garages full of hobby cars and or stuff, exercise equipment, etc!

Ha