Voluntary Simplicity

[Casper]

I find this subject to be really neat.

People tend to poke fun of me for being a minimalist. They think that because I don't have my life stockpiled with meaningless things means that I am just stingy with money. Really, I just don't like having a lot of possessions to keep up with.

I am interested to stepping this up a notch once I get out of college and get a place of my own.

[Twisterdog]

Thanks for your replies, everyone.

I really started thinking about this when my father passed away in February. It was, far and away, the most horrific loss and emptiness I have ever experienced. I had to clean out his house and get rid of his lifetime of possessions, and it was so incredibly difficult. He really didn't buy a lot of things at any one time, but he never got rid of anything, literally. Every item my parents ever purchased since they bought their house in 1961 was still there. It was daunting, to say the least. And, every day I spent looking at all the things he accumulated, then came home to all the things I had accumulated in my house ... and none of it mattered. All the "stuff" we both spent so much time working to afford - none of it could bring back my daddy. That time would have been so much better spent going for a walk together, or going fishing.

So I started getting rid of stuff in my house I don't need. I thought I didn't really have a lot of stuff - I've never been much of a shopper - but it was surprising how much I actually did have. Surprising and disheartening. But I'll tell you, every item that I donated to charity felt a little bit lighter and more free. My husband thinks I'm nuts ... he is Mr. Acquisition. On an almost daily basis, he talks about what he wants to buy .... a new car, a motorcycle, a camper, a boat, a bigger house, etc. I am leaning the exact opposite direction.

[Cookiebaker]

I wanted to say first, Twister, I'm so sorry for the loss of your Dad.

But Wow, I love this topic. I've kind of been going through these thought processes, too.

This past fall, we had our roof re-done, and the contractors left us with a HUGE garbage dumpster that was less than 1/3 full. They told us we could fill it as much as we wanted for the same price. I hauled through this house, and we filled that baby up. We have been married just 10 years, and i couldn't believe some of the stuff that we kept! So ever since then, everytime I go 'shopping', i always think about that, and it has changed my thinking sooo much. "Is this going to end up in the attic or a closet? Does it have a purpose? How long will I use it for? Will it end up in the dumpster?" And 9/10 times I don't buy whatever the item is.

We have so much STUFF. It feels so great to be getting to a place where I know what I have, and it all has a place that it belongs.