Minimalism (The Not Owning Stuff Kind)

I'm attempting this, with everything but clothing. Stupid I know, but it will all be designer stuff so I won't be buying alot of it.

Originally Posted by Milpool

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I have to sit there and painstakingly wrap the crystal stemware so it doesn't get smashed, wrap the kitchen knife blades with cardboard so they don't stab through, or get dinged and damaged when moving.

You must be married.

That raises an interesting point. Obviously there are women who are minimalists or who aren't driven by material gain. But it seems less common than men doing the same. I know quite a few guys who didn't own a lot of stuff until they were married. Reminds me of the Dave Chappelle saying about a man's need for material things versus a woman's:

"If a man could **** a ***** in a cardboard box, he wouldn't have a house."

Originally Posted by APK

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You must be married.

That raises an interesting point. Obviously there are women who are minimalists or who aren't driven by material gain. But it seems less common than men doing the same. I know quite a few guys who didn't own a lot of stuff until they were married. Reminds me of the Dave Chappelle saying about a man's need for material things versus a woman's:

"If a man could **** a ***** in a cardboard box, he wouldn't have a house."

Sad thing is that no, I'm not married. I have this strange ability to attract women in a substantially higher SE bracket than I am in. My dad calls it a "birth defect" but one of my friends calls it "enough charisma to actually marry into money".

I seem horribly unsuccessful at finding the down to earth, honest woman that appreciates hard work, is satisfied with the simple things in life, etc that I would prefer to have.

So, over the years, I've accumulated a lot of stuff that just amazes me, given my taste for nomadic life. Do I really need crystal wine glasses? I like wine, but seriously, I can't tell the difference between the same wine served in a 5 cent styrofoam coffee cup or fancy crystal glass.

Originally Posted by Milpool

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Sad thing is that no, I'm not married. I have this strange ability to attract women in a substantially higher SE bracket than I am in. My dad calls it a "birth defect" but one of my friends calls it "enough charisma to actually marry into money".

I seem horribly unsuccessful at finding the down to earth, honest woman that appreciates hard work, is satisfied with the simple things in life, etc that I would prefer to have.

So, over the years, I've accumulated a lot of stuff that just amazes me, given my taste for nomadic life. Do I really need crystal wine glasses? I like wine, but seriously, I can't tell the difference between the same wine served in a 5 cent styrofoam coffee cup or fancy crystal glass.

SE bracket?

I think over the last couple of years, I have begun to be more minimalistic. I am single, 24 years old, and I think I can probably fit all my possessions in a couple of bags.

To the married guys:

Is it a concensus then that when you get married, minimalism goes out the window? Assume kids and all that..

Originally Posted by feynmix

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SE bracket?

I think over the last couple of years, I have begun to be more minimalistic. I am single, 24 years old, and I think I can probably fit all my possessions in a couple of bags.

Socioeconomic bracket. Basically I seem to attract wealthy chicks, which means materialism usually.

I'm surprised by the responses so far. I figured this would at best, split respondents. Maybe we just haven't attracted the gents who keep the Fine Living sub-forum rolling.

To push this along a little more, there certainly seems to be a correlation between having a house with lots of space and/or a large income and increased need or desire to accumulate possessions.

We lived in a decently sized two-story house when I was growing up. My mom seemed to have this complex where space had to be filled with something. The six-foot stretch of space over there couldn't just be a space. It was just a temporarily empty spot until it was filled by an unnecessary piece of furniture, shelf, or hideous creation from a craft show.

we have a small house, one car, one affordable vacation a year. i have sold or given away most of my clothes. kept only my 25 favorite pieces and 5 or 6 pairs of shoes.

Originally Posted by longskate88

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To the married guys: Is it a concensus then that when you get married, minimalism goes out the window? Assume kids and all that..
For me, yes. When I moved to the East Coast, everything I owned fit into a 2-door Nissan. Now that I have a wife and kid, we have a house full of stuff. Most of the non-essential stuff is hers or my son's, but somehow that non-essential **** feels necessary. I can't imagine purging the house saying 'Sorry, we're minimalist now so Thomas the Tank Engine has to go.' I think it really has helped that I've embraced the digital. If my music and Appreciation were actual physical objects, the house would be overrun with disks. As for my happiness, I'm happier now than I was then. I think having a good relationship with my wife and son has a lot more to do with my happiness than whether I own **** or not. If you truly don't care about material possessions, then you should be able to buy/own them just the same without much consequence.

I have no idea what I would even do with a house with 1500+ sq. feet unless is was a large barn-like open space or loft. I'll likely never own one so that's a problem I won't have to worry about.

I did belong in the minimalist camp until about 2 years ago: up until that time, I had worked in a position that was dress down casual in the extreme.

It all started when I had to go for interviews and realized I had to look good.

It was all downhill from there.

But really...I spent 2 months in Europe with a hardshell carryon and a backpack. All I needed fit into those 2 pieces of luggage: makes me think about nowadays.

Marriage challenges one's desire to live simply, and minimally. Marriage to pack rat is just plain hell. I know.

I try, but I think I have too many gear- heavy hobbies to truly be a minimalist. But even for those things (cameras, shooting / hunting, fly fishing) I try not to overdo it; I'm not the guy with 50 camera lenses and a dozen fly rods. I buy quality over quantity whenever possible, and not being rich, that helps me to not have too much stuff. With clothing, shoes, personal items, etc. I find it helps to automatically rule out buying stuff just because it's a good deal or on sale.

I have also evolved a sort of Rule of Two; for many things, I find limiting myself to just two good quality examples is a good method. This usually takes the form of 1 thing for everyday or rough use, and 1 thing for special occassions, dressing more formally, etc. Examples include wearing Ray Ban aviators most days and sometimes Persols, using a DuPont Xtend lighter daily but sometimes a silver Dunhill, etc., things like that. I have accumulated a few fairly nice watches over the years. I think I'm going to sell all but one of them to get one really good dressier watch to go with my daily wear timepiece.

I guess this is by no means minimalism but rather a limited, more thoughtful form of accumulation. I like nice things, but I detest clutter more than anything. If I can't store it neatly and conveniently, I don't want it.

Cheers,
G

I am very acquisitive.

Originally Posted by Milpool

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I can remember when everything I owned literally fit into my car. I had my clothes, a plate, mug, fork and knife, a pan, a blanket and towel, all my climbing gear, and that was about it. I didn't have a bed or any real form of furniture. I slept on the floor in my apartments/houses that I lived in unless I was lucky enough to find one that was furnished.

I've lived abroad in a similar manner and it was nice. I had what I needed to keep me happy. I drank a lot of rum and wine out of my coffee mug since that was all I had. Same with my friends that I made. No one cared that I had no dishes, they didn't either. It was always more important to just spend time with the people you cared about.

Now, I have tons of ****. I need a big ass moving truck to move. Boxes of clothes, books, dvds, cds, furniture, kitchen stuff, etc. I have to sit there and painstakingly wrap the crystal stemware so it doesn't get smashed, wrap the kitchen knife blades with cardboard so they don't stab through, or get dinged and damaged when moving. I spend a lot of time each week washing clothes, dishes, ironing, polishing shoes, etc.

I don't think I'm any happier for it.

What?!? You don't keep the boxes?

Anyway, I personally buy a fair amount of stuff, but I don't fill my place with crap. I have lots of electronics/home theater/computer/photography stuff, some blu-rays/books, a decent amount of clothes, and lots of kitchen/dining stuff. Everything I have sees a fair amount of use and gives me some enjoyment. I don't think I own anything that just sits on a shelf collecting dust though, so i'm definitely not a pack rat. I throw out stuff I no longer have a need for on a fairly regular basis.