Stuff-onomics: Hidden Side of What You Own

Photo by Cindy Loughridge

Coming back from India, I feel like a different person. Not because of India, or that this is the cliché thing to say, but because I’ve been so out of touch with my old reality that I see my old life with a drastically different perspective. On top of being away for 3 months, I’m starting a new job and we are planning to move to another country later this year. Sitting here amongst all my things packed in 50 boxes retrieved from storage, it feels as if someone had pressed the “restart” button on my life.

It’s exciting, it’s scary, it’s surreal, and it’s so damn liberating. Gosh, it’s good to be home!

I’ve learned so many life lessons in the past few months, and I’ll start to share them with you over time. But the biggest lesson I’ve learned is how little we actually need. How little we need in order to be happy.

After traveling for several months in one bag: two pairs of pants, a few shirts, a jacket, several books, and my iPod (which I used once)…. Coming home to 50 boxes full of Stuff, it felt like my world was once again being weighed down by things I didn’t need. It felt as if the things will consume more of me than I will ever consume of it. Thus, my new project: to simplify my life… starting with Stuff.

Why We Collect Stuff?

“How little we actually need in order to be happy.“

This isn’t news. You knew that, and I did too. But why was it that I couldn’t part with those DVDs I will never watch again? Or, books I’ll never read? Or, clothing that I’ll never wear?

It is the stuff in our lives which we become attached to, because they give us a sense of self, a sense of identity. And by removing them, despite the clutter they cause in our inner space, it will feel as if someone is taking away our identity. It hurts the ego on a subconscious level.

Why do we collect stuff to begin with? For me, I collected stuff, because I wanted my life story to fit a certain persona and I collected stuff that would back up that story. For example, I wanted to be viewed as an artistic person, so I collected art books, photography collectables, and art works. They are displayed throughout my home, so that when I have visitors, they can see that I am indeed an artistic person and validate my story. Similarly, when I was heavily into technology, I wanted to be viewed as a highly technical person. I bought tech books and studied them so that I too could speak the lingo and fit in with my colleagues. These were my stories, but perhaps you can relate?

After playing the part of several personas, I have become the person I am today. What changed is that I reached the point where I was so full of stuff that I didn’t have room for any more. I have played the parts of an artist, an engineer, a fashion diva, a music collector, a dancer, a snowboarder, and an intellectual book worm. All these personas left me with more stuff than I need or even want. The physical stuff clutters my living space and the sense of peace I feel in my inner space. This state follows a quote I once heard: “Your outer world is a reflection of your inner world.”

The Sadus of India are pretty content with life, yet they own very little stuff. They carry all their possessions in light cotton bags. “… the biggest lesson I’ve learned is how little we actually need. How little we need in order to be happy.”

Why We Should Let Stuff Go?

Removing excess baggage will give us peace of mind, clarity and liberty.
We are not slaves to the stuff we own. We are the masters of our lives and the creators of our stories.

Learning to Let Go

If your house was on fire and you lost all your stuff, what would you miss most? If you had to move to a smaller apartment and needed to cut your stuff in half, what can you let go of? If you had to move across the country on a limited budget, what would you take with you? For everything else you’re leaving behind, perhaps they are not adding to your wellbeing anyway?

Moving is a great opportunity to practice letting go, since the process of packing forces you to realize how much you own. The more we can get rid of, the less we’ll need to carry around with us. Even when we don’t make drastic changes to our living location, it is still a therapeutic experience to periodically remove stuff we no longer need. Good questions to ask are: when was the last time I used this? Will I use it again? Will I use it often?

Make it an annual project to sweep through all that you own and see what you can remove. Just for fun, let’s call this the ‘Stuff Reduction Project’. Here’s what I did to give you some ideas.

First, select categories of stuff that will be included in your ‘Stuff Reduction Project’. For me, they were:

• Clothing – especially Shoes and Jackets
• DVDs
• Music CDs
• Books
• Kitchen Supplies
• Household Supplies – including cables, power extensions and blank CDs
• Bathroom Supplies
• Pet Supplies
• Magazines
• Office Equipment

Each category is given 3 hours max and treated like an assignment. Try to spread the assignments out and don’t try to do too much in one day.

Start tackling each assignment with several empty boxes, or leave enough room on the floor for several sorting categories:

• Yes – Stuff I’m keeping with no pending action.
• No – Stuff I’m not keeping, but I don’t want to throw away.
• Maybe – Stuff I’m not sure about. I want to keep it, but also can do without.
• Garbage
• Recycling
• Todo – Stuff I’m keeping that has a pending action or needs special attention. Examples: Papers to file, empty CD cases where the CDs needs to be recovered, ripped clothing that needs mending, shirts that needs to be hand washed, folders I need to further sort through in detail.

For each assignment, follow these steps:

• Sort As Fast As Possible – Go through everything within the assignment category and quickly make a decision of where it should go: Yes? No? Maybe? When was the last time you wore that shirt? If it was more than a year ago, consider giving it away. How many times have you watched that DVD? Will you ever watch it again? Consider letting it go. Was the item too expensive to just toss away? Sell it and get some money back. For anything you haven’t used in a year, consider putting it in the No or Maybe bin.
• If Yes – does it have pending action? If so, put it under Todo.
• Put Yes’s Away - Take all the items under the Yes category and further sort them if necessary. Put them away in orderly fashion. Make sure everything has a home, so you know where to put things back after using it in the future.
• Sort No’s – Will someone else want this? Can I sell it or donate it? Is it garbage? Can it be recycled? Break up the items you don’t want into additional categories if appropriate. In this way, you give each item an actionable next step. Some additional categories are:
  • Sellable – I even go as far as breaking items in Sellable into where I’ll be listing them: Amazon.com, Ebay, local listings such as Craig’s list.
  • Give Away to Friend – Put a yellow sticky or attach a note with the recipient’s name.
  • Donate – If you plan to give different things to different charities or organization, do the sorting now. Example, while sorting, I separated new and business clothing for Dress For Success, and all other clothing goes to Salvation Army.
• Tending the Todo’s – If the Todo items can be quickly addressed, deal with them right away. Otherwise, put them in a box and handle them over time.
• Take Out the Trash - It is super rewarding to take out a large amount of garbage and recycling after filtering through your house. After sorting through all my paper works, I recycled two moving boxes full of paper & plastic, and two bags of garbage.
• Sell the Sellables - If you have time to list and sell items online, do it right away. It’s best to sell multiple things at once, instead of one at a time, so you can take advantage of batching and minimize trips to the post office. If things don’t sell in a given period of time, give them away in your donations box or to friends. (I have listed over 150 items and more than half have been sold. Here are some things I have remaining for sale.)
• Move Out the Donations - Bring your donation boxes to your charity of choice. This too is super rewarding. For me, after moving 10 boxes of unused clothing, books and household supplies out of my house, what felt like big weights lifted out of my shoulders. My closet is now organized and minimal, and I can finally breathe again.

Ideas for Keeping Your Stuff Under Control

I know how difficult it can be to part with your stuff, even if we’ve never used it or will ever use it again, we save it for that day, when it might become useful, except that day may never come. Often times, I’ve kept stuff I’ve never used, simply because I’ve spent good money on it and felt bad for tossing it. As a result, the stuff ends up owning me instead of me owning it.

The following are some ideas for keeping your unused possessions to a minimum.

• Re-Gift Box – I’ve told my friends and family not to buy me anymore stuff on birthdays and holidays, instead to give me something of theirs which I might be able to utilize or nothing at all. Consider setting aside a Re-Gift Box in a linen closet or dresser for things you no longer wish to keep and can make great gifts. Great choices include decorative objects of value with no apparent use, books you’ve really enjoyed but will not likely read again, home electronics still in great shape, picture frames which can be easily re-gifted with a meaningful picture. Re-gifting box is not the same as the Donation Box, only put useful or meaningful things that you’d feel comfortable giving away to friends. Re-gifting is not being cheap, it’s a practical and environmentally friendly way of re-cycling stuff by giving it a home where it can be utilized. For example, a friend of mine needs a DVD burner to back up his wedding photos, and I happen to have an extra one lying around in excellent shape. I plan to give it to him on his birthday in a month along with some blank DVDs.

• The Buying & Giving Rule – Try the ‘rule’ to allow yourself to buy something new only when you can remove something you already own. For example, only buy a new shirt if you’re willing to put an old shirt in your donation box. Similarly, only buy a new CD, if you’re willing to give away or sell another CD.
• Scheduled Sweep - Schedule periodic appointments with yourself to sweep through certain sections of your house.
• Ask Questions Before Buying - Most stuff accumulation are the result of impulse buys. I am are guilty of this and have found it helpful to ask some simple questions when I feel the urge to buy. Do I need it? How many similar items do I already own? How often do I use them?
• Waiting Period Before Buying - When you feel the urge to buy something unessential, try giving yourself a waiting period of a few days or weeks before buying it. Often times, you’ll find that you no longer need the item as you had initially felt.
• Box it. Date it. Toss it. – For stuff that you don’t want to throw away, yet have no immediate needs for. Put them in a box, close it and date the box that’s one or two years from today. Store the box in an attic or closet. Annually check on these boxes, when the date have passed, donate the box without looking to see what’s inside. If you don’t know what’s inside and haven’t used it in over a year, likely it’s not something you need anyways. And by not looking what’s inside, you won’t get attached to these things you don’t need in the first place.

Don’t expect to get rid of everything in one sweep, it’s a step process of letting go and it’s okay to keep a few things from your Maybe pile. I still have a hard time letting go of some things, but with each Stuff Reduction Project, I get better at detaching and end up removing more clutter. Expect to do several sweeps over the next few years. It takes patience, determination, courage and practice to eliminate the unnecessary clutter of unused stuff in your life. You’ll love the sense of freedom once you’re done.

Do you have tips for reducing the unnecessary stuff in your life? Talk to us in the comments. See you there!

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Other Articles You May Like:

• The Simple Life
• How to Cure PackRat-itis
• How to Reduce Information Overload
• Cleaning Out Your Life: One Closet at a Time
• Finding Clarity and Inner Stillness through Meditation

External Resources on Reducing Stuff:

• Book: Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding
• Book: Clutter Control: Putting Your Home on a Diet

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120 Responses (100 Comments, 20 Trackbacks ):

Comments

1. Coupon Codes

   May 07 08, 5:47 pm PDT

   1

   But we all still need some stuff… So when you do buy it, make sure you don’t pay full price. :)

2. Jennifer Lancey

   May 07 08, 5:48 pm PDT

   2

   Hello there. I was sent a link to your blog by a friend a while ago. I have been reading a long for a while now. Just wanted to say HI. Thanks for putting in all the hard work.

   Jennifer Lancey

3. Andrew Galasetti

   May 07 08, 6:06 pm PDT

   3

   Great article and welcome back!

   -Andrew

4. Shilpan | successsoul.com

   May 07 08, 6:17 pm PDT

   4

   Tina,

   I’m a big fan of clutter free life. As you’ve said, we define our life by possessions. In reality, possessions possess our body, mind and soul. To free up our spirit, we need to remove clutter. It’s amazing that just doing the task of clutter management provides boost in our energy and provides pathway to a better life.

   Shilpan

5. SaiF

   May 07 08, 6:31 pm PDT

   5

   Hey Tina!

   I think this post contains tons of great ideas to keep your stuff under control!

   I think you talked mostly about letting go of the stuff that you might no longer need or want and I’ve got something to add to that.

   If we give away stuff that we don’t want, you know what will happen? Newer and BETTER stuff will be attracted into your life.

   Why? It’s a law! It’s the Vacuum Law of Prosperity!

   I actually do have tips to get rid of the unnecessary stuff in your life!

   I’m talking about those emotional baggages that will make you stress-free if you just let them go.

   Just like pencil in your hand, you can choose to let it go (as Hale Dwoskin demonstrated)

   You ask yourself:

   1) What am I feeling now and can I let it go?

   2) Will I, just will I, let it go?

   3) When? (an invitation to let it go now)

   And you know what, it’s so simple! Try it, Tina and everyone else!

   I’ve had great success in losing all that emotional baggage with these 3 questions =)

   To Constant & Never-Ending Improvement,

   SaiF

   The World’s First Teen
   Personal Development Video Blogger

6. yaw

   May 07 08, 6:32 pm PDT

   6

   Glad to see your finally back! Nice post.

7. Alex Shalman

   May 07 08, 6:39 pm PDT

   7

   I’m a big fan of simplicity and decluttering. I’ve recently been donating bagloads of clothing that is too small, not in style, or that I haven’t worn in awhile. It feels much better to own less!

   Oh, and welcome back buddy!

8. Jonathan Mead

   May 07 08, 6:55 pm PDT

   8

   Tina, it’s great to have you back. I’m glad that you learned so much in your journeys. It’s so true how little we really need.

   The art of cultivation always runs to simplicity.

9. Jared

   May 07 08, 7:02 pm PDT

   9

   Great to have you back! It hasn’t been the same without you!

10. Tom Best

    May 07 08, 7:30 pm PDT

    10

    Thanks. I keep forgetting the steps for dealing with something I don’t want. Now I know… throw it out.

11. Alexander Morentin

    May 07 08, 8:16 pm PDT

    11

    Hi Tina,
    This article is fantastic.
    I am in the process of moving into a different house and am dreading taking all of the clutter that I have accumulated with me.

    I am a hardcore pack rat. It’s hard for me to throw away junk mail. :)
    Because of this I have accumulated a huge amount of stuff over the years. A lot of it is nice stuff that I have never used.

    It’s gotten to the point that I have so much stuff that I think it is affecting my life and my work.
    As you said… All this stuff is weighing me down.

    I went to my new house to do some work the other day and was able to get more work done in 3 hours than I would normally have done in a full day at my other house (I work from home).

    Here is the interesting part: I have no furniture in the house except for 2 small chairs.
    I was able to get all of this work done with 2 chairs, my laptop, and a 3-ring binder. Isn’t that amazing?

    I have made a pact with myself to get rid of at least half of what I own by the end of this month. I don’t care if I have to give it all away.
    Just the thought of having less stuff feels totally awesome.

    Thanks for the timely post. It’s good to have you back. Your blog is excellent.

    Peace. :)

    ****************************
    REPLY:

    Congrats Alexander! That is amazing! Thanks for sharing!

12. RichGrad.com | Personal Development for the Book Smart

    May 07 08, 8:25 pm PDT

    12

    Hi Tina!

    You’re back! Wow it’s been like 3 months?

    I see that you still have a strong following =D Anyway, hope to see more great articles from you soon

    Cheers,
    http://RichGrad.com
    Personal Development For The Book Smart

13. Clement

    May 07 08, 11:28 pm PDT

    13

    Tina,
    I’ve been implementing this kind of thinking for a long time now, It works really well. You have to do these kinds of things even with you computer. It’s really nice to feel you’ve uncluttered your life.

14. Ben

    May 07 08, 11:51 pm PDT

    14

    Hi Tina,

    Great to have you back – sounds like you had a fab time!!

    Great article – not easy letting go of stuff you dont use. Thanks for the advice

15. Farfield

    May 08 08, 1:36 am PDT

    15

    Great post! I’ve been thinking lately about getting rid of the unnecessary stuff in my life. There’s so little we actually use!

16. Costanza

    May 08 08, 2:36 am PDT

    16

    I’m a new fan of decluttering. Soon i will move to a new apartment and i really fear a lot that stressing things like making boxes…
    So i started decluttering…i even found broken stuff owned by my ex boyfriend (we split one year ago…) and i feel so free with everithing tidy and a lot less stuff in my house!!!
    And it will be easier to move to the new apt…

17. jitendra

    May 08 08, 2:36 am PDT

    17

    Hello mate !!!

    Not bad at all.

    I like what i c here.
    Thanks pal.

18. mark

    May 08 08, 3:16 am PDT

    18

    Hey Tina – Welcome back!

    I hope you are ready for some full on reverse culture shock. :)

    When I came back after two years in Papua New Guinea I could not go into a shopping mall for a long, LONG time!

    Good luck getting settled back in.

    Mark

19. M

    May 08 08, 3:57 am PDT

    19

    Great stuff!

20. Tibi Puiu

    May 08 08, 4:14 am PDT

    20

    This is a wonderful article Tina. Can’t believe how well we’ve synced, as I too have written an article on clutter and useless household stuff. I’m a big believer of the simple and clutter free life, always trying to live my life with as little things pulling me back as possible. Thanks a lot for the post.

21. Nathalie Lussier

    May 08 08, 4:17 am PDT

    21

    Tina your post could not be more on topic for the current stage in my life. I am back home after 5 years at University and my parents just moved house. All of my old stuff is in boxes and I am currently sifting through everything and putting things online to sell, giving things away or making a re-gift pile. I actually re-gifted something that a relative gave me for Christmas (that I never used since it stayed in the box) to a family friend who had been doing us a favor. She loved it, and worked out as a win-win situation!

    Right now I am putting all of books on half.com but I am wondering if I should consider using amazon.com instead. As for my collections, they are going on eBay and being donated. I feel so much better already just knowing how light everything will feel! I am going to China for 3 or 4 months starting in October and so I don’t want to experience the same thing you felt when you came back from India… “Why do I have so much stuff?”

    Thanks for the great post!

22. Peter | thechangeblog

    May 08 08, 4:55 am PDT

    22

    Tina,

    Welcome back! :)

    Well, as I think you know I pushed the “restart button” in 2007 when I moved from Australia to Canada. I packed up my life into two bags, so obviously a lot of “stuff” was left behind. And the funny thing is since I have been here there is so much “stuff” I haven’t replaced – I think this is reflective of my new mindset.

    I’m curious, what country are you planning to move to later this year?

    **********************
    REPLY:

    Likely the same country you’ve moved to. :) We might become neightbours. *kidding*
    We’re thinking of moving back to Canada.

23. Yannis

    May 08 08, 5:12 am PDT

    23

    Great article. It’s true, how we from a young age tend to give value and feelings to stuff. I use feel a bit sad when I would give away or get rid off old stuff. But years ago I learned that we don’t need material stuff to be happy in this world. We have to find meaning.

24. Obbop

    May 08 08, 5:48 am PDT

    24

    Most effective methos of decluttering your life and saving immense amounts of money is to kick out the female living with you, if one is present.

    Doing this improves a male’s life drastically.

    Once you rid yourself of the emotion-laden illogical creature who assuredly is enamored with trinkets and baubles a new world is open to you.

25. Dan

    May 08 08, 6:17 am PDT

    25

    Welcome back, Tina! Congratulations again on taking the time to get away, and thanks for a great post. It’s good to read your voice again…:)

    All of our re-entries have been marked by a similar experience. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly we go from wide open to stuffed.

26. natural

    May 08 08, 6:23 am PDT

    26

    welcome back! i’ve been checking your blog for weeks, glad to have you writing again.

    i often wondered that too on why people collect stuff, wrote a post on it call sentimental value…people are really attached to their stuff even if they aren’t using it. i don’t get it. you can’t be attached to everything. this is a great post, i wish i had it when i wrote mine.

27. Hunter Nuttall

    May 08 08, 6:32 am PDT

    27

    Welcome back, Tina!

    The biggest problem I have in this area is getting people to understand that I don’t want any presents for Christmas or my birthday. They think it’s weird and unnatural. I’ll try the re-gifting idea.

    Another tip–instead of buying books, try visiting a place called a “library!”

    *************************
    REPLY:

    haha.. thanks Hunter!
    I’m doing just that this week: going to the library. I realized this after an almost impulse buy for a book. I’m surprised to find so many selections at the library. :)

28. Heidi Richards Mooney

    May 08 08, 6:50 am PDT

    28

    Tina,
    Your post could not have come at a better time for me. I have spent the past 3 months working on just this – getting rid of clutter and things in my life that are weighing me down.

    Thanks for a great reminder of how precious life is and that we don’t need all that STUFF to really get the most out of our time here.

    I loved all your tips for keeping your stuff out of control… and have posted a link to Think Simple Now on my twitter page.

    Have a wonderful day… I am really looking forward to our interview on June 6th.

    A new fan,

    Heidi Richards Mooney, Publisher & Editor in Chief
    WE Magazine for Women

29. Cynthia

    May 08 08, 7:29 am PDT

    29

    Morning,

    Love the post and the blog. Welcome back!

    I think this post is what I needed to read today. I am contemplating putting myself on a moratorium (due to budget concerns) but other things as well.

    I plan to sit down and do some closet cleaning out. I really need to stop being such a pack rat and learn to let stuff go. I’ll feel more free that’s for sure.

30. LivSimpl

    May 08 08, 7:48 am PDT

    30

    I first discovered your site right before you left for India and have been waiting anxiously for your return. Welcome back! This is a terrific post and was well worth the wait. :)

    - David

    http://www.LivSimpl.com

31. RichGrad.com | Personal Development for the Book Smart

    May 08 08, 7:56 am PDT

    31

    Hi Tina

    I left a comment earlier but it seems it didn’t get through.

    Anyway I’m glad you’re back… hope to see more great posts from you soon!

    http://RichGrad.com
    Personal Development for the Book Smart

32. Asia Hadley

    May 08 08, 8:31 am PDT

    32

    Great Post! I’m a newcomer to your blog. Your insights about how our outer world reflects our inner world is on point. I’m in the process of writing a book and I share your exact same perspective and even used that phrase. Keep up the awesome work! And welcome home.

    -Asia

33. Jeremy

    May 08 08, 8:41 am PDT

    33

    I have found it very rewarding to digitize my life. For example, I tend to backup all of my DVD’s onto my computer. The same with all of my documents and such. It really helps eliminate a lot of things that take up space and should not have to. The only space that I really need extra is that for back-ups ^_^

    Very interesting article!

34. jerry

    May 08 08, 9:09 am PDT

    34

    great article. Here is an interesting piece about how Americans got to be such great consumers.
    http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/2962

35. MMORPG

    May 08 08, 9:11 am PDT

    35

    I just wish you could of skipped the whole India intro and just got to the meat of the post, which it self was pretty well done.

    Whats my beef with the whole Happy-with-nothing Indians? Because well, they are not necessarily happier. India has high rates of poverty (not the American spin on the world, I mean REAL poverty), high rates of illiteracy, and millions of Indians have awful sanitation and health conditions. It is our drive for status, materials, and riches that encourages us to escape illiteracy and poverty. If everyone was happy being an illiterate herder, humanity would of ceased to grow thousands of years ago.

    Of course organization of all the junk you have is important, and your article was useful in this area, the philosophical theory behind it was misguided.

36. Alex

    May 08 08, 9:20 am PDT

    36

    Good read. I had the exact same experience, returning from traveling from a backpack for a few months and realized I’d not missed a single thing.
    I gave most of my stuff away (boxes and boxes of it) threw almost the same amount away, and now I just have a single 2 shelf cupboard with a few labeled boxes of things I’m emotionally attached to (old baby album photos and such) stored at my parents house along with my old bed, desk and bike, but thats literally it.
    Beyond that everything i live on I fit into one single small suitcase, my laptop, clothes, toiletries, a few bits and bobs.
    It has been the most liberating turn. I’ve lived in various countries the last months simply by taking a cheap flight there and sub letting a room in a flat for a couple of months, then moving on. It takes me 30 minuets to pack to change country. That kind of experience is not possible with a truckload of ‘stuff’ attached to you.
    The other plus is you have more cash to hand once you realize that just buying more isn’t the end-all, so you can afford to live at a nicer level, and if you need a new pair of shoes, or a new coat or whatever, you can actually afford something good.
    It’s not a zen-like awakening or anything, I just realized when i returned from the best moths of my life with barely anything more than the clothes i was wearing, my hoards of stuff weren’t doing much for me, if anything they’d become an anchor. Life’s about the experiences you collect, not the material you amass. Not to say become a nomad hippie; you can still be successful and rich and live on a few basics. Idealistic maybe, but in my experience true. I know a lot of people who theoretically share those views, but very very few actually ever really try them.

37. Alex

    May 08 08, 9:23 am PDT

    37

    @ Hunter Nuttall; I missed your comment. I laughed when I read it though haha. I sympathize! For a couple of years now I have been pleading with people not to buy me things for christmas or birthday.

38. Travis Lawrence

    May 08 08, 9:28 am PDT

    38

    You were gone for only 3 months and you’ve come to this conclusion? Wow. I was away in England for over a year and broke most of the time (university) and when I came home I had a similar moment of enlightenment.

    “…feels as if someone had pressed the “restart” button on my life.”
    Good line.

39. Will is GALVANIZD

    May 08 08, 9:32 am PDT

    39

    Welcome back Tina!

40. Ray

    May 08 08, 9:38 am PDT

    40

    I agree with you completely and I like to clean up my various spaces and get rid of stuff. However rather than the questions you posed, I simply ask, “If this disappeared right now and I didn’t know, would I ever notice or care?” That helps me get rid of tons of stuff.

    Great article by the way.

    ********************
    REPLY:

    That’s a great question to ask. I’ll add that to my personal list. Thanks Ray!

41. Jeff - buzzmyblog.com

    May 08 08, 9:38 am PDT

    41

    Hey Tina! Its good to have you back.

42. Mark

    May 08 08, 10:00 am PDT

    42

    One of my favorite techniques when faced with a daunting collection of something (books, for example) is this:

    Gather a large pile or collection of boxes of whatever the thing is you want to cull.

    Now give yourself a goal: I am going to get rid of 50% of this stuff. (It could be a different number other than 50%, but at least challenge yourself a bit).

    Now sort the stuff into three piles:

    1) dump: no problem, I can dump this without thinking
    2) keep: I really want to keep this one
    3) maybe

    Now assess the size of the ‘dump’ pile. If it’s 50% of the total, you are done. If it was that easy, consider doing another round.

    If the ‘dump’ pile is not 50% of the original total, keep working, going through the ‘maybe’ pile choosing items to dump, until you reach the goal.

    This approach of lumping everything together in one batch helps give you perspective on which things are really important to keep, and which are not. It makes reducing the total volume quickly a lot easier.

43. ??????????????

    May 08 08, 10:31 am PDT

    43

    great stuff! will come back

44. antimaulnetism

    May 08 08, 10:39 am PDT

    44

    Wonderful article. I’m glad that you learned so much in your tours. And me too. Thanks!

45. gradBlogger

    May 08 08, 10:55 am PDT

    45

    Uncluttering is a great idea. I did it after graduation and leaving college and it was scary how much stuff I had saved up in just 1/2 of my apartment!

46. belthur

    May 08 08, 11:05 am PDT

    46

    Hey,

    Good article. I try to be a light being without being weighdown by accessories…but not always successful, I have to confess.

    But I do have a rule that I strictly adhere to…If I don’t use something in 6 months, probably I don’t need it.

47. Sam

    May 08 08, 11:27 am PDT

    47

    n relation to this subject, everyone should read “Take Back Your Time” by John De Graaf with TimeDay.org

    I would also like to suggest watching “Century of Self”

    “Century of Self” looks at the history of public relations, marketing and advertising.

    Understanding how your thought process can be influenced is important to avoiding buying stuff you don’t need.

    You can find the video on Google, Amazon, and NetFlix. If you are alive, you need to watch “Century of Self”

48. Emma

    May 08 08, 11:38 am PDT

    48

    Welcome back Tina, and thanks a lot for this great article. I’m moving to a new apartment next months and I will really try to follow your advise.

49. Fariha Siddiqui

    May 08 08, 1:34 pm PDT

    49

    I am total packrat. I sure have learned lot from this article.

50. Zath

    May 08 08, 1:48 pm PDT

    50

    Welcome back Tina, it’s good to have you back. Your post is one subject that I’ve been trying to achieve in some way over the past year – not as well as I’d like, but am making progress. One motivating factor for me is the fact that I’m very tempted to take a few months out and do some travelling myself – I’d love to think I could survive out of just the one bag!

51. Alex

    May 08 08, 2:32 pm PDT

    51

    Welcome back, Tina! I read your blogs for a while but finally decided to write after seeing where you plan to move. Great choice, guys! We moved here years ago and this is the best home in the world! :-)

52. Gordon

    May 08 08, 2:46 pm PDT

    52

    Happy to become acquainted w Tina in this, my 1st visit. My family has moved a few times and I have watched others do the same — especially elders. I have seen a whole household consumed by fire. I write family histories for a living. So I’m not being snarky to say what I haven’t seen among the presumably 20-ish commenters’ posts so far: Wait ‘Til You Have Children.

    Then, you’re not only shepherding your own fragile sense of self along, expressed via Stuff, but little morphing cuties who grow into Marines and Rocket Scientists and Cops… Paradoxically, they’re too self-absorbed to collect their own records reliably, so guess who does. Think Mother’s Day…

    And it’s a joy, actually. We parents become curators for our kids’ lives, And if your family has antiques or stuff handed down, it’s like a little Tara (GWTW) to drag the neat old stuff around as one’s “set,” each item freighted with stories and the taste of some cool predecessors who would actually be nice to meet.

    This is not meant as a defense of clutter, but there are stories out there worth honoring. Now — one thing I’ve been able to do w my wife and w history clients is: digitize stuff that Has To Go. One poster mentioned this for documents — but why not just keep a backed-up photo of grampa’s golf clubs — not the whole moldy bag? And we recently snapped pix of hundreds of sheets of kiddy art and confidently chucked the lot. Ditto clunky jr-hi sculpture. We’ll have plenty of evidence for that fateful wedding rehearsal dinner in the future, when the slides roll and there will be the best/worst of the artistic excrescences.

    If you want to keep you LifeLoad light, don’t marry a musician or a ceramics collector!

53. Robin

    May 08 08, 3:16 pm PDT

    53

    Thanks for the great reminder about the things that are truly important!

54. the truthspeaker

    May 08 08, 3:54 pm PDT

    54

    I think the crux of your problem comes down to the clutter you have is all based on you creating several fake personas for yourself.

    Do what is real to you and you will never regret it.

    Being a fake will not make you happy. Buying all the fake stuff that enforces your fakeness will never fulfill you. If everything you purchase is to re-enforce your fakeness, there’s no wonder you feel no attachment and want to get rid of it. Be yourself and everything you want will be based on you and not who you wish you were.

    A better lesson is: BE REAL NOT FAKE.

    The line that cements that: “For me, I collected stuff, because I wanted my life story to fit a certain persona and I collected stuff that would back up that story.”

    Not only are you a FAKE, but you seem to aspire to a high level of FAKENESS.

55. Babak

    May 08 08, 4:51 pm PDT

    55

    Loved the post, but you’re preaching to the choir!

    Those who adore simplicity will read and appreciate your words but “pack rats”, those who really need your help, won’t gain much. Unfortunately they require much more serious intervention. Believe me, as a quasi-Sadu I know the pain of attempting to persuade friends and family who hoard things to let go.

    I think it is genetic. We’re built this way or that way. Not much we can do about it.

56. Evelyn Lim | Attraction Mind Map

    May 08 08, 5:09 pm PDT

    56

    I’ve been wondering if you’ve disappeared altogether. So it sure is nice to know that you are still around on the blogosphere. Welcome back! Great article about living simply!!

    Evelyn

57. Angela

    May 08 08, 5:50 pm PDT

    57

    Hey Tina,
    Glad to see that you are back!
    I’m looking forward to the reading more on the new transformations from your trip….keep on inspiring and good luck on the move (where to?)
    All my love and support,
    Ang

58. ??????

    May 08 08, 6:05 pm PDT

    58

    Glad to see your finally back! Nice post.

59. Bernie P.

    May 08 08, 6:23 pm PDT

    59

    Excellent article, I was very suprised that you didn’t mention one of my new favorite web-sites http://www.freecycle.org/
    Freecycle is a great concept, users post to local group with either “Wants” or “Offers”. If you’ve got something that still works, don’t dump it into a landfill, post an “Offer:” message on freecycle and someone who needs it will come get it. Also, don’t add to your clutter, if your niece absolutely has to have a “Barbie” cake for her birthday, post a “Wanted: Barbie cake pan” message and someone who has one will give it to you, when your done pass it on to someone else. A fantastic concept, and very neighborly.

60. Vijay

    May 08 08, 9:05 pm PDT

    60

    We would like to hear about your experience on this trip to India..
    As you already stated one experience here what other things you liked/disliked in this trip?

61. Jirel

    May 08 08, 9:23 pm PDT

    61

    Glad to see you after three months with this great article.

62. glass wool

    May 08 08, 10:50 pm PDT

    62

    Wonderful article. Thanks for the great reminder.

63. Dominic Tay

    May 08 08, 11:53 pm PDT

    63

    Hi Tina!

    Welcome back. I too, like the concept of clutter free lifestyle, especially since most parts of our lives are complicated by nature. In fact not long ago, like what you did, I emptied nearly a quarter of my wardrobe and three-quarter of my music CDs.

    I found that as time goes by, most of the things I used to like didn’t appeal to me as much as before.

    At the same time, I want to add a point to one of your ‘ideas to keep your stuff under control’, specifically the point: “Ask Questions Before Buying”.

    I was taught to ask myself 2 questions before I dish out my credit card or cash at the cash counter, which I found to be very useful. Let me share with everyone here.

    1. When you see something that you really like, ask yourself, “How will buying this thing help me achieve my dreams? Will it change my life for the better?” Then…

    2. Ask yourself the next question, “Considering that I invest this money at a 4 percent interest rate, how much can I get back after 10 years? After 20 years? Do I really want to spend this money?”

    It’s pretty funny if you come to think about it. Most people procrastinate most of the time. But the moment it comes to shopping, they suddenly lose the temptation to procrastinate. And soon, they find their house shrinking in space when the stuff they buy piles up.

    Again, welcome back.

64. Cherie

    May 09 08, 6:25 am PDT

    64

    Last year I imposed what I called a “careless spending tax” on myself. If I was inclined to make any purchase other than consumable household items I had to first either donate to a charity or lend money on Kiva.org.

    Overall I decreased my spending for the year and many times after choosing a charity or Kiva loan I did not make the purchase at all.

65. Raymond Chua

    May 09 08, 7:28 pm PDT

    65

    Hi Tina,

    Welcome back. You have no idea how much I miss your sharing and articles.

    The termites in my house have taught me a great lessons about this. I have tons of things that I keep but no longer need them. (Like you said, they represent my identity)

    I find it extremely difficult to let them go until I found that the termites has eaten most of them.

    I have no choice but to destroy and throw all of them.

    I can belief how much “lighter” I felt after the clutters are cleared.

    Now, I’m looking forward to throw more. Section by section.

    Thanks to the termites and your article too. :)

66. J.D. Meier

    May 09 08, 7:53 pm PDT

    66

    > … the biggest lesson I’ve learned is how little we actually need. How little we need in order to be happy
    I find this particularly interesting because last night a colleague of mine who had recently visited India said the same thing.

67. OldSailor

    May 10 08, 8:39 am PDT

    67

    Tina
    Welcome back. Desire is the cause of Misery. Lesser the desire to have the stuff lesser the Misery.

68. Gerald

    May 10 08, 8:44 am PDT

    68

    Welcome back!

    Your article is dead on. I remember when I returned from my deployment to Somalia, how FOCUSED I was on life, my family, etc. I was looking at things so much differently than when I first got there. I was so grateful to live in the greatest country in the world. I was so grateful for our health, and infrastructure, and economy, etc., etc., but I was soon clubbed over the head with all the advertising.

    Within a couple of weeks, I caught myself considering a new stereo system, car, t.v., I had gotten caught up in the advertising which is foisted upon us by every medium possible, and started to feel more comfortable with my stuff. I then took a step back and reconsidered what was most important, and was able to re-focus.

    A trip like this to another “world” I think is very beneficial, and would encourage others to try it, although the several months you spent over there, Tina, is quite an experience. Congratulations! I trust there will be much more to read in the coming weeks.

69. Ravi Raman

    May 11 08, 6:19 pm PDT

    69

    Hi Tina! Welcome back :)

    This post is right on…..

    Eliminate, reduce and simplify your work-life and then you will have more space (physically and psychologically) to deal with you real top priorities!

    I’m currently well under way with my own life simplification exercise. It is super rewarding and am so glad I realized how importance living simply really is. We diffuse our focus with so much crap that doesn’t matter!

    Life is too short for that :)

    http://www.sethigherstandards.com/the-simple-life-update/

70. coolwebmom

    May 11 08, 9:09 pm PDT

    70

    Hi -love your blog. We just posted a story up on you called ‘Go Blogger, Go!’ with some tips we got from Problogger for beginning bloggers. Thought you may get a kick out of it. http://www.coolwebmoms.com – Lisa

71. Paul Damhuis

    May 12 08, 1:15 pm PDT

    71

    When sorting “stuff” I find it works to have a few cups of strong coffee before I start, caffine in excess shortens your attention span, you have to make the keep/trash decisions in a hurry.

72. Miss Thrifty

    May 14 08, 12:52 pm PDT

    72

    Great article, Tina! I’ve been think about this very topic after cleaning out my house to prepare for a remodel. I never realized just how much stuff I had until I tried to cram it all into boxes.

    I enjoy acquiring new things, but I think the key to to make sure that the things we hold onto are important, practical, useful, etc.

73. Serendipity

    May 14 08, 2:55 pm PDT

    73

    I’m floored–this is the most comprehensive single decluttering post I’ve ever seen. Plus, you were able to throw in some clutter psychology on top of it! I fully agree that a lot of stuff is accumulated in an effort to create a persona. I think that’s why a lot of folks get into financial trouble in their twenties; that’s when we’re working the hardest to figure out who we are.

    The box it and date it method is what has worked for me. I work best knowing that I’m not getting rid of something I’ll need to buy later, so if I don’t miss it in a few months, I don’t stress about moving it out of the house.

    Again, truly fantastic piece!

74. flyer

    May 16 08, 5:56 pm PDT

    74

    Hey Tina!
    Glad to see you after three months with this great article.

75. Yuu

    May 25 08, 10:41 pm PDT

    75

    I recently experimented this when I moved to live in Japan. I could only take one suitcaseful of things, and I was kinda sad to say good bye to all that stuff I owned before..
    But you know! now that I’m living here, I notice I’m much more happy without all that stuff. How many times did I really watch those DVD’s I bought?

76. fiona

    May 27 08, 8:13 am PDT

    76

    Collecting is really a passion.

77. Liara Covert

    May 31 08, 6:25 pm PDT

    77

    I understand what you mean about feeling a sense of being burdened by “stuff.” Moving from Canada to Europe and then, from Canada to Australia has been a wake-up call for me. The latter was the furthest I had ever moved. I took very little belongings. Conditions have taught me I don’t need stuff wither. I’m drawn to recycling like never before. Its like I’ve awakened or begin to recognize it makes sense to distance myself from stuff I don’t need. You re-evaluate priorities. You sense it within yourself and you feel good about inner transformation.

78. Coli

    Jun 02 08, 4:47 pm PDT

    78

    It’s soooooooo true that we have to let go of our unnecessary stuffs. I am one of those people whose having hard time of disposing these “stuffs”. I don’t know what’s with those things that I couldn’t let go, maybe it’s due to sentimental reasons.
    Thanks for writing this up. I think it’s about time to declutter my room. I’ll also share this to my mom (she also find it difficult to give away things).

    Thanks for reminding us on what we should have done many years ago :-)

79. Chris

    Jun 03 08, 7:40 am PDT

    79

    Great article! All good tips. I’ve found moving to be the time when I get rid of stuff. It can be a painful process, it’s weird how attached you can get to a dining room table or a car!

80. Tish

    Jun 08 08, 11:18 am PDT

    80

    I threw out or donated nearly half my belongings before moving from the US to the UK three years ago. I have now more than replenished my Stuff and have a great need to go through all of it again. I regularly go through my clothes, but still have more than can fit in my closet or drawers!!

81. Coli

    Jun 08 08, 8:19 pm PDT

    81

    Hi, its me again… We did it, we disposed of the things that we could no longer use, and those who’s becoming a bother… And we earned a few dollars… Thanks again…

    ***********************
    REPLY:

    That’s great to hear Coli! Doesn’t it feel soooo good? I know eh? I made some money from selling all my stuff too.. who knew, all the little things can add up to something significant! :)

    Tina

82. Poems

    Jun 16 08, 10:14 am PDT

    82

    Welcome, back , Tina!!! You are completely right, one time we suprisengly realise that the things we need are not so much

83. Alexander Morentin

    Jun 18 08, 5:10 pm PDT

    83

    Hi Tina,
    It’s been about a month and a half since my last comment on this subject.
    I have moved into my new house and am having a terrible time clearing the clutter.
    I can’t believe I’m such a pack rat.

    I have been able to donate and give away a lot of stuff, but I still have a long way to go.
    It seems that I have emotional attachments to a lot of things.
    This has been a real test for me and I am determined to let go of everything that I absolutely do not need.

    I’ll check back to let you know how everything turned out.

    Thanks Tina. I love your blog. :D

84. Daniel Edlen

    Jun 20 08, 10:24 am PDT

    84

    Good practical ideas to simplify! I like it.

    I easily fall back into my old tendencies to collect and horde. It was pretty bad as a teenager. I try to treasure each thing I aquire and keep. If when I look at something I don’t marvel in being able to help it be the best whatever it is it can, somebody else would do better to have it.

    That’s why I thought of my idea for a hand-tool library system at like Lowe’s or Home Depot, where people could donate or trade old tools they used long ago for just that one DIY project. Would work for toys maybe too.

    Peace.

85. Marc and Angel Hack Life

    Jun 22 08, 12:52 pm PDT

    85

    I think the #1 key to making intelligent purchases is as follows:

    Never buy stuff to feel a certain way. Buy stuff because you already DO feel a certain way.

    i.e. Don’t buy to be someone, buy because you are someone. I wrote a bit more about this here:

    http://www.marcandangel.com/2008/04/16/a-simple-living-guide-to-buying-stuff/

    As always, we loved the article Tina! ;-)

86. Joanna

    Jun 27 08, 3:44 am PDT

    86

    omg… i have the biggest problem with clutter. i have so much of crap that i dont really need, and lately i moved out of the house and i left 3/4 of my stuff behind and yet i feel like i have a tonne of stuff that i dont need. its crazy. i ‘declutter’ everytime there is a need to, but i still find myself surrounded by stuff. I am a neat freak, so its very frustrating for me to see all my stuff all over the place. Desperately need help.. this article guided me somehow. thanks. i’ll tell you when i have done decluttering for good.

87. Eugene Williams | Power of Motivation BLOG

    Jul 01 08, 6:39 am PDT

    87

    Wow, wonderful post with so much to learn.

    I agree with you that reducing our excessive stuff give us peace of mind, clarity and liberty. I loved your “Ideas for Keeping Your Stuff Under Control”. These little things will make our life simple.

    Thanks for sharing.

88. Michael Gorsline

    Jul 13 08, 10:36 pm PDT

    88

    Very nicely written article with lots of practical ideas. It certainly is easy to fall in the trap of being increasingly being owned by all your things. It seems to be a lifelong challenge to find the sweet spot where you have the accouterments that support your talents and vision, but aren’t spending all kinds of time maintaining, sorting, and checking up on your stuff at the expense of just being.

    Thanks for this nice piece.

89. Alison Wiley

    Jul 15 08, 12:24 pm PDT

    89

    Great post. It resonates like a bell with the downsides of the American dream, which dream needs a little rethinking. I have a related post about ‘stuff’ and happiness at http://www.diamondcutlife.org/the-peak-of-happiness-and-its-causes/.

90. Emaah

    Aug 06 08, 3:36 am PDT

    90

    I started this project last night. And its true, when trying to declutter I felt bad throwing things out and kept on thinking to myself “But what if…”

    However afterwards I was so happy with what I had done! So much room in the closets!

    Theres some really good tips here., I’m looking forward to trying them during my next project.

91. Nicholas Powiull

    Nov 02 08, 8:58 am PDT

    91

    The only things I own are: my laptop, my clothes, and some sentimental things.

    I had to sell all my stuff, several times in my life. It feels good every-time I do. It feels like a release. It helps me realize that I am not defined by what I own. My possessions are not me. And it helps me to focus on what matters in life.

    Thank you Tina!

92. Marc Alexander

    Nov 02 08, 12:35 pm PDT

    92

    Hi Tina,
    I just discovered your blog recently as I was looking for ways to develop my own site. I really enjoy your writing.

    I have been going through my own process of decluttering stuff, and letting go. I’m about to drop off 5 huge garbage bags of old clothes that don’t fit anymore as I have lost a lot of weight.

    I’ve have always thought and practiced the art of letting go of material goods, relationships, jobs, etc. that don’t serve me anymore. When I do something better always appears in the near future. Thanks for the reminder and practical advice. We really don’t need that much stuff to be happy and fulfilled.

93. Devin B.

    Nov 12 08, 3:31 am PDT

    93

    My tip for clearing out the more sentimental stuff is to take photos of the object so that you’ll at least always have a visual representation of what it was to bring all those memories and feelings back to the present. I’ve used this on stuffed animals, home decor I’ve grown tired of, travel souvenirs, etc. Give it a try! Better yet, have a photographer friend have some fun with it and ask for the photos to keep.

94. Thao Ly

    Dec 11 08, 11:44 am PDT

    94

    I was inspired by this post to clean out my closet and donate bags of clothes to my local charity center Sacred Heart.

    http://twitter.com/loveurmindnsoul

95. Suneel Jain

    Apr 14 09, 6:10 am PDT

    95

    i like this thought… i have very collective nature, i want to keep everything, if i open a new soap, bulb, gift, i want to keep that cover box in future use… which sometime use or mostly add space in store.

96. Oleg Mokhov

    Oct 17 09, 11:05 am PDT

    96

    “Possession isn’t nine-tenths of the law. It’s nine-tenths of the problem.” -John Lennon

    Hey Tina,

    The less things you have, the more time you have to enjoy them – and life.

    You only have a limited amount of time, space, and energy throughout the day. The more things you have, the less you can enjoy each of them. By clearing out your stuff–and by extension, life–to the essentials, the more you can maximize your day, your enjoyment, your life.

    Plus, it’s easier psychologically and physically to move around and use your things. If you only had a small handful of clothes you absolutely love in your closet, it’s easy to get dressed in the morning; you don’t have many choices, and each item is amazing, so you can’t go wrong.

    I love how you stated the hidden side of what you own. You don’t just physically have things around you: they eat at your day, your thoughts, your time, your energy. Take back your resources, and put them into what’s really important to you: maximize life.

    Whittle down your possessions to what’s really important to you. What really makes you happy or is necessary? Chances are, most stuff you own isn’t essential. If you can clear your life of them, you’ll have newly-freed resources to enjoy the things you do love even more – and go live life more too.

    Thanks for the great reminder of the hidden cost of owning stuff, and the importance of owning only the essentials (what makes us truly happy or provides important functionality),
    Oleg

97. Volke

    Dec 16 09, 7:15 pm PDT

    97

    I have to agree with the article. I spent more than a year in Africa

98. Jordan Parker

    Jul 27 10, 9:39 am PDT

    98

    “stuff reduction” is something I have been working on extensively. I recently downsized and I realized how much junk I had lying around. A waste really.

99. Prop Trading Londoner

    Sep 30 10, 4:29 am PDT

    99

    this article is very “zen”.. but its so true. The media parades so much stuff before our eyes and do a great job of brainwashing us into thinking we cannot live without it. But in reality, what do we really need in life? Food, Shelter and Clothing are the basic necessities of living. Its possible to be happy without much else, happiness does not result from the things that we have, but rather from within ourselves and our outlook on life.

100. booker

     Jun 01 11, 11:55 pm PDT

     100

     The media parades so much stuff before our eyes and do a great job of brainwashing us into thinking we cannot live without it. But in reality, what do we really need in life? Food, Shelter and Clothing are the basic necessities of living. Its possible to be happy without much else, happiness does not result from the things that we have, but rather from within ourselves and our outlook on life.

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