-
Website
http://almostfearless.com/ -
Original page
http://almostfearless.com/2008/06/02/the-10-unexpected-costs-of-owning-things/ -
Subscribe
All Comments -
Community
-
-
Top Commenters
-
Popular Threads
All Comments
I've gotten rid of clothing that would just take up space. I would never wear that shirt or pair of jeans. So begone with them! Getting use to wearing the same stuff, 'cause overseas lugging a load of crap I never wear here but THINK I may need over there, uh, isn't going to happen.
Indeed, the more you have the more you want. So don't be like Lot's wife and look back at what you've left behind. Forget that crap! It is all vanity. Need a trombone?
Anthony Connors last blog post..Calling Rio and the Enigma of Paulo
My boyfriend and I are planning to leave in September for our RTW trip, and I'm having a hard time convincing him to let go of (at least some of) his stuff. Unlike me, he's never traveled for an extended period of time, so I think he's just gonna need to get out there and see that we really don't need as much junk as this consumer culture convinces us every day. But that first step's a doozy!
BTW, a great site that takes a deeper look at your issue #9 above is The Story of Stuff: www.storyofstuff.com. It's done in a lighthearted way but really makes ya think!
www.familyonbikes.org
The shiny new car that you park WAAAYYY in the back of the parking lot so it doesn't get scratched.
The home that you mortgage - that you become a slave to. You put up with being demeaned at work so you don't lose your stuff.
You're not your khakis!
Great article BTW!
Sonia: If you're doing a RTW trip soon, he'll learn quickly enough how much extra stuff will slow him down. Sometimes nothing is better than personal experience. Good luck on your trip!
Familyonbikes: I'm so excited for your trip. I can't wait to read about it. And truth be told, if you have a barn to store stuff and you can rent out your house, then there's nothing wrong with storing stuff. The key is not to buy it in the first place!
I actually sold my DVD copy of Fight Club on Saturday, in fact the entire day felt Tyler Durden-esque, as I convinced people to take my crap and give me money.
I have to admit that the idea of actually blowing up my apartment is somewhat appealing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac
Verry good stand up about stuff what we have.
pizis last blog post.."formula for the modern weed comedy began to take shape: Combine bud, beer, and boobs, mix with a..."
pizis last blog post.."formula for the modern weed comedy began to take shape: Combine bud, beer, and boobs, mix with a..."
Fortunately I was able to travel a lot which is why I am pretty sure that your banner was taken on Waimea Bay.
Andres last blog post..Zwinger Museum (2)
Your comment got stuck in my filter because it got marked as spam. I released it, so now it's posted.
The one type of item I won't be getting more of is furniture. I'm going all bean bags.
Chads last blog post..Rules of Thumb are Useless and Dangerous to Your Financial Future
The header was actually taken at Crater Lake Oregon, which I'm told is incredibly cold, and that guy leaping into the water is pretty brave considering the frigid waters he's about to plunge into. It wasn't taken by me, but this guy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/powderruns/
Chad: Bean Bags! Excellent. I'll have to consider that...
Besides that, I also collect some old computers, which again are a hobby of mine, so I guess it would be hard to get rid of that They were worthless when I got them, and they're worthless now, so it's not a matter of money wasted there.
Having said all that, I'm already living in a foreign country (I have been here almost three years, so it might soon be time to move).
I will be reading the archives of this blog to catch up. Love to travel and get rid of stuff. :-)
Thanks for such a great post!
Loris last blog post..Losing A Passport… And Getting It Back (Replaced)!
newyorkdude
newyorkdudeinindia.blogspot.com
Thanks for your writing... its really good stuff!
Ambers last blog post..Emotional ties
Hope your soon-to-be travels are wonderful and rewarding.
I love owning things. I am def not ready to get rid of as much as you have -- but I can see myself downsizing a bit.
Sarah-- Thanks so much! Nice Jeweler site you have!
Rachel-- Good for you. And unless you're going to be living out of a suitcase, I don't think everyone needs to downsize like we have. But I will tell you it feels great!
I wish I knew what book it was from. Ironically, my mom gave it away.
7. The more stuff you have the more blind you become to it. There were so many books, DVDs drawers full of stuff that I hadn’t remembered seeing for years. And yet there they were, in plain sight for years, just obscured by the details of so many other things. We didn’t appreciate what we had, because there was just too much of it!
I recently moved from Toronto, Canada to London, England. I must admit that moving overseas is a great way to determine what you have that you don't really need. All those books I've read once and will never read again, DVDs that I once watched half-heartedly and then threw in the corner, clothes that I wore once but didn't throw out just in case. Nothing like the cost of overseas shipping to figure out what is worth keeping.
What really shocked me, though, was the cost of getting rid of things. I knew that buying couches, dressers, beds, TVs, etc. had a cost when purchased. I never knew they had a cost to get rid of. Most of my furniture was 10 year old IKEA stuff, which had $0 value in the open market. The best one could hope for (even with Craigslist) was that someone could pick it up for free. What I couldn't give away for free, I had to pay some guys $400 to come and cart away!
Remember that - it doesn't just cost to buy stuff, now it costs to throw it away too.
Greg
Greg Wessons last blog post..The Long and Winding Road to an Elementary Address
Now I think back, I probably would have got rid of most of them. Not the wine, though. Sell the lot, people: leave nothing behind.
I'm going to mention this post on today's Indie Travel Podcast...just going to record now.
- the traveling experiences, that you will not loose ever.
I decided to give it all up and simplify my life by moving my 43-year-old self into a condo owned by two friends in the town next door. I have sold my major furniture and "Freecycled" (freecycle.com) the rest. By exchanging 1200 sq. feet for an 11x11 room I am saving over $400 a month and breathing a lot more easily. I have vowed to live more simply and to use my money for things that matter more: savings, charity, and life experiences that actually have meaning- not material things. I am quite happy with owning only a car (necessary for my job and school in this region) and the few things that can fit into my room. I feel unburdened and free now!
You've done a good job
Many thanks
------------------------------------------
moving overseas
Well - all except for the cat. The cat owns me.
I have no idea how to even start getting rid of it all.
Jems last blog post..Age Is a Bullshit Excuse
Maybe start a "sharers" club. $20 a year each plus you get to chuck all your possessions in. The more you put in the more points you get. Points get you loan of whatevers in the pot e.g. snowboard, technic 1210s, wedding suit. You can buy/break stuff out of the pot at a value set by the person who chucked it in the pot. They get 50% if that happens.
Start it in the bay area, craigslist v2 but with the nightmare of inventory.
Unless you bought used things to begin with. I'm the 3rd owner of my car, and the 3rd owner of my couch. Even if I never sell it, I'll never lose much money on a $200 sofa. Throw a blanket over it and nobody knows it's not brand new.
Buying new is the biggest sham in this country. If "new car smell" was an option (cost: $10,000), nobody would get it.
likewise, one should let things go and not get attached to any particular stuff.
Rahuls last blog post..First Vice President of Nepal… Step Down
There's also the "100 THING CHALLENGE" here (http://bit.ly/1HU56T), which is also very interesting.
Thanks for the site.
Allison,
I have also traded a 2-BR place in L.V. for a tiny room-'n'-bath in Henderson. The $400/month I save are going into my 401(k) account. Jeez, if I could get at that dough, it might just go like water. No room for junk, of course.
I don't feel owned by my things, because I don't feel I own them.
I don't think of myself as owning or possessing anything (how can we OWN something, anyway?), but as being blessed with the opportunity to care for it for a while.
It makes me comfortable with being surrounded by less, because caring for a piece of furniture or a pair of shoes or a jacket takes more attention and kindness than 'ownership' would. And it makes me think more carefully about whether I have room in my life (not in my house, but in my psychological space for caring and attention) for anything 'new.'
At some point each item, each object, will pass out of my life and go elsewhere, and I want to make sure that the memories and energy it carries are good for the person who'll have it next. It may be a bit of an old-fashioned perspective, but it's one I've come to appreciate.
lissies last blog post..Emigrating to Australia
Inspiring post +_+
<abbr>Alvin´s last blog post..The best time to buy a house</abbr>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac
<abbr>Flash´s last blog post..Watermelon lemonade</abbr>