If you had to fit all of your belongings in a suitcase and walk away, what would you pack?My list would actually look much like what I described above for my college suitcase. Those items, along with books from the library and my Nintendo DS, would take care of how I spend the vast majority of my time provided that my family was with me. I’d need some basic supplies for cooking, of course - a few pots and pans and a few dishes - but, in the end, what else do I need?
If you carry that thought a little further, why not simply apply the “suitcase test” to every purchase that you make? If it’s not something that will fit in your “suitcase” - basic clothing, basic toiletries, cooking supplies, and a small number of splurge items - don’t buy it, or at least strongly consider not buying it.
(Photo via Phineas H)
This is a great thought experiment and one that I find myself both challenged and motivated by. I love the idea of having few things, but I also seem to like the idea of getting new things too. These two desires are not always at odds with each other, but they aren't always in sync either.
One of the things that always motivates me to start getting rid of stuff is traveling. I've made it to each of the continents with only carry-on luggage. There has never once been a trip where I wish I had brought more stuff, but plenty where I wish I had brought even less. The same concept seems to apply to life in general. I always feel most free when I'm able to parse down what I own. That doesn't mean I never buy new things (my friends will testify to that!), but what it does mean is that ideally every time something new comes in something old should go out. (Or better yet -- one in two out.)
One of my biggest weaknesses countering against this is books. I have a ton and they seem to flow freely into my home -- even when I'm not buying them, I seem to be getting more at conferences and seminars I go, ones my friends give me, etc. I love the idea of getting many of them in some kind of an eBook format, but as I was finishing up a paper for my Neuroeconomics class yesterday, I was reminded that there's nothing to replace being able to grab a pile of books and papers and quickly scan through and reference information you're looking for. Unfortunately, many of the eBook readers (such as the Kindle) don't tell you page numbers if you want to cite a reference in an academic paper. (Getting things in a PDF format would fix this problem, but would prohibit adjustments to font size.)
As a beginning challenge, maybe start by asking yourself what you'd keep besides furniture, clothes, and books if you only had one suitcase? Could you fit it all in? If a suitcase it too challenging, ask the same question limiting yourself to a trunk, a dresser, a closet, a car, or a room. If you really want to go to the limit with this kind of thinking, you could try taking on the 100 thing challenge.
Below is a photo of my getting ready to board my ship for Antarctica back in 2005. You can't really see much of it, but I'm wearing an old Eagle Creek travel pack that is sized to fit in an overhead bin. Between that and my shoulder bag, I had everything for the voyage including a Gore-Tex dry suit for kayaking, a bunch of Ibex wool clothing for the cold weather, my digital camera, and my laptop for downloading all of my photos onto. I had everything I needed and then some. The question I always ask myself after coming back from trips like this is why can't I live more simply like this all the time?
The shot below is of my truck loaded with half of everything I owned in the world when I moved back to Virginia from Orlando. (Mom and dad had come down with their pick-up a month earlier to get the other half.) I got rid of a most of my furniture and many (100+) books, slowly acquiring new furniture after I got up here. I still felt (and feel) like I have too much stuff. My biggest challenge is just finding the time to sort through what I have in order to parse it down even more.
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