Yeah I have known people have done it.

nothing more i can really add to this thread, just my own 2 cents i guess, living simply and being independent of material things defintaly has its rewards i will share a little life experience ive had

between the ages of 15-21 i was hooked up pretty bad with drugs, any and all money i would get went straight to getting high, while living with my parents this was really no big deal since all my basic needs got met, but when i left at age 18 to go to college this posed a prob. i never really had much money, i would get a job long enough for my first paychk then spend it all on drugs....little bit for food here and there. by the age of 19-20 i was hanging with the way wrong crowd and got mixed up with crack, needless to say withina cpl months i either pawned/sold/traded literally everything i had also i lost my place to stay and ended up living on the streets...i even sold my jimi hendrix shirt of my back for 10 dollars. fast forward, one yr/i was facing poss jail time for some stuff and i started going to narcotics annoynomous meetings. i got cleaned up/got a place/job. started buying everything, lived in a way big house, 2 cars bigscreen tv, stereo yadda yadda, thought that these things would make me happy. it took me awhile but i eventually realized that these types of things does not equel happiness, i slowly got rid of alot of excess things, sold one of my cars, moved into a really small apt that didnt permit a big screen tv etc etc. what i found out was that without all these material distractions it made staying home kinda boring. i started getting outside more, hangin out with friends more and i found more construs=ctive things to do...camping..backpackin..caving...etc etc. i am now almost 28 yrs old. have been clean for 7 yrs. i do enjoy having a few really nice things but not alot. my computer is one of them, a coffe table my wife and i bought here in okinawa, and a few other things. i dont own a couch/ we sit on the floor. i dont own a huge expensive bed/ we sleep on futon mats. we dont even have cable tv...ppl look at us very wierd with that. i im not a religous person really but even if you look at all the diff types of organized religion they all agree that living simply will free you spritualy. ok im done for now

You raise a good point though about the religious aspect of simplicity. I think there is a very strong notion in current thought that physical simplicity translates into emotional and spiritual well being. Just take a look at the iPod ad campaign. Everything appears stripped down and very basic. The people don't even have faces, only shadows. Whether or not people consciously/subconsciously think this translates into spirituality is anyone's guess, but it sure seems that way sometimes.

Striving for a simple life is a logical aim. You pare away all the cr@p in your life till you get down to what matters to you personally. I dont necessarily think that it's entirely a matter of giving up possesions. I dont buy stuff without reason or live outside my means. For me a simple life has more to do with trying to spend my time as positively as possible... doing stuff that means the most to me... riding my bike(s), snowboarding & spending time with my girl. I dont have a problem with my possesions - they just serve to enrich the life I'm trying to live.

Yep par'n away the the stuff. Using it up and not replacing it. It has to be gradual otherwise my pack-rat spouse bolts and re-loads the boat.

I think this thread needs some pictures of your rooms/houses so we can see what you define as simply.

http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/beaulieupalace/images/daffodils.jpg

;)

heres a link to pics of our house in okinawa
http://flickr.com/photos/ststephen65/sets/72157594375736207/

i almost made a mistake.......man the wife and i have been trying to become more self reliant and simplistic, we have been downsizing and trying to get out of debt so what do me almost do today?? we went to the store to buy some blank DVDs, we pass all the flat LCD high def televisions and see a sign for 1 yr same as cash with a 9% interest aftewords and we where like wow that would be nice so we where like "lets just look" well looking wound up picking out a 42 inch 1,500 dollar tv. went thru the whole financing process, got aproved, and the sales attandent walked away to finish up some paperwork and reality hit us..."WHAT THE HECK ARE WE DOING"? we quicly discussed was this a need? def not!! is this going in the direction we are trying to go in by simplifying our lives? def not!! so when the sales clerk came back we politely apologized and thanked him for his time and we walked away. THANK GOD!!
so we asked ourselves...how did we get ourselves to that point? went in for some blank dvds and almost walked out with a 1500 dollar TV. it was a close call....anyone else out there have occasianal lapses in judgement? times of weakness?

i almost made a mistake..........how did we get ourselves to that point? went in for some blank dvds and almost walked out with a 1500 dollar TV. it was a close call....anyone else out there have occasianal lapses in judgement? times of weakness?
Congrats you dodged the bullet this time. It is hard to distinguish between what I call false needs and real needs. One distinction I make is between long-term and short-term happiness. A new TV will make you happy for a little while, but after the novelty wears off it'll be just one more thing cluttering up your life. Even worse, it might even become a source of unhappiness--especially when you're making payments every month on what has become "just a thing." The ability to think ahead is what makes us rational beings, and usually happier beings too.

A new TV will make you happy for a little while, but after the novelty wears off it'll be just one more thing cluttering up your life. Even worse, it might even become a source of unhappiness--especially when you're making payments every month on what has become "just a thing."

SO true

Well....just sold our TV today, now all we have is a 19in computer moniter. trying to fig out what to get rid of next. here is a link to the inside of my house here in okinawa. pretty basic if you ask me....
http://flickr.com/photos/ststephen65/sets/72157594375736207/

I think this thread needs some pictures of your rooms/houses so we can see what you define as simply.

O yea let me invite the whole world into my house give me a break.

Houseboat
http://www.duckin.com/listings/fallon/slides/01lead_b.jpg

[QUOTE=wheel]O yea let me invite the whole world into my house give me a break.

thanks

I recently got rid of the computer I had in my dorm room and man what a difference. It almost looks like I got ride of a couch or chair it makes such a difference.

I recently got rid of the computer I had in my dorm room and man what a difference. It almost looks like I got ride of a couch or chair it makes such a difference.


Oh, so it is all about the SPACE a computer takes up..LOL..That IS a SIMPLE way of looking at it.

Hi, new to the forum.

I'm in my late twenties, and I'm leaving a high-paid corporate computer job to start my own business doing the same thing.

I still have a car because the commute situation necessitates it. I made an earnest effort to use public transportation here in Dallas. But, it takes three hours by train/bus to do a 25-minute car drive up the tollway from North of downtown (where I live) to very, very "suburban" Plano (where my office is).

In a couple of weeks I'm leaving Dallas and moving to central Austin. There, I'll live easy biking distance from everything. I won't need to drive, since if I absolutely need to see a client they'll fly me or I can rent a car. Pretty much the whole business can be run from my laptop. My iPod makes a dandy data backup device, as does internet-based protected storage.

I live in a 600 square foot place; an unrestored pre-WWII building. My place in Austin will be very similar, but with a small yard for a clothesline and vegetable garden. (I'm vegetarian but not vegan). People always comment on how sparse it is, already, but I'd like to have even less stuff.

The main thing standing in my way of simplification is that I'm a musician/DJ, with thousands of vinyl records, a small tuba, a nice mini-studio, a PA system, and a few nice guitars. I'm also into rock climbing and camping -- but fortunately a lot of that stuff can do double duty around the house.

I'm Christian, too -- in fact I spent several years teaching a youth Sunday School class at a rural Southern Baptist church in the Houston area. I think that the example of Jesus definitely pointed towards simplicity and peacefulness, not being a rich war supporter in an Escalade. I'm looking seriously at the Quaker church at the moment.

People always ask if I'm Buddhist, though. (I don't blame people for thinking Christians are dirtbags since so many "religious" people seem to care about gay marriage and abortion, but not about our planet, Darfur, racism, etc...) I think that many in the "younger generation" of Christians feel the way I do about things, however.

$0.01,
rs

I would gladly give away the TV, but we'd probably have a rebellion from the kids, who sometimes spend a little too much time watching videos, although we do try to discourage that. However, our single TV is very small and in a cabinet with doors, and the color has been on the fritz for a while now. We do NOT have cable, nor even a good antenna, so that really limits the non-video viewing. I have no desire at all to go HDTV or large-screen.

I do sometimes miss be able to watch interesting stuff like public television or informative cable channels, like nature or history, but then that would take time. Once you break the viewing habit, your life does get filled up with other stuff, which helps keep you from lapsing. (Although lack of opportunity is even better.)

I'm holding off getting a cell phone as long as possible, although my wife has one. Primarily in case one of the kids gets sick at school and has to come home, since she works out of the home but is out and about a lot.

I mow the lawn with a human-powered reel mower, rake the leaves, and shovel the snow.

simple living has many diff meanings to many ppl. for me it has a cpl diff meanings. one is the less distractions i have, the more i can concentrate on what life really is and be more aware of the things and ppl around me. i do have a tv but its unplugged and in storage untill i can find someone to buy it. i can say that i really do miss watching tv sometimes but its been so long now without it i dont put much thought into it. i guess the most distracting thing i have is my computer. but for me the computer is more of a tool then a source of entertainment. although the wife and i still use it now and again to watch videos, and i do alot of online music trading thru it as well. its funny tho, when i go to a friends house with a tv and they have it on i find it really hard not to watch it like the whole time im there lol.
the other thing about simple living to me is the less i have the less time i need to spend at work making money to afford those things thus giving me more time to spend with family and persuing other interests.

I have an abacus and a unicycle, i think 2 wheels is excessive. I seldom fornicate with others as i only wash when it rains, and find that a good wank is far more energy efficient. I live on nuts and berries and only watch tv through a neighbors open window, and definitely never pay tv, dvd's or videos. I think that i am truly alternative and making a difference/ statement etc...but my friends all know that i am totally establishment and only do all this becasue i have the option at any stage not to...bah humbug hahaha

I have an abacus and a unicycle, i think 2 wheels is excessive. I seldom fornicate with others as i only wash when it rains, and find that a good wank is far more energy efficient. I live on nuts and berries and only watch tv through a neighbors open window, and definitely never pay tv, dvd's or videos. I think that i am truly alternative and making a difference/ statement etc...but my friends all know that i am totally establishment and only do all this becasue i have the option at any stage not to...bah humbug hahaha


i really dont know what point it is you are trying to make, i dont think it is wrong to have 2 cars, 5 tvs, or whatever, just for SOME people like myself, we find comfort in a more simple way of life. its not to "buck" the sytem, or be "alternative" or to say others are wrong.

I have an abacus and a unicycle, ....

Why an abacus? Anybody living the "simple life" should be able to count all of their possessions on one foot.:D

I have an abacus and a unicycle, i think 2 wheels is excessive. I seldom fornicate with others as i only wash when it rains, and find that a good wank is far more energy efficient. I live on nuts and berries and only watch tv through a neighbors open window, and definitely never pay tv, dvd's or videos. I think that i am truly alternative and making a difference/ statement etc...but my friends all know that i am totally establishment and only do all this becasue i have the option at any stage not to...bah humbug hahaha Dear Bolthead,

An abacus? Such tomfoolery! If I ever need to count more than ten, I'm sure my toes will work just fine. And I don't wait for the rain to wash myself--I roll around in the snow. I sleep until noon to save energy, and of course I recycle everything, including toilet paper. I am SO much simpler than you, that you're scared to be in the same hemisphere with me. I agree with your friends, you are 100 % establishmentarian, and a slacker to boot. But I'm quite sure that you're doing the best that you can, so I gotta love that.

Sincerely,
Roody the Pure

Im a tech junky. So dont live simply at all. HDTV, video game systems, surround sound, nice computer. Im a good little consumer drone.

Toilet paper! That's blesphamy, when you have the hair on your head. With a sharp object you can cut it to length and use it for all sorts of thing....including wipes.

Rain, snow.....echhhh...why not roll around in dirt. It's good enough for the animals on the plains of the Serengeti-What, are you any better??? It'll keep the horseflys off your back.

You guys really need to re-evaluate your lives.. :-p

wow, the replies on this thread are getting more and more intelligent :rolleyes:

Does intelligence and a simplified life go hand in hand????

Not sure if it has much to do with intelligence. I think it has more to do with lack of ignorance. If you're aware enough to realize what is happening to you with all the crap, you will realize to minimize.

Those technologies mentioned are attempts to be improved upon. We're still growing and learning. Hey we've just recently decided on human rights and banished slavery.

I'm a college freshman, so all my possessions fit in my half of a tiny room. I didn't leave much at home that I value, except some extra camping gear and a box of heirloom elephants. I'm sure I could live out of a backpack, so yeah, I guess I'm simple.

I moved to another country. I sold my car, and most of my posessions. I don't really have all that much crap, but the way my apartment looks you could never tell. :( I'm either at work or out riding my bike. I never have time to clean up here.

I just thought I'd say hello after posting on this thread a year ago. Scanned through a few pages. Still good subject and good read!

Living simply is an art and sometimes a drug! I'm addicted. How much simpler can I get? Maybe I should throw away all of those free shampoo/conditioner bottles my mom collects from hotels and funnels my way. She knows I'm cheap and likes becoming the SUPER MOM.

I just got back from a Florida to Belize solo tour. I called myself the Gringa Loco and introduced everyone to Miss Sutra, my "mobile home". Now I'm back on my 31 foot wooden boat without running water and a questionable head.

These are the things that make me happy. I like the person I am and not the bling, bling I own.

Doing things just a bit different is fun and rewarding.

My sister and bro-in-law came by to visit. They think I'm the second coming of Sanford and Son since I won 25+ bikes in a 450sq. foot studio.

I am pro-complicated life.

http://images.greencine.com/images/movies/amg/dvd/cov150/drt500/t582/t58257vl5zq.jpg

Living simply is an art and sometimes a drug! I'm addicted. How much simpler can I get? Maybe I should throw away all of those free shampoo/conditioner bottles my mom collects from hotels and funnels my way. She knows I'm cheap and likes becoming the SUPER MOM.

I just got back from a Florida to Belize solo tour. I called myself the Gringa Loco and introduced everyone to Miss Sutra, my "mobile home". Now I'm back on my 31 foot wooden boat without running water and a questionable head.

These are the things that make me happy. I like the person I am and not the bling, bling I own.

Doing things just a bit different is fun and rewarding.



Live in Wpb. Would live to see pictures of the boat. Thanks

Today enjoyed the advantage of living simply. Last 2 or 3 trips into Perpignan. Wanted to check out an Indian restaurant. Overlooking the river and Perpigan itself. Wanted to mayb have lunch there or at least check out the menu for future possibliies. Love Indian food. Heard they have great vegetarian. Curry, ginger , yum.
So three times, wanted to park to check it out. Circle the block, up to four , five blocks away. Not one parking space. Two large parking lots. All 3 times, we just gave up.
Today went into town on the bike. I was into town at about the same time it took to circle the restaurant hunting for a parking spot. Looks promising. We will be back, should we be able to find a spot to park.

I first off want to start by thanking everyone for sharing and giving me inspiration on some things that I can do to reduce clutter in my life. I am by nature allways trying to reduce excess things in my life and get down to the "core" of what I need to live. But also, my nature doesnt want me to waste anything. I hate throwing away anything that might be seen as usefull in anyway (come on, I might need this pack of markers one day!). Partially to keep things from going in the trash and partially to keep me from needing to buy something later on.

My main concern lately has been with my massive amounts of clothes. I do construction work so I am able to wear clothes that homeless people wouldnt even wear. So donating is not really an option. The problem is, that I have a life time supply of "work clothes". I actually counted something like 130 things hanging in my closet the other day. So lately I have been just trying to keep them at least organized so its not just a cluster*** of clothes! Other then that I have been just trying to see how low I can get on electricity usage in my house.

I first off want to start by thanking everyone for sharing and giving me inspiration on some things that I can do to reduce clutter in my life. I am by nature allways trying to reduce excess things in my life and get down to the "core" of what I need to live. But also, my nature doesnt want me to waste anything. I hate throwing away anything that might be seen as usefull in anyway (come on, I might need this pack of markers one day!). Partially to keep things from going in the trash and partially to keep me from needing to buy something later on.

My main concern lately has been with my massive amounts of clothes. I do construction work so I am able to wear clothes that homeless people wouldnt even wear. So donating is not really an option. The problem is, that I have a life time supply of "work clothes". I actually counted something like 130 things hanging in my closet the other day. So lately I have been just trying to keep them at least organized so its not just a cluster*** of clothes! Other then that I have been just trying to see how low I can get on electricity usage in my house.


Pretty much the most myopic post yet

I first off want to start by thanking everyone for sharing and giving me inspiration on some things that I can do to reduce clutter in my life. I am by nature allways trying to reduce excess things in my life and get down to the "core" of what I need to live. But also, my nature doesnt want me to waste anything. I hate throwing away anything that might be seen as usefull in anyway (come on, I might need this pack of markers one day!). Partially to keep things from going in the trash and partially to keep me from needing to buy something later on.


This is a good post. I've been aware of this lately also. I've been getting rid of stuff, but it still looks like I have too much! My mind keeps going the the "caveman" analogy, what is essential to live, and what is just luxuries?

I first off want to start by thanking everyone for sharing and giving me inspiration on some things that I can do to reduce clutter in my life. I am by nature allways trying to reduce excess things in my life and get down to the "core" of what I need to live. But also, my nature doesnt want me to waste anything. I hate throwing away anything that might be seen as usefull in anyway (come on, I might need this pack of markers one day!). Partially to keep things from going in the trash and partially to keep me from needing to buy something later on.

My main concern lately has been with my massive amounts of clothes. I do construction work so I am able to wear clothes that homeless people wouldnt even wear. So donating is not really an option. The problem is, that I have a life time supply of "work clothes". I actually counted something like 130 things hanging in my closet the other day. So lately I have been just trying to keep them at least organized so its not just a cluster*** of clothes! Other then that I have been just trying to see how low I can get on electricity usage in my house.

I work construction too. Fortunately my company provides us with uniforms. Before this company I used to buy used uniforms at a local thrift store. Typically I had about 7 sets and did laundry once a week. All of my other clothes would fit in no more than 2 dresser drawers.
As far as simplifying it all comes down to needs and wants. You need clothing, but you want Levi's, Carhart's etc. You need shelter, but you want 2000 sf of heated and cooled space;) :p Around my house the basic rule is: "If it isn't medically necessary or you can't eat it, you probably don't need it!" Not to say we don't purchase other things but we look long and hard at what we do buy.

Aaron:)

Good points, Roody. By the same token it was not some amorphous "we" that dismantled US public transit, - it was big business which did so (also it was the corporate State that created the suburbs by financing the highway system & subsidizing returning vets with home loans (Republican socialism & social engineering):

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2000/democracy/sprawl/stories/auto.history/

http://64.233.161.104/custom?q=cache:tkAim6DU60gJ:www.lava.net/cslater/TQOrigin.pdf+general+motors+mass+transit&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&client=pub-8122360742341876


Word, for sure. But I'm just sayin': You misused the term "social engineering" horribly.

"If it isn't medically necessary or you can't eat it, you probably don't need it!"

I'm glad you added that caveat.
For a moment I thought you were some chocolate-banning luddite!

Living simply is an art and sometimes a drug! I'm addicted. How much simpler can I get? Maybe I should throw away all of those free shampoo/conditioner bottles my mom collects from hotels and funnels my way. She knows I'm cheap and likes becoming the SUPER MOM.

I just got back from a Florida to Belize solo tour. I called myself the Gringa Loco and introduced everyone to Miss Sutra, my "mobile home". Now I'm back on my 31 foot wooden boat without running water and a questionable head.

These are the things that make me happy. I like the person I am and not the bling, bling I own.

Doing things just a bit different is fun and rewarding.
Just wondering .... You rode a bike from Florida to Belize? Or sailed?

Either way, it's pretty cool, to say the least. :)

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20070326_Unsung_fortune__A_rich_mans_secret.html

Good one, tightwad. And he even is carfree and rides a bike!

I'm glad you added that caveat.
For a moment I thought you were some chocolate-banning luddite!

Nope Chocolate is medically necessary (http://www.immunesupport.com/library/showarticle.cfm/ID/3464/):roflmao:

We don't live like poverty stricken hermits, but we don't rush out an buy the latest and greatest gadget to impress our friends and family. We do take vacations and travel but on our terms and not usually to the tourist infested places.

Aaron:)

I rush out and buy the latest cool gadgets but only after someone has depreciated the price for me. :)

"Never Buy New!"

For sale: All he has so he can hit the road

Friendship man puts his life on eBay -- all for a lump sum

link: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07076/770288-85.stm
ebay auction: 250093359092

Saturday, March 17, 2007
By Chico Harlan, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Pam Panchak, Post-Gazette
Kevin Boyle in his Friendship apartment -- "Parting with all these things will be genuinely hard. I cry when I break a mug. ... I'm unbelievably materialistic."
Click photo for larger image.



On May 1, if all goes as planned, Kevin Boyle will leave Pittsburgh in a state of pure tabula rasa.

He will own only a half-dozen items, including a 2001 Ford Taurus station wagon. He will keep just enough clothing. Everything else will be gone, sold on eBay in one lump sum. His life -- like everybody's life, a summation of things -- will belong to somebody else, auctioned away for perhaps no more than $6,000.

Mr. Boyle has always loved his things. His current desire to sell everything doesn't represent, he warns, some Thoreauvian desire for material detachment. By habit, he collects, evidenced by the five remote controls on his coffee table; by the three clocks in his living room wall; by his 100 DVDs; by his 15 scarves; by his seven dinosaur figurines; by the four presidential busts that rest on his flat screen television, Rushmore atop a Toshiba.

He owns thousands of things, all crammed into his one-bedroom apartment. He's 24. He lives in Friendship. He dislikes his "meaningless office job." And two weeks ago, he made a decision.

"I was in my cubicle, listening to the hum of computers," he said. "And I thought, It's time."

He decided to take a road trip -- 180 days of solo driving across the United States. This required money, which, by his logic, required a radical step. Last Saturday, he photographed his possessions and compiled a list, now appearing in eBay auction No. 250093359092 ("Everything I own in one lump sum"). He's parting with items both practical and novel, the by-product of his love for antiques and his save-a-holic tendencies. (Even after deciding to sell everything, he has continued to purchase, most recently a DVD copy of "V for Vendetta.")

Of course, after enough collection and enough diversification, the mass of one man's things becomes just as unique as the sensibilities of the owner himself. Bidding on Mr. Boyle's items ends next Wednesday, and so far, nobody has bit. As several have told Mr. Boyle via e-mail, they would love to bid on a piece of his life, but not his entire life.

As it stands, you get everything. You get his size 10 shoes, even if they don't fit. You get a harmonica, even if you can't play. You get a Sears catalog, just in case the other items -- a fire hydrant from Beaumont, Texas; a full kitchen of silverware and cookware; eight lamps; a "genuine" Dunkin' Donuts rug; a bed; an IKEA bookcase; nine vintage chairs; a computer; a digital camera; a taxidermy alligator dressed as a waiter; an Astroturf sample book -- don't satisfy your every taste.

"I love my things so much," Mr. Boyle said. "This is just the only way. Parting with all these things will be genuinely hard. I cry when I break a mug. ... I'm unbelievably materialistic. Materialism -- people use it as a dirty word, but I don't. I love things."

The complete detachment from his comforts, Mr. Boyle hopes, will force a discovery. "Not to sound too Dr. Phil-y," he said, "but this is so radical, I can't think of a better way to force yourself to learn something."

"There have been previous incarnations of this idea," said Jenna Woginrich, a college friend. "He used to say he wanted to get an old Studebaker and drive around the country with a dog. You know, the whole Steinbeck thing. There were days in college where he said, 'Let's drive to the Grand Canyon and back.' So I wasn't surprised about the trip. But he's such a wonderfully materialistic person; he uses a lot of things to define himself. I was surprised that he was willing to give up his stuff."

Mr. Boyle has lived in Pittsburgh for six months and worked at his current job -- which he doesn't wish to name, but which he doesn't hesitate to criticize -- for three. He knows he is creative, but beyond that, Mr. Boyle has no idea about career ambitions. His family lives on the other side of the state. His aunt has agreed to care for his cat. He has no significant other, no children. He is, by his words, "directionless."

The yearning for the cross-country trip arose after years of thinking about it. The wanderlust first struck him as a seventh-grader in Langhorne, Bucks County. Finally, the fear of not doing it outweighed the fear of doing it. Once on the road, Mr. Boyle wants to combine both the tourist stops and the out-of-nowhere adventures. He'll stop at the Grand Canyon. And, to hear him imagine it, maybe "I'll sit down in some small-town diner, and have Mavis tell me a story about the town, how they make doorknobs down the road, and maybe that's their claim to fame."

Only a few items will remain in his possession, post-auction. He's saving a hanger from an abandoned shoe factory where he and his friends used to break in. And he's not letting go of the old tangle of melted nails, pulled from the rubble of a general store in Lancaster that burned to the ground. Those things, spared entirely for sentimental value, along with the station wagon, spared for everything but sentimental value, will represent Mr. Boyle's net worth come May 1 -- his target departure date.

"I hope to realize something in the 180 days," he said. "Maybe that time can change something in me. But even if I discover nothing, at least I had 180 days where I did exactly what I wanted."

Well I think he got his price on ebay....but it came from a buyer with a -2 rating:roflmao: So I guess this means he isn't leaving May 1?:rolleyes:

Aaron:)

This is the first time I've ever thought of the concept of simplifying my life by eliminating the non-necessities or otherwise useless items I possess. The idea of only purchasing items that I need to survive (or live in a minimalist fashion) seems novel and lucrative when I stare at the numerous piles of stuff strewn about my apartment. My parents were pack-rats and thus, I've become one as well. What is a good place to start?

Only keeping Seven pairs of pants, shirts, etc.?

I suppose I'll make a list of all the things I own and figure out what is necessary and what is not. The problem will come with the things I'll want to keep for the sake of materialism despite it's apparent lack of functionality (For instance, keeping my music CDs even though I have them digitally copied to my computer).

This is the first time I've ever thought of the concept of simplifying my life by eliminating the non-necessities or otherwise useless items I possess. The idea of only purchasing items that I need to survive (or live in a minimalist fashion) seems novel and lucrative when I stare at the numerous piles of stuff strewn about my apartment. My parents were pack-rats and thus, I've become one as well. What is a good place to start?

Only keeping Seven pairs of pants, shirts, etc.?

I suppose I'll make a list of all the things I own and figure out what is necessary and what is not. The problem will come with the things I'll want to keep for the sake of materialism despite it's apparent lack of functionality (For instance, keeping my music CDs even though I have them digitally copied to my computer).
My advice would be don't worry so much about the old junk, just don't get any new junk.
Keep the old stuff as long as it works OK. If you don't ever use something, give it away or sell it rather than throw it away.

I live so simply that I am just plain better than everybody else.
How do I do it...?

I don't think anyone is saying their life is better than anyone else's. There is certainly something to be said for collecting things throughout life as well. It's just a matter of preference. I think I could do with simplifying things a little. Life seems cluttered sometimes, and spring cleaning has always felt good to me.