I've been thinking about this a lot over the last few years, I've accumulated a lot of surplus possessions over the years (as people tend to do with time). Over the last few years I've from time to time sat back and thought about the things in life that I "need" (basically things I use a lot) and things I don't tend to need.
I always start to think of what I could give away or sell or whatever, but I never get around to organising myself to do it... or maybe I'm gripped with selfish accumulative desires so can't bring myself to do it.
none the less, has anyone done this before? do you feel at all cleansed after the experience? or did you tend to become frustraited because you gave away things you didn't realise you used as often as thought?
I don't mean like a big spiritual cleansing, but just like a nice fresh feeling. back to the basics
stereo
cd's
bass rig
guitar
cricket gear
rugby ball
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Getting rid of everything you don't ...
Getting rid of everything you don't need and more, will make you feel very cleansed and free. I highly recommend it.
I live out of a suitcase, own no furniture and have never felt better.
It leaves you free to travel around as you please.
sounds cool, I don't think I'm ready ...
sounds cool, I don't think I'm ready for that and not sure that I'd quite need to do that personally. I'm content with certain things in my life; I just have the urge to cut away all the excess fat ( a suitcase maybe a little to much flesh off the bone for me).
I may make it a goal for 2006, cut away fat, try and forfill the unforfilled gaps in my life.
I don't quite live out of a suitcase, ...
I don't quite live out of a suitcase, but I do shed all but the things I use regularly. It can be hard to, for instance, get rid of a book or a CD, but unless I really know I'm actually going to read it or listen to it regularly, I begin to question its actual value to me. I'd much rather others got pleasure from it than have it collect dust at my place. Also, making that hard decision brings a major advantage: I know that the things I *do* have in my apartment is something I value a lot.
cds are a little different for me, even ...
cds are a little different for me, even though I may not listen to a particular record for a year or more, I'll often go back and give it a thrash at some point in the future... they also tell a story, like a musical photo of where I have been at different times in my musical tastes. while this will contradict my 'getting rid of surplus possessions' I think an Ipod (or similar) would bring much balance to having a larger cd collection as it would make all my music accessible at all times through random play.
But then again an Ipod would not be surplus as it would be used several hours of everyday whether it be on headphones, running through my stereo or through a car radio.... even though I generally bike to work and places, so headphones and stereo most of the time.
I've had a couple of friends recently ...
I've had a couple of friends recently sell up all their shit and start living in their van, in a hostel, whatever. They seem fine to me.
I'm selling off a bunch of shit right now, because I am moving house... don't want to move crap that I don't need.
I'm a bit of a hoarder, but then I ...
I'm a bit of a hoarder, but then I tend to use stuff that I hoard, and everytime I throw some stuff out I'll be building/fixing something a couple of months later, and really wish that I hadn't thrown whatever out.
I've recently found trademe quite good for getting rid of truly surplus shit that I'll never actually use (but wouldn't have thrown out as rubbish).
I was wondering this exact same thing ...
I was wondering this exact same thing this morning when I was putting dishes away, and I opened the cupboard and realised we have abuot 40 mugs that I've never ever used...
Heh. I'm so less of a kitchen hoarder ...
Heh. I'm so less of a kitchen hoarder than I am a hoarder in other areas of the house. Oh wait. No, no, I actually use most of the weird stuff I still have, and I'm so over crappy mugs/glasses. Better to buy lots of what you like so that you're not sad when you inevitably smash things. These days, I buy wineglasses in sets of 18. A set of 6 would be down to 3 in no time, and increasing it just seems to make sense to have heaps. Heh. And no, they break because I like to buy large but not weight glasses, so they smash pretty easily. It has nothing to do with drinking too much. Honest. Heh.
inspired by franrose's 40 mugs - we ...
inspired by franrose's 40 mugs - we have a recycle depot at our city council dump - basically you can take along anything there - old computers, clean mattresses, mugs, books - drop them off, they go into a warehouse and are made available to anyone who wants them. perfect for students and weirdly interesting to look through if you're after retro stuff/bad vinyl/general second-hand store guff. other cities probably have the same thing - don't rubbish it! give it away!
yeah we have the same here, its called ...
yeah we have the same here, its called The Super Shed. Its fantastic for finding stuff, we have 2 tables, a pair of chairs, a really good cd player, and a crazy tape player from there. The only bad thing is that its next to the waste treatment plant... and sometimes when the wind is blowing the wrong way.... sheesh.
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