Not literally the farm…but just all your worldly possessions save for the most basic things (food, a bed, maybe a couch, tv, laptop, basic clothes). I kinda feel like that right now. I still have too much crap with no place to put it from moving out of my ex’s place. I could keep it, or perhaps get rid of it and start over again. Any thoughts? I remember when I was young I loved having just the basics…then again I was also young somewhat naive.
Yep – it would be cool to have a huge yard sale and then take off in an RV. Someday!
I kind of did that… I moved out of my home in St. Paul a few years ago to take a job in Dubuque, and just took a carload of stuff down with me. Over the next few months, I went back a couple times for more books, dvds, homebrewing gear & stuff, and then moved back to California with not a whole lot of stuff. It’s been mostly in storage the whole time I’ve been here, so I’ve been living out of a carload of stuff while staying with friends & family, renting furnished rooms in peoples’ houses.
I found that it sucks. I constantly wanted to see movies I had in storage, read books I knew were off in the storage locker; I couldn’t cook all the things I wanted to because I didn’t have my cooking gear (or, even access to the kitchen, some places I stayed).
So I just moved into a studio and got most of my stuff out of storage and after a year and a half, I have it all back again… and yeah, there are still times that I want to say “Oh, screw this” and hit the road, but then that whole “buying food” thing rears its ugly head.
It can be kind of liberating. I’ve done that a few times. Down to just a computer, some clothes and a few keepsakes and started from pretty much scratch. In a weird way, it can be fun.
I did that in my twenties kind of by accident. I was moving back to DC after a failed relationship, got pulled over with no license, got my car impounded with all my stuff and couldn’t afford to get it out. The next day I started just digging myself out with only the clothes on my back.
Packed what I could into a horizon and left a physically abusive fiancee. Moved into a $300 a month 1 bedroom apartment in a slum area of Norfolk Virginia that was sort of furnished. Had a job making minimum wage that just managed to barely pay for everything as long as I washed all my clothing in the kitchen sink and lived on crunch and dent groceries. It is amazing how far you can make a 10 pound bag of rice and a 10 pound bag of beans go.
Lately I have been scanning our book accumulation into epub files - I have around 1400 done, and around 3500 or so to go. I figure that I am going to end up in some sort of assisted living facility and restricted to a computer, I might as well put all my reading onto it [and have the files burned to disc and on a few other archival methods so I don’t lose them] as well as photographs and music. We have no kids, so nobody to live with the way my brother takes care of my mother in the family house.
Though lately I have felt like sorting through everything, renting one of the 10x10 storage lockers for whatever I want us to keep, and opening the house up for a giant yard/rummage sale and getting rid of everything and moving somewhere warm. My body is not enjoying the cold here in Connecticut any more. Arthritis sucks.
In theory, I’d love to, but in practice I’m finding I just can’t.
Having been preparing for a year or so to move our entire family from the UK to Australia, we’ve found out in the last month or so that we’re actually going to Singapore. Whilst the Aus move would have been to a bought house, we’ll be renting an apartment in Singapore that won’t hold all our stuff, and we won’t be getting shipping paid for. Perfect opportunity to ditch the lot, plus I always liked to think of myself as the sort of person who doesn’t need stuff. Turns out I just can’t throw it away - I’d like to blame the husband and child, but it’s me, not them.
So, we’re going to Singapore, our stuff is going to Aus to live in a crate for a couple of years. Maybe I’ll get lucky and it’ll get lost on the way and I’ll be forced into letting it go!
I did it. I moved to a different country with a couple suitcases. Lots of people do that.
It’s worked out well.
I’d love to, but as long as I’m married it’ll never happen; she’s on the verge of mild hoarding.
I’ve done the calculation that if I was on my own, I could pare down the accumulated stuff to the point that I could live in about 1/3 of the house we are in. My goal would be to lose enough stuff that I could move everything in a 16’ truck.
My biggest weakness is books, followed by hobby material.
I always figured if my wife dumped me and my dog died that I would sell everything, take the proceeds and find me a small place in central america to hang out for a couple years.
That’s actually the plan. When I turn 60 I’m done with home ownership and dog ownership. Me and the wife are going to move into small condo with washer/dryer on 1st floor. I’m looking firward to it and its still 17 years away.
The idea of selling up, having all my possessions fit into a small back pack and spend the remainder of my days walking around the US meeting new people, is so tantalizing. But then I think about how much work it would be to get rid of everything and I could not give up my dog. But it is fun to think about.
I have done it twice and the third time may be coming soon.
First time was moving overseas only bringing clothes (2 suitcases) and work gear (the third suitcase).
Next time was courtesy of mother nature. I packed the three suitcases and flew out ahead of a hurricane. The storm took care of everything left behind.
I am looking forward to a third move, but will probably ship a few boxes in addition to the suitcases this time.
Actually, I’d like to simplify my life by *buying *a farm. Sell it all and start over as a farmer.
Been feeling kinda wierd about it. I have lots of stuff. I’m a packrat. And I like my stuff. Past dreams about moving always centered on having so much stuff, not having transportation or time, and being bothered by not wanting to leave stuff behind.
And yet recently, I had this feeling that if I were to move away with nothing but the clothes on my back, while I might occasionally get a twinge about missing some item, overall it wouldn’t really bother me all that much.
I’ve actually sold a farm. It was the old family homestead in Kansas. Since everybody had moved away and lost interest in farming, we sold it to the guy who had been leasing it for the last decade. Simplified my taxes a bit, but that’s about it.
Better than buying the farm.
I lived like that when I was in college, but now? Not really. I’ve accumulated a collection of DVDs, CDs, video games and books that I would not readily give up. I sell stuff that I decide I no longer want, but that’s the extent of it. I wouldn’t get rid of everything. I don’t own a farm or house.
Done it.
I was deep in debt and unemployed so I just sold everything. Started over with just the clothes on my back. It was quite liberating, and it taught me everything I know about living frugally and the importance of saving and financial responsibility. It needed to happen, really.
Umm, that’s pretty much what I’ve got now, except instead of a tv I’ve got 3 bookcases full of books and 1 bookcase full of car magazine back-issues, which I wouldn’t give up.