# Ever feel like selling the farm? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 27, 2013, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-feel-like-selling-the-farm/651493 "2013-02-27T04:16:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-feel-like-selling-the-farm/651493/21 "2013-02-28T05:12:23Z")
I just never seem to get around to throwing things out, so I should do something before it gets bad. But I had an epiphany: I spent some extended time in SF on a very tiny budget, so did it with few possessions. I hate waiting for baggage in the airport, so I packed light and just took a small (school-size) backpack. Mostly books and art supplies, actually. Bought a few things as I needed them (funky t-shirts, a warmer jacket), and realized that if I really need something, I can usually buy it cheap or used (I was staying in the Tenderloin, near a couple of great thrift shops). So here’s my idea: why don’t I pretend that I’m “traveling light” like that, and pack up a few precious things (in my case, mostly out-of-print old books). And then, while I take off for a long weekend, get someone to come in and toss/donate the rest of my stuff. I’m betting for every one item I’d miss, there’d be ten I’d never notice were gone. ---
**Author:** ![Port\_Royal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Port\_Royal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Port_Royal)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-feel-like-selling-the-farm/651493/22 "2013-02-28T07:18:04Z")
Possibly not quite the same thing, but my husband and I have recently done similar: not got rid of everything, but got rid of heaps of extraneous stuff. We moved from the house we built on 27 acres ( house 200 sq metres) with about the same square meterage of shedding, to a 2 acre block, with dwelling 72 sq metres, and shedding about 30 sq metres. We have missed only a small number of things - along the line of “didn’t we used to have an X?” and the only thing we found we should not have got rid of was a set of harrows. We have found it intensely liberating. We also paid off our mortgage, so we are living debt free - another liberating thing! ---
**Author:** ![Port\_Royal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Port\_Royal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Port_Royal)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-feel-like-selling-the-farm/651493/23 "2013-02-28T08:53:31Z")
Sorry - I missed the edit window. New dwelling about 100 Sq M, not 72. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-feel-like-selling-the-farm/651493/24 "2013-02-28T09:31:04Z")
Can the kids go with the farm? No extra charge ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-feel-like-selling-the-farm/651493/25 "2013-02-28T09:37:54Z")
I’m having second thoughts about owning a house in the area I’m in. If I can’t say goodbye in two years or so, I considered dumping everything I own and renting again. If I got rid of my electronic equipment, films and books, pared down my clothing to sensible stuff and passed on a lot of the kitchen stuff my parents gave me, I’d be sorted. ---
**Author:** ![Glazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e57/32.png) [@Glazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glazer)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-feel-like-selling-the-farm/651493/26 "2013-02-28T11:08:25Z")
Sometimes I want to go live on a deserted island. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-feel-like-selling-the-farm/651493/27 "2013-02-28T23:58:46Z")
Actually planning on doing that this weekend. I’m going to be 30 on Monday, and I don’t know, I’m just tired of all my crap. I’m tired of the constant need to buy more stuff. My goal is to reduce my material possessions by 50%. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-feel-like-selling-the-farm/651493.md?page=1)