# Happier with less "stuff"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 15, 2014, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521 "2014-05-15T12:36:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/21 "2014-05-15T17:28:49Z")
Thrifty minimalist here. _raises hand_ I hate having too much stuff. It gives me a low-grade anxiety. I’m like an anti-hoarder, anti-pack rat. In 2005 I got divorced and found myself driving across the country, alone, with only what I could fit in my Corolla. Beneath the trauma of being divorced, I have to admit it felt great to be so stripped of possessions. Clean. - Wife and I share one car. We’d prefer to have no car at all, but public transit here in SLC makes that beyond impractical. - I don’t have a TV. And not in the cheating sense of “I don’t have a _television set_, but I stream shows on my laptop.” I don’t watch TV period, with a very few exceptions. She streams a few select shows. - My hobby is playing the electric guitar in bands. I own one amp and two guitars (the two you need if you’re playing rock and roll). Most of my friends who’ve been playing as long as I have, at roughly the same level of commitment and skill, own 5-20 guitars and a wall of amps. - Wife and I are both bookworms, so the advent of e-readers has been a godsend to us; in our last move in 2010, we sold over 500 paperbacks to the used book store. - 80% of my work shirts are from thrift stores. Pants, not so much; guys simply don’t donate pants until something splits or tears. I don’t think I could ever be happy homeless; I do like security and a place of my own, however small, and I do definitely need a door I can shut for solitude. But I think I could do just fine as an ascetic monk, once my kids were grown and gone. Are there atheist monasteries? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/22 "2014-05-15T18:27:52Z")
> [@Macca26](#): > > Coming from a family of “collectors” and “we might need that” it’s been tough to let go to the extent I have. For instance, when I was a kid it was known that “I liked cats” so my family would get me cat things for my “collection”. I never chose to have a collection, but suddenly I had 25 cat figures and figured that since this was now my collection I had better add to it. I liked Polly Pockets so mom would get one for me past the age at which I would play with them for my “collection” - again, one I didn’t choose to have, but for my family it was a fact of life that you would have a few collections so I accepted that this string of toys was now another collection of mine. _shudder_ That must have been a nightmare. Seriously. Stuff really stresses me out too. My ex-husband hoarded, my grandma is flirting with it, and I think my daughter is going the same road. She works at McDonalds and she will do things like collect whole sets of Happy Meal toys. She also has a real problem letting go of stuff. Her closet is bursting with shabby clothes that don’t fit, and the bathroom is packed with cosmetics too old to use. I would say 90% of her possessions are utter crap. I offer to help her clean up, but it’s not laziness…she just feels that she can’t afford to replace things so she has to keep them. ☹ **OneCentStamp** , let me know if you ever find that atheist monastery! ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/23 "2014-05-15T18:50:03Z")
[QUOTE=Dung Beetle] Stuff really stresses me out too. [/QUOTE] Just wanted to note post/poster/thread combination. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/24 "2014-05-15T19:06:58Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > I hate having too much stuff. It gives me a low-grade anxiety. I’m like an anti-hoarder, anti-pack rat. Me too! My spouse, however, is thiiiiiiiiiiiis close to being a hoarder. I have tried to explain to them that is causes me constant low-grade anxiety, but they dismiss my protestations. sigh ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/25 "2014-05-15T19:14:04Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > When my husband died, I had to dispose of his precious “stuff.” Yard sale, Craigs list, and some to the dumpster in despair of getting rid of it. I vowed then to never ever keep stuff. My ins. agent recommended getting a $20K renters ins. policy. I took the min. ($10K) and doubt I’d even have enough to claim 1/4 of that. That’s how deep my dislike of stuff has become. My husband had a similar epiphany when he brother passed away and we were stuck clearing out the house. And now all the stuff was imbued with meaning for my mother in law - the receipt for Chipotle - maybe that was the last burrito he ever ate, we should keep it… I am ever grateful for a good friend of mine who was also a good friend of my late brother in law. I couldn’t toss, I have to deal with my mother in law - but she doesn’t. So she went in and tossed before my mother in law saw it. And took a lot of things because “they had meaning for her” - that she threw in the trash when she got home because she KNEW I’d be cleaning it out of my mother in laws in a few years when she passes. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/26 "2014-05-15T19:25:25Z")
> [@VeronicaVanity](#): > > I always buy things I want and I don’t need I’ll tell myself I need like clothes, shoes, books and make-up but I know I really don’t because I have a lot already but its hard not too. My home is cluttered but I just can’t throw things out. If I end up doing its only one or two items. Sounds like a wanna-be hoarder! ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/27 "2014-05-15T19:25:47Z")
I moved cross-country with only what would fit in a Jeep Liberty (that included a very large crate for two cats and a small crate for one). It was perfect and freeing. I’m accumulating stuff again, which does not make me happy. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/28 "2014-05-15T19:52:04Z")
So, a question for all those who have “stopped accumulating stuff” - Are you spending any less, or has your discretionary income simply gone to other things? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/29 "2014-05-15T20:05:03Z")
I took a job and lived in a furnished studio apartment for a year while my husband was finishing grad school in another city, and I really miss it sometimes. The only thing I wished I had (aside from my husband) were my books, and, now, with my Kindle I wouldn’t even need a lot of them. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/30 "2014-05-15T20:27:33Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > So, a question for all those who have “stopped accumulating stuff” - > > Are you spending any less, or has your discretionary income simply gone to other things? In my case, gone to other things. I may live like a hermit (though I really don’t; I just project a more modest lifestyle than my income would indicate for most people), but I also live like a king. 😃 In other words, things like a monthly cable bill, a second car, and a closet full of new clothes have gone by the wayside, only to make room for more top-shelf scotch and more frequent sashimi tasting menus. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/31 "2014-05-15T21:20:13Z")
The stuff does make me feel good, mostly. I was, after all, taught that collecting was a good thing. I just understand now that I really should not keep things just because. I would one day like to own a house and have it look somewhat stylish, and I understand you just can’t do that if you’re still hauling around your childhood beanie baby cat collection because “I like to look at it once in a while and feel accomplished” Like seriously…there’s far more I’ve accomplished in my life to be proud about than an item collection that was given to me mostly by other people. I’d say my spending has gone up, but that is mostly because our financials have gone from, “We have to really watch what we spend, so only buy new things a couple times a year for holidays” to “We are comfortable and have an actual discretionary budget built in”. At the same time this has corresponded with me going, “Wow, I still have these puzzle blocks…eBay!” and “I haven’t worn this shirt in a year…Goodwill!” The overall amount of stuff in the house has decreased while valued objects has increased. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/32 "2014-05-15T21:39:25Z")
Anybody have any advice on how to find a reliable person to sell stuff on eBay for you? I have a certain amount of stuff that’s not really valuable but would sell for a decent enough chunk of change. It’s worth too much to chuck, but I have entirely too much on my plate to even think about selling it myself. So it just sits there. An example of what I mean: There used to be a store in town that did eBay stuff for a cut of they sold it for. I brought in a 1959 University of Pennsylvania yearbook, and a few weeks later received a check for $30. But the store is not there any more. Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/33 "2014-05-15T22:18:11Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > In my case, gone to other things. I may live like a hermit (though I really don’t; I just project a more modest lifestyle than my income would indicate for most people), but I also live like a king. 😃 > > In other words, things like a monthly cable bill, a second car, and a closet full of new clothes have gone by the wayside, only to make room for more top-shelf scotch and more frequent sashimi tasting menus. What he said. And I say he because of the king comment. But substitute bourbon for scotch. We still have more to pare down though. Less is more! ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/34 "2014-05-15T22:37:33Z")
So… “Lots of cheap stuff is bad.” “Not so much expensive stuff is good.” (?) ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/35 "2014-05-15T22:42:23Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > So… “Lots of cheap stuff is bad.” “Not so much expensive stuff is good.” (?) Well, that’s just “quality \> quantity,” which is not that outlandish a point of view. I’d take it a bit further in my own case and say I’d rather not have much stuff _at all_ in terms of durable goods, but I like springing for high-end _experiences_ (drink, food, travel, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/36 "2014-05-15T23:13:46Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > So… “Lots of cheap stuff is bad.” “Not so much expensive stuff is good.” (?) Yes’ish. I’d rather have less cheap, unused stuff and have fewer, better items that I do use. We try to buy only the things we really need (not want) and when we do buy make sure that it is something that will last. Why buy the cheap pot metal or plastic hose sprayer that will last 1-2 seasons before it cracks/breaks when you can find one that will last till you die? We have a ton of storage in our small house and large garage and we have empty shelves. We want more (empty shelves that is). ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/37 "2014-05-15T23:58:53Z")
When we left the USA and moved to the Republic of Georgia, we took only what we could carry - basically what would fit in a 60L backpack. We lived with only that amount of stuff for about 4 years. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/38 "2014-05-16T00:25:06Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > So… “Lots of cheap stuff is bad.” “Not so much expensive stuff is good.” (?) If you can afford it and it’s actually worth the money, yes. A Kindle is more expensive than a bunch of dog-eared magazines and books picked up from the Salvation Army. But it’s not a fire hazard or an eye sore. I don’t know if I’ve saved money having less stuff, since my income has increased and I have grown more sophisticated in my tastes as I’ve gotten older. Both of these thing have made it easier for me to spend more than I used to. But it seems to me that I don’t spend as much money as some people I know. I have a coworker who is constantly going on about her Home Depot shopping sprees for her garden. And in the same breath, she’ll complain about how she has no money, something I just can’t understand since we have similar salaries. So it seems to me that while I do have my luxuries, I lean more towards frugality than non-frugality. (Though I’m not nearly as frugal as I used to be). ---
**Author:** ![Nikki\_Tikki\_Tavi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3da27b/32.png) [@Nikki\_Tikki\_Tavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nikki_Tikki_Tavi)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/39 "2014-05-16T00:31:52Z")
My problem isn’t the stuff I BUY, it’s the stuff I already HAVE. I have a strict one in, one out policy for clothing, so although I definitely have more than I need I’m not continuing to accumulate. I just have so much stuff that I don’t want to get rid of. My grandmother’s BIG ugly dresser, the last of her bedroom set. The bar that my grandfather made, also huge. The napkin holder that he made that doesn’t actually fit napkins but, you know, grandpa made it. Stuffed animals from when I was little (“my godmother gave me that! That was my mom’s!”), a giant box of photos, soooo many books. I’m far better about continuing to get “stuff” than I used to be (having to pare down from a big house to a 900 sq ft place helped) but I still have a lot of crap. ---
**Author:** ![troubledwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@troubledwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troubledwater)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521/40 "2014-05-16T02:03:53Z")
My stuff gives me the heebie-jeebies. There is too much, and [I am constantly trying to be rid of it](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=722958). Last year I had a financial scare and restricted my spending to things I needed (didn’t need to make a list - when crunch time came, it was obvious what I actually needed), and didn’t miss acquiring stuff one bit. When the money storm cleared I bought a few things I really did need and had put off, and a bunch of things that I could have without, because it was so easy to just spend money and I felt like I deserved it for having deprived myself _for a few months,_ even though it hadn’t really been severe deprivation at the time. Ugh. Current midlife crisis fantasy is quitting my job and moving to a Tumbleweed house. I look back on the days when it was me, a studio apartment, my Pinto, and one cat, and it wasn’t that bad, really. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happier-with-less-stuff/688521.md?page=3)