One day last year, Dave Bruno looked around his house and realized that for a man who had spent years trying to live simply, he had an incredible amount of “stuff.”
“It got me motivated to come up with this harebrained idea. Is it possible to exist in American suburbia and truly not have a lot of excessive stuff?” he said.
And so the great purge began.
Out went the yoga mat, train collection, Harry Potter figurine and countless hats, shoes, shirts and jackets.
The challenge was to whittle down his belongings to 100 possessions — and then to live off those possessions for an entire year.
He didn’t count items that were shared by his family, and some things, such as his cook set and library, were grouped as one.
He held on to six T-shirts, one tie, a pair of sneakers, brown shoes, flip-flops and about 90 other things.
The simple life
Six months into the experiment, the San Diego Web editor is surprised at how simple it is to live without.
Sure, he misses the jacket he discarded, and others miss his photos that came from a camera that didn’t make the cut.
But he doesn’t miss the guilt he would feel when looking at the woodworking tools he never got around to using or the bike derailleur he held onto for years as a memento.
Since the challenge began, he’s made about 10 personal purchases. The rule is he has to get rid of something before adding anything new to the list.
“We’ve changed our perspective on what the good life is,” he said.
Bruno, who has blogged about his experience and plans to publish a book on his year of 100 things, is part of the backlash against Americans’ surging consumerism.
And in a world where living green is often coupled with the idea of buying new and improved “environmentally friendly” products, some rank buying less and changing consumer habits as among the most green things you can do.
“(An issue) people who are really pushing stewardship of the Earth will have to address is, ‘Do we really want to call people to simply buy hybrids and change lightbulbs or do we want to call people to consider having just a very different lifestyle completely and find ways to support that kind of lifestyle?’” Bruno said.
Tie to mental health
Lawrence life coach Cheryl Miller said that once people learn how to clear out clutter, there’s a sense of peace that comes with it.
A lifelong pack rat, Miller declutters her belongings once or twice a year.
“Every year I get better. Every year I realize there is less that I need,” she said.
Miller, who counsels people on how to organize their homes, first recommends removing anything that doesn’t belong in the room. Then, decide to throw those items away, give them away or just move them to another room.
For those who have the urge to redecorate, she recommends opting for the more environmental-friendly version of rearranging furniture and updating pillows or curtains instead of buying new furniture.
To the adage, reduce, reuse, recycle, Miller adds refuse (or in other words, don’t buy), repurpose, rethink, recover, restore and repair.
“The less we consume, the less goes into landfills,” she said.
‘Buy Nothing Day’
Lawrence resident Carla Tilghman hasn’t gone to the extreme that Bruno has, but over the years her family has tried to consume less. Each year she gathers with friends the Friday after Thanksgiving to celebrate “Buy Nothing Day,” which coincides with the country’s biggest shopping day of the year. The family buys local produce, uses mugs made by Tilghman’s husband and doesn’t have cable or a dishwasher.
“I think more about what I’m buying. And, I’m not doing as much impulse purchasing,” she said.
The family gives away old clothes, either to donation bins or cousins in Norway, and goes online to post items for free. Tilghman, a weaver and artist, once cleared her studio of projects she never had time to do and supplies she didn’t use. She made $1,000 from the unused items.
Now, when she starts losing track of the stuff she does have, she knows it’s time to purge.
“That’s at the core of the bad side of American consumerism, if I have so many possessions that I can’t even remember what I have, much less put it to use,” Tilghman said. “I just think that is wasteful. If I’m not using it, someone else should be.”
Comments
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gl0ck0wn3r (anonymous) says…
Hippies can't stand Slayer.
Logan72 (Alia Ahmed) says…
I think the less cluttered my environment is, the more relaxed I feel. Having less also means less to take care of and more time to spend with friends and family, with a good book or enjoying a hobby or activity.
kmat (anonymous) says…
You are wrong glock - I love Slayer and know other hippies that do too. Seen them live almost as many times as I got to see the Dead. :-)
My parents are severe horders and I caught myself doing what they do - saving everything. I finally decided a few years ago after watching a BBC show about horders that I had to declutter my life. Best decision I ever made. Now if I could only get my parents to follow suit.
bobbie1207 (anonymous) says…
kmat - I finally point blank said to my mom, "When you're gone, do you seriously want me to be cleaning this place out?". Surprisingly, after that she has pitched lots out. Unfortunately her health prevents her from doing more so we'll have to help her, but hopefully it will happen before she is gone. My uncle is even worse, his stuff is outside in some storage buildings. We may just light those and roast some marshmallows.
Another advantage to the decluttering attitude is financial peace. We spend much, much less on junk and stuff and more on our retirement and savings. This has been made a bit easier with the $2.50 a gallon gas since it's a good 20 miles to any big box store. And there's more room in the house and it's easier to clean.
Irish (Leslie Swearingen) says…
Oh, wow! People with a good income in the suburbs are getting rid of the clutter. Well,us poor, common people who can't afford to buy anything will surely be impressed.
Someone called me a miminalist and I was very angry. I am not that, it is just that I can't afford to buy anything.
Impressed by this article?
NO.
jaywalker (anonymous) says…
Not for nothin', but the picture alone shows more clutter than I'd have suspected.
Logan72 (Alia Ahmed) says…
Irish,
I come from very humble beginnings and certainly know people of all different income levels. Clutter and overconsumption isn't limited to people with a good income. I've been in people's homes who had very, very modest incomes who managed to collect a lot of belongings. I think sometimes those of us with more limited incomes may hold on tighter to things we don't need because it isn't so easy to replace it or we fear losing what we have worked so hard for.
However, another factor for me is the older I get the less emotionally attached I am to physical belongings and the more I value things with more intrinsic value like my relationships with family and friends. I know it is a cliche, but we really can't take it with us and I don't want my children to have to sort through stuff I don't use and that will be meaningless to them once I'm gone.
Hawk6643 (anonymous) says…
Does that include the 900 books she has on that shelf behind her?
RETICENT_IRREVERENT (Ronaldo Ignacio) says…
Hawk, Its her library, and as such only counts as one item.
Kinda like my family compound...
I only have 9 belongings with that classification system.
Catalano (anonymous) says…
I got rid of my high school yearbooks (circa late 60s - early 70s this week!
classclown (Class Clown) says…
I was inspired by this story. I gathered up all the unpaid bills that were cluttering my desk and put them right in the trash.
Irish (Leslie Swearingen) says…
Logan72, I bow to your wisdom. I am very techy about being poor.
As for the books, you can't just get rid of them on a whim.
I am just into O'Brien and the Great Naval War 1793-1815 so I need my history books to refer to.
And then there is the Steinbeck and the Ambrose that I got because they were recomended by someone in a post.
She could get rid of the candle and that thing in the window and those sticks and the jar they are sticking out of.
That sofa is truly ugly. I found a really lovely sofa at Freeman's before they closed.
I'm not about to give up anything in my Obama collection! Even if I get to a thousand things!
Irish (Leslie Swearingen) says…
Why is this the only comment place with a blue background?
Logan72 (Alia Ahmed) says…
Irish, I understand given the circumstances you've been through that it might be hard to hear about people discarding things if it is hard to make ends meet. I agree it is hard to think about giving up my books I've accumulated over the years. We all have things we value more than other things, right? :~)
lmn (anonymous) says…
Irish, if you're truly that poor, you could save money by not paying for internet. It would be a win-win situation. You would have more money and we wouldn't be subjected to your incessant whining.
PatKirk (anonymous) says…
Freemans Closed? I missed that. Too bad.
Logan72 (Alia Ahmed) says…
Imn,
I don't know about Irish's situation, but some people go to the library to use the internet and there is no cost for that service.
Milka (anonymous) says…
I dunno about the couch...i kinda like it...but are the pillows considered one with the couch? They're nice...but are pillows always necessary? that looks like a sitting room. I went through a big cleanup of all of my things last year, which has made me feel great (things are cluttered since I moved from different apartments to a one-room shared house where I try to get everything I own into one room)...but I still have laundry baskets of clothing sitting around that need to be sold or given away. I really like the idea of having to get rid of one thing before buying another. I think everyone is coming around...learning how to do things on their own and enrich their lives without all the crap. I need to work on my parents as well...NO you will NOT use that later in some craft...it will just sit around. I'm more realistic these days about what i buy and what i keep...will i remember that moment without that stupid keepsake? most likely yes...i like to keep things based on functionality (or buy them). Can i use this for a keepsake AND a bottle opener? sweet. i'm sold. (if i need a bottle opener) good luck packrats!
pissedinlawrence (anonymous) says…
Hawk6643 and reticent_irreverent
Man who did the 100 items is not the women in the photo. While I agree the picture and title of this article do no go together, Maybe you should read the article better. They do not live together, two seperate stories.
KS (anonymous) says…
Now we are supposed to feel guilty because we have "stuff"? Well, you can quit buying "stuff" and a few more jobs will be lost someplace. No jobs can mean no taxes paid and that can mean no money for your social programs that Lawrence is so in love with. This story is beyond dumb.
Irish (Leslie Swearingen) says…
I am not a whiner. Did anything I write sound remotely like whining? No.
I have cable and I have iInternet and let me tell you this, I am not getting rid of them.
I think we all need to rethink this whole issue. Anyone could go to someone's home and point out things they don't need.
What does that prove?
Clutter is not the same as collecting things because you enjoy them.
Things that make a house look and feel like a home, that reflect who you are as an individual.
Noweigh (anonymous) says…
KS...totally agree.
At some point "used" items were all new.
"New" provides jobs, creates innovation, improved quality products. Glad my doctors always insisted on "new" medical syringes, etc.
Article not only beyond dumb but beyond belief.
lmn (anonymous) says…
Irish (Irish Swearingen) says…
I am not a whiner. Did anything I write sound remotely like whining? No.
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Irish (Irish Swearingen) says…Oh, wow! People with a good income in the suburbs are getting rid of the clutter. Well,us poor, common people who can't afford to buy anything will surely be impressed.
Someone called me a miminalist and I was very angry. I am not that, it is just that I can't afford to buy anything.
Impressed by this article?
NO.
--------------
Irish, want some wine, er whine with your cheese?
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Irish (Irish Swearingen) says...I have cable and I have iInternet and let me tell you this, I am not getting rid of them.
---------------
That's a shame. Guess what - poor people cannot afford those luxuries. Continue on with the woe is me attitude and you will be called out on it. "Poor" Irish.
KawValleyKid (Nick Yoho) says…
KS says,"Now we are supposed to feel guilty because we have “stuff”? Well, you can quit buying “stuff” and a few more jobs will be lost someplace. No jobs can mean no taxes paid and that can mean no money for your social programs that Lawrence is so in love with. This story is beyond dumb."
KVK says;
so we should keep living unsustainably so people can keep working to buy more stuff? I like the story better than your logic.