Are You in Love With Your “STUFF”?

I was listening to a podcast today about “minimalist living” and all the joy it brings. That got me thinking about us crazy Americans and all our “Stuff”. People are into designer handbags, brand-name shoes, and fancy cars. I’m not really interested in a lot of that. Maybe we’re too materialistic, but on the other hand, I don’t know if I could swing a stuff-free life.

I love to watch the Tiny House shows on HGTV. People want to live in a 200-square-foot place with a baby and two dogs. People want a tiny house with room for 6 kayaks or 13 surfboards. People want a tiny house with entertaining space. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve yelled at the television, “It’s a TINY HOUSE!” Can we really let go of our stuff? Could you lead a minimalist lifestyle?

Years ago, I read a book by John D. Freyer. It’s called All My Life For Sale. It’s an interesting read about a project John worked on. In Phase One of the project, he sold everything… everything he owned on eBay. In Phase Two, he traveled all over the world to visit his stuff.

The woman on today’s podcast, Genevieve Parker Hill, is the author of Minimalist Living: Decluttering for Joy, Health, and Creativity. She talks about how her family experienced a house fire and lost all their possessions. Through this journey, she learned that relationships are important, not stuff. So was the house fire a blessing or a curse?

Friends of ours, who always had a big home with lots of wonderful stuff, decided to live in an RV and travel around. I wonder if they went through stuff withdrawal at first, or did they make a decision and flip the switch?

I would say that I’m in the middle of the scale of stuff crazy people. (Of course I am). My husband is definitely into stuff. He’s not a hoarder, but he is a serious collector. He keeps it tidy and doesn’t break the bank. That’s all I care about. Honestly, I think I’m more about the acquisition of stuff and lose interest in a lot of it after the fact. That sounds horrible, but I believe it’s true.

So, pause and think for a minute. Where do you place in the rankings? Are you the keeper of the stuff, or a sensible purger from time to time? Do you think you can live without your stuff?

On a side note… Does anyone have suggestions on how to stop buying things from Amazon or now, TEMU?

• Cat

Originally published at https://thehokeypokey.substack.com.