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Why I don't want stuff

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Re: Why I don't want stuff

#31

Post by markmontymark »

I don't really enjoy getting presents all that much because I've attained a certain comfort in life. But, it doesn't seem to me that I had to consider much or stress a lot about where I could donate gifts or items I don't want. There's Baras Foundation, Goodwill, AmVets, shelters, schools, so so many people happily ready to receive anything you give them.

Ok, you don't want stuff, but spare me the stress you feel around your family/others not understanding you. Use your energy in a more friendly and giving way and maybe you'll find that it's a bonus to receive the chance to get out in your community, meet and share and give to those that could use a leg up.

I bet once you cycle back and tell your family and friends about the people and places and experiences you now have after donating things, they'll understand. Some will have a hard time with it, but I doubt for long.

I get a bonus item every 5 yrs at my company. Couple years ago received a 60" TV, took me all of a minute and one email to a local school in need and they drove over and picked it up.

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#32

Post by lfowles »

castis wrote: post #26
ck2 wrote: post #19

Not wanting "stuff" is a gamble that your present and future is secure and safe. Having been homeless at one point, I've become a bit of a hoarder, because you never know when things will go south and you are one month away from being homeless (again). Also we'll see how often you keep erasing things and starting from scratch as you get older and find that remembering things is a lot harder and takes a lot longer to…

How would having "stuff" benefit the scenario of becoming homeless?

More float time before becoming homeless. You already have the toiletries and food staples for the next 3 months, so you can focus money towards that rent payment and job interviews. Not sure what "stuff" the parent was referring too though..

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#33

Post by adevine »

ck2 wrote: post #19

Not wanting "stuff" is a gamble that your present and future is secure and safe. Having been homeless at one point, I've become a bit of a hoarder, because you never know when things will go south and you are one month away from being homeless (again). Also we'll see how often you keep erasing things and starting from scratch as you get older and find that remembering things is a lot harder and takes a lot longer to…

I take the opposite conclusion. If god forbid things do go south and you become homeless, it's much worse having to figure out what to do with a lot of stuff, than if you have minimal stuff to begin with. There was recently a story in the Austin subreddit about a guy who was evicted, and all of his furniture and other stuff was put out on the apartment complex lawn, to be quickly picked up and carted off by his neighbors...

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#35

Post by jrs235 »

sanderjd wrote: post #17
ycmbntrthrwaway wrote: post #6

Every time I have a birthday I am terribly worried about receiving some gift that I won't like from people who don't know me good enough but want to give me some present. Receiving a gift that I don't like and having to avoid showing that I don't really like it is worse than receiving nothing. In fact I have enough money to buy anything I want myself, so there is really nothing I would like to receive as a gift.

Are there any things you like that are temporary and experiential? For instance, I really like things like coffee, wine, movies, weekend ski trips, nice restaurants, etc. All of these things can be given as gifts, and better yet some of them can be enjoyed with the gift-giver (and spending quality time together is the best gift, really), but don't take up any space. I've had some success over time making it known tha…

So my in-laws violate my "I don't want anything" desire.

EVERY Christmas they but me a new pajama set (or two). Thing is I sleep in my boxers so I have a drawer full of rarely/barely worn pajamas. (I just realized... I'm going to be donating them now and from now on unused to the Salvation Army).

Don't get me wrong, I think socks are a great gift... they wear out and fresh soft fuzzy socks rock!

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#36

Post by majewsky »

Xcelerate wrote: post #18

I relate to this guy so much. > It makes me really happy when another Christmas or birthday has passed and I didn’t receive anything. It makes me feel understood. My sister and I have this arrangement. I tell her every Christmas that her gift (nothing) is the best one, because I don't have to figure out where to store more junk until enough time has passed that I don't feel guilty throwing it away. She's even more of…

> If I want some object, I will buy that object myself.

I can so relate. "What can I get you for birthday?" - "Nothing, mum. I got all I need." - "How about we go buy some new shoes for you?" - "sigh I already have a pair of shoes." :)

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#37

Post by puzzlingcaptcha »

colmvp wrote: post #28

People have good criticisms about e-readers like the Kindle. It's not great for technical books. It can be a little laggy and not as sensory compared to paper books. That said, the ability to retake space is soooooo worth it. My Kindle has dozens of books, magazines, and long form articles. Over the long term, I have saved volumes of physical space and pounds of weight. While I miss the physical look of having rows o…

I give away physical books I liked to friends, and those that I didn't like to Books for Amnesty. While you can email someone the .epub, it's not quite the same. A scribbled dedication will persist longer and be more evocative that an email too.

Technical books I tend to keep as ebooks on my desktop where I work anyway.

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#38

Post by wang_li »

ycmbntrthrwaway wrote: post #6

Every time I have a birthday I am terribly worried about receiving some gift that I won't like from people who don't know me good enough but want to give me some present. Receiving a gift that I don't like and having to avoid showing that I don't really like it is worse than receiving nothing. In fact I have enough money to buy anything I want myself, so there is really nothing I would like to receive as a gift.

I feel much the same as you, but I recently started receiving gifts from a newly important person in my life. Some of the gifts were not things I would get for myself and weren't even on my radar. But upon receiving them and taking the time to consider the gift and try it, I have learned that gift giving can include the possibility of expanding my tastes by exposing me to things I would otherwise pass over.

Reading through the linked blog entry, at first I got the impression that he just likes a minimal life. But then I started to get the impression he just doesn't want to make the effort to maintain relationships with other humans.

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#39

Post by serg_chernata »

Xcelerate wrote: post #18

I relate to this guy so much. > It makes me really happy when another Christmas or birthday has passed and I didn’t receive anything. It makes me feel understood. My sister and I have this arrangement. I tell her every Christmas that her gift (nothing) is the best one, because I don't have to figure out where to store more junk until enough time has passed that I don't feel guilty throwing it away. She's even more of…

Between my wife and I, the policy has been to go out and spend time together instead of buying gifts. I don't try to push this onto others but it does work with most of my close friends as well.

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#40

Post by xyzzy4 »

The last time before I moved, I took a bunch of perfectly good furniture and other stuff I didn't want anymore and put it on my street corner. Within a day, it was gone. There was low income housing nearby so maybe one of those people took it.
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