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Why I don't want stuff

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Re: Why I don't want stuff

#141

Post by ideonexus »

0xffff2 wrote: post #70

I can appreciate the sentiment, but I actually like doing things. Don't get me wrong, I probably spend much more time than most in front of my computer, but even so. I'm a photographer -> Two bags full of camera gear, tripod... I'm a hiker/backpacker -> Backpack, tent, sleeping bag, hiking boots... I'm a cyclist -> Bike, helmet, gloves, pump... I'm a computer engineer -> Solder station, wire cutters, crimping tools..…

These examples really emphasize how much it depends on the person and the hobbies/interests involved. In recent months, I've become very interested in arcade and pinball history. Those hobbyists are really wrestling with collecting individual cabinets at $200 to $1000 a pop versus just setting up a single MAME cabinet. Many fans are going MAME (storing 3,000 games in a single cabinet), but the hardcore hobbyists are often outright hostile to the idea and denigrate those who post pictures of their custom cabinets to the forums. For myself, the difference between a genuine cabinet and a PC running the same ROM is negligible.

Now, with virtual pinball, people are starting to encounter the same issue. I bought a real pinball machine recently and plan on squeezing another into my home eventually because the virtual machines simply don't feel the same. At the same time, I setup a virtual machine with 50-plus tables on it that I perpetually tinker with and try to improve with custom controls, larger screens, and eventually digital back-glass.

We have to take it on a case-by-case basis. I remember when Marvel started reprinting and digitizing all their old comics in early 2000. Issues in my collection went from $100-$200 to $10-$20 in value very quikly. I hang those old issues on my walls as art, but when I want to read them, I go to my tablet.

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#142

Post by AstroJetson »

We agreed one year of no Christmas Gifts. I brought a $100 bill. Gave it to my brother who passed it on to my sister who gave it to me, I gave it back to her, she gave it to my brother and he gave it back to me.

Next work day "Hey for Christmas both my brother and sister gave me $100 each!" So it works out ;-)

I'm like 0xffff2 I have a ton of things that makes house stuff go better like a ladder, hand tools I like electronics, bench full of parts and different tools. My partner is a quilter, so tons of fabric fills that space. There are two shelves with 4 totes of holiday decorations. And so it goes.

I have divested of lots of stuff, like paper books now reside as digital ones on a file server, a book case of movies and music are now stored on a few TB drives. We are pretty much devoid of small decorations that need to be dusted.

But unlike the University me that could move to my first few places with all I owned in my VW bus, the last move took most of a Mayflower truck.

Not sure how all of the things I like to do are going to fit into the Old Folks Home in a few years.

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#143

Post by NEDM64 »

I'm not that extreme, but I'm always postponing the day I finally get a trash bag and fill it with everything I don't want or don't need and put it in the trash or sell it on eBay/give it to goodwill.

The favorite part of my house, is the micro studio in my apartment where I keep my electronics stuff (workbench with instruments) and various components like resistors, transistors, caps, inductors, switches, LEDs, glue logic, mcu's soldering stuff. Because I arranged it like it should be, with everything in it's own place.

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#144

Post by [deleted] »

0xffff2 wrote: post #70

I can appreciate the sentiment, but I actually like doing things. Don't get me wrong, I probably spend much more time than most in front of my computer, but even so. I'm a photographer -> Two bags full of camera gear, tripod... I'm a hiker/backpacker -> Backpack, tent, sleeping bag, hiking boots... I'm a cyclist -> Bike, helmet, gloves, pump... I'm a computer engineer -> Solder station, wire cutters, crimping tools..…

[deleted]

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#145

Post by eitally »

ycmbntrthrwaway wrote: post #131
danans wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my neighborhood we all borrow each others gear, whether it's home improvement stuff, or occasionally used outdoor sports gear. Any startup in this space would have to establish the "trust" feature of a sharing community, which is a feature that a friendly neighborhood has built-in. You might be on to something if you find an easy way for people to publish their inventory of stuff to a trusted group of neighbors, m…

Instead of trust, it may be possible to rent stuff in usual way by leaving a deposit and paying per hour for using someone else's tool.

And there are plenty of companies all over the world who operate profitably renting tools & equipment to homeowners.

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#146

Post by vonmoltke »

ashmud wrote: post #136
nostromo wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish there was a startup in this space. I have so much house maintenance stuff. For example, I only really need a ladder once a year. But I keep it around forever because when you need a ladder, you need a ladder . I would love to not have to store and maintain all this stuff and to just request it on demand. Can someone solve that for me? I'm embarrassed to admit that sometimes it's easier for me to just buy a new…

I am surprised big box hardware stores do not have programs to rent out bigger ladders. Personally, I do need a smaller ladder frequently, though. Community/family can be a good way to share tools, too. I have re-bought tools/parts I was fairly certain I already had, but simply did not have the time to sift through things to find. Especially for home projects that I had a small window to work on and I did not do my d…

> I am surprised big box hardware stores do not have programs to rent out bigger ladders.

They do. I rented one several months ago to change some can lights on a 15' ceiling. They have basic power tools as well, though the selection is spotty from store to store.

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#147

Post by munificent »

ashmud wrote: post #136
nostromo wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish there was a startup in this space. I have so much house maintenance stuff. For example, I only really need a ladder once a year. But I keep it around forever because when you need a ladder, you need a ladder . I would love to not have to store and maintain all this stuff and to just request it on demand. Can someone solve that for me? I'm embarrassed to admit that sometimes it's easier for me to just buy a new…

I am surprised big box hardware stores do not have programs to rent out bigger ladders. Personally, I do need a smaller ladder frequently, though. Community/family can be a good way to share tools, too. I have re-bought tools/parts I was fairly certain I already had, but simply did not have the time to sift through things to find. Especially for home projects that I had a small window to work on and I did not do my d…

They do, actually. Home Depot has a large rental department. You can rent ladders here:

http://www.homedepot.com/c/painting_and_wall_equipment_renta...

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#148

Post by obsurveyor »

fs111 wrote: post #126

I don't get it. His website says he reads quite a few books. Why can't he just create an amazon wishlist full of books he wants to read and refer to that? Problem solved. Nobody likes getting random stuff, but getting things you would have gotten yourself anyway is not a problem, I'd argue.

I assume he reads digital books based on his uncluttered nature and gifting Kindle books is a pain because you can't schedule when it's delivered or create a redemption code. It's just immediately sent to that person's Kindle library.

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#149

Post by pizza234 »

0xffff2 wrote: post #70

I can appreciate the sentiment, but I actually like doing things. Don't get me wrong, I probably spend much more time than most in front of my computer, but even so. I'm a photographer -> Two bags full of camera gear, tripod... I'm a hiker/backpacker -> Backpack, tent, sleeping bag, hiking boots... I'm a cyclist -> Bike, helmet, gloves, pump... I'm a computer engineer -> Solder station, wire cutters, crimping tools..…

Minimalism is not a practical matter; it's a principle, a culture, and a mindset.

If you observe the amount of things people throws away when moving to a new house, you'll realize that how many things are needlessly accumulated. You can bet that the same things were really needed before buying them.

I'd say that the most minimal application of minimalism (this is the idea of the post) is to recognize in advance that one don't really need them.

Expanding the concept of minimalism, I wouldn't say you don't need much of the stuff you're mentioning, rather that a minimalist "clone" of you could enjoy and/or perform (depending on the goals) the activities you've mentioned, with probably half of the equipment.

Besides, there are only the two extremes of having plenty of tools, and living only with a laptop and furnishing.

Re: Why I don't want stuff

#150

Post by [deleted] »

NovaS1X wrote: post #29

I feel so close to this guy; I can relate to him so much. I don't think I've lived in a house for longer than two years in my entire life. I've lived in different cities, provinces, and even countries. I naturally keep the amount of "stuff" that I own down to an amount that can be packed up into one car/truck load. I love the sense of freedom that comes with being able to pick up and go somewhere else in a day. I als…

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