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About Not Owning Sh*t

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Re: About Not Owning Sh*t

#81

Post by lmm »

Not owning stuff doesn't necessarily mean consuming less, quite the opposite. If you don't have the tools to fix things that break then you have to hire other people to, have them travel out to your home etc. Others have mentioned how he must eat out a lot, which again consumes a lot of resources at least as commonly implemented (canteen-style food might actually be more efficient than cooking for yourself, but I've never known anyone to happily live on such for long).

If you enjoy this kind of lifestyle and can afford it then great, go for it. But don't pretend it's a more efficient or better way to live.

Re: About Not Owning Sh*t

#82

Post by smackfu »

rtpg wrote: post #20
lclarkmichalek wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That must be a nice life. Eating out is quite an expensive way to live.

depends on where you live. I think you could do it relatively easily in Japan for example. 1k yen per meal (which can get you really good meals) would make you pay around 90k yen per month (around 900 dollars). That sounds expensive, but if you think about the amount of time you save, it might be worth it for some people.

In Japan, I think that's a result of people not having proper kitchens in their very small apartments.

Re: About Not Owning Sh*t

#84

Post by hipsters_unite »

ssharp wrote: post #38

I posted something similar a few weeks ago when there was a link to a blog post talking about how getting rid of your smartphone will free you from the shackles. Again, I never understand the extremes. I own a fair amount of stuff. I use a fair amount of stuff. Must I either own nothing or own a ton of "shit"? I'm 31, married, and am planning on children in the very near future. Packing up a suitcase and fleeing town…

That's exactly what I thought- I don't own much, but if you're a musician you have a guitar, an amp, some pedals, some cables... and I read, so I have some books... and I like music, so some records... could call it 'shit', but it's hardly the end of the world.

Re: About Not Owning Sh*t

#85

Post by thirdtruck »

spodek wrote: post #41

I applaud his lifestyle, but the post reminded me of an insightful joke. Q: How do you know when someone doesn't own a TV? A: They tell you. Again, I like his decisions. I hope I don't sound like other posters putting him down or defensive things like he must be rich to live poor, which miss the point. He just seems to be bragging about it. Why not just not have a lot of stuff and leave it at that? If you want to ins…

Now contrast that with how often TV-less people hear about what everyone else is watching. A "fish doesn't notice it's in water" scenario.

Re: About Not Owning Sh*t

#86

Post by jrs235 »

thirdtruck wrote: post #85
spodek wrote: post #41

I applaud his lifestyle, but the post reminded me of an insightful joke. Q: How do you know when someone doesn't own a TV? A: They tell you. Again, I like his decisions. I hope I don't sound like other posters putting him down or defensive things like he must be rich to live poor, which miss the point. He just seems to be bragging about it. Why not just not have a lot of stuff and leave it at that? If you want to ins…

Now contrast that with how often TV-less people hear about what everyone else is watching. A "fish doesn't notice it's in water" scenario.

Yes. My family has one television and we maybe watch one or two hours of television a week using rabbit ears. It's not even about what shows they are watching, it's "have you seen that commercial for X where Y?" No, I haven't.

Re: About Not Owning Sh*t

#87

Post by ygra »

jmspring wrote: post #31
lukeholder wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

and kids!

And decide to settle and buy a house...

Is a house actually necessary? I've been content with living in a rented flat so far. Or is that mainly an American thing where outside of larger cities space is abundant?

Re: About Not Owning Sh*t

#88

Post by thirdtruck »

nmunson wrote: post #10
AUmrysh wrote: post #4

I'd like to cut down on all of the junk I hold on to. What are some helpful tips to go from hoarder to not owning shit?

Haven't used something in a year? Throw it out. Not sure if you'll regret throwing away a memento? Take a picture of it, then throw it out.

Agreed. This practice helped reduce my sh*t collection by quite a bit.

Re: About Not Owning Sh*t

#89

Post by thirdtruck »

jrs235 wrote: post #86
thirdtruck wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now contrast that with how often TV-less people hear about what everyone else is watching. A "fish doesn't notice it's in water" scenario.

Yes. My family has one television and we maybe watch one or two hours of television a week using rabbit ears. It's not even about what shows they are watching, it's "have you seen that commercial for X where Y?" No, I haven't.

So true. I've "missed out" on so many products, services, movies, games, and the like that I will never notice passed me by. I'll just have to find solace in my fuller wallet. :)

Re: About Not Owning Sh*t

#90

Post by smackfu »

harshaw wrote: post #42

Don't you people have any hobbies? For me it is cycling. My bike is my most important possession along with the various tools, wheels, spare bikes, etc. I mean, I get the whole zen thing but life is too short to not have anything . If you do anything outdoors you need equipment (you can rent some equipment but that gets old fast).

Yeah, that's a great example of how people think not having stuff is freeing, but it's actually incredibly limiting. Having no stuff is choosing to not do anything when you are at home.
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