The Joy of Less, a Minimalist Living Guide (25 page)

Finally, strictly limit any memorabilia or sentimental items you choose to keep. For instance, dedicate just one box to high school and college stuff, and save only those items of greatest importance to you—rather than every test you took, award you won, poem you wrote, uniform you wore, or fraternal item you owned. Do the same for wedding items: keep only what will fit in a single box. Choose your most special mementos, instead of hoarding every card, favor, and decoration associated with the event. Apply similar limits to any souvenirs, heirlooms, trophies, baby keepsakes, and children’s art and schoolwork you decide to store as well.

Our storage spaces are like black holes: stuff goes in, but it never comes out (maybe scientists should look here for the missing matter of the universe!). Fortunately, we can stop their growth—by purging an old item each time we add a new one.

When we buy new electronic, computer, or office equipment, we often relegate the old stuff to these areas. Why we’re storing them, I have no idea—I don’t know anyone who has actually dug out one of these dinosaurs and put it back into service. I know if my current laptop failed, the last place I’d look for a replacement is in my basement; I’d be shopping for a new one before you could say “out of warranty.” Yet we save these relics nonetheless, turning our attics and basements into museums of old technology. If you haven’t already cleared out these “antiques,” there’s no time like the present. From now on, when you purchase a new piece of technology, don’t preserve the old one for posterity—let it back into the world, where it still may be of use.

Apply the same philosophy to your home and garden tools. If you acquire a shiny new lawnmower, tree trimmer, or power drill, sell or donate the old one; why keep duplicates, when you can only use one at a time? If it helps, pretend you don’t have the space for two, and
must
make a choice between them. If your old one is on its last legs, or the new one lightens your workload, the decision is easy—send the former on its way. However, if you can’t bear to part with the old one, and it continues to meet your needs, return the new one to the store—because there’s no reason to spend your hard-earned money on it.

Likewise, if you decide to pursue a new sport or hobby, give up an old one—along with the related equipment. It’ll prevent your attic, basement, or garage from being haunted by the Ghosts of Activities Past. You certainly don’t need stuff that reminds you of failed pursuits or lost interests; better to cut the cord, free your mind, and sell the supplies to recoup some money. You only have so much time in your day, and precious little of it is leisure time. By dropping an old pastime, you can devote your energy, space, and resources to a new one.

Finally, a word about furniture: in short, if your attic, basement, or garage isn’t a living space, it doesn’t belong there. All too often, these spaces provide refuge for old tables, chairs, beds, and sofas that have been displaced by new ones. Unless you have very specific plans for their future—like giving the couch to your college-bound daughter, or moving the table to your beach house—let them go. From now on, follow the rule: when one piece of furniture comes in, one goes out (and
not
out to the garage!).

Even though it’s out of sight, the stuff in our attics, basements, and garages is always there—hanging over our heads, piled beneath our feet, and pressing in on us. Just the thought of being surrounded by junk can be psychologically suffocating. Therefore, narrow down the contents of these spaces as much as possible: store only what you regularly use (or expect to in the near future). Don’t fill them with “just in cases”—just in case you take up skiing again, just in case your new printer breaks, just in case you need to prove you lettered in track and field. Life is more exhilarating when you live with less!

First, lighten your load by ditching the holiday decorations. Why squirrel away store-bought décor, when nature’s bounty is much more elegant? Instead of adorning your Christmas tree with manufactured baubles, string it with popcorn and cranberries; instead of decorating with artificial wreaths, make fresh ones each year with evergreens; instead of dragging out a ceramic centerpiece, spruce up your table with sprigs of holly. Beautify your home with acorns and leaves in the fall, and fresh and dried flowers in spring. Use pebbles, branches, and fruit—rather than mass-produced tchotchkes—to provide texture and color to your rooms. When you decorate with nature, you have a “fresh” look in every sense of the word—and better yet, nothing to store!

Second, pursue sports and hobbies that require little equipment. You can play soccer and tennis with far less stuff than hockey and football; and you can practice yoga, karate, and dance with next to nothing. You can walk or run in the great outdoors instead of buying a treadmill, and focus on calisthenics instead of exercise machines. In fact, sports are often more enjoyable when you don’t have to fuss with accoutrements. By the time you don all those hockey pads, you could have gone for a three-mile run! Take a similar approach to hobbies: while woodworking, pottery, or metalsmithing are wonderful activities, they require numerous specialty tools and supplies. Learning a language, writing poetry, or sketching, on the other hand, may bring you similar satisfaction without all the stuff.

Third, resist the urge to buy the latest and greatest tools; many tasks can be completed with the most basic of implements. For example, you don’t need fancy equipment to be a great gardener; in most cases, a shovel, hoe, fork, rake, spade, hose, and watering can will suffice. Working with simple hand tools can be much more satisfying than operating high-powered ones; it brings you closer to your work (both physically and psychologically), and gives you a greater sense of achievement. Pare down your toolbox further by choosing versatile items that can tackle a variety of jobs, over those that perform just one. A multi-purpose rotary tool with interchangeable bits (like those made by Dremel) can eliminate an entire workbench full of specialty equipment.

Finally, be a borrower. If you only go ice skating a few times each winter, rent skates instead of owning them; if you only pressure wash your siding once a year, hire the equipment from a home improvement center; if you only need a nail gun once in a blue moon, borrow one from your neighbor. Consider participating in community tool shares instead of storing your own; they give you access to a wide variety of maintenance and garden equipment. Furthermore, if you rarely use your automobile, sell it off and join a car share program—you’ll decrease your costs, and increase your garage space. You can also give items you don’t use regularly to a friend or relative with greater need for them—with the understanding you can borrow them when necessary. Your handyman neighbor can then use (and store) your ladder all year round, and lend it to you when you need it.

To maintain clutter-free storage spaces, you
must
be a good gatekeeper—because once stuff gets settled in, it takes some serious effort to flush it out. Question any item headed for the attic, basement, or garage
before it gets there
; if something’s leaving the living space, it can just as often leave the household altogether. Don’t use these spaces to avoid facing reality or making tough decisions; if you find yourself walking up the attic steps with your aunt’s music box collection, stop and think about alternative ways to deal with it. Giving it to your sister-in-law, or donating it to a charity shop, may be a better solution than squirreling it away.

Monitor these spaces on a regular basis, to make sure things don’t go haywire behind your back. Such vigilance is particularly necessary in a multi-member household, where everyone may not have the same minimalist goals. If you spot a foreign object, figure out who owns it and why it’s there; if it’s simply out of place, determine its appropriate spot and return it there immediately. The longer you let it lounge around, the more likely it is to attract friends. Keep a close watch on the floor, and put the brakes on any “clutter creep” that might be occurring. When you (or family members) are finished using tools, sports equipment, or hobby supplies, see that everything is returned to its proper place, instead of left lying around.

Additionally, consider doing a One-A-Day Declutter—these areas provide ample opportunity to purge your household of excess stuff. Better yet, it’s
easy
: since the items reside outside your main living space, you’re already somewhat detached from them. You don’t look at or use them on a daily basis, and you have a pretty good idea of what it’s like to live without them. Think of it this way: if you were making a cross-country move, would you bother to drag them along? If they’re not special (or useful) enough to wrap up, box up, and cart around, you may as well set them free. At the end of the year, you’ll have 365 fewer things to store—that’s wonderful incentive in itself!

At minimum, conduct a massive decluttering session once a year; schedule it for a holiday weekend for a particularly festive atmosphere. Unload the entire contents of the attic, basement, or garage into your backyard, and strive to return less than
half
to the space. Purge unused tools, unloved hobby supplies, outgrown sports equipment, and anything else that may have snuck its way in during the previous twelve months. To increase motivation, plan a yard sale for the following week, and earmark the proceeds for something fun—like a family vacation or swim club membership. Make it a tradition, and everyone will look forward to the annual “fresh start.”

During the course of your decluttering, you’ll run across certain objects that give you pause. They’re neither useful nor beautiful, yet you can’t bring yourself to get rid of them. Ironically enough, you may not even have chosen to bring them into your life. What am I talking about? Gifts, heirlooms, and sentimental items.

Gifts are supposed to be “good,” right? We’re supposed to give them with joy, receive them with joy, and cherish them for the rest of our days—or so we’ve been told to believe. Throughout history, gifts have symbolized a special transaction between two people; they’ve been used to convey respect, curry favor, express love, extend hospitality, seal friendships, ask for forgiveness, and more. The key word here, however, is
symbolize
. The gift itself is nothing more than an object representing a certain emotion or intention—which, absent that object, still remains. If the ceramic rooster you received from your best friend suddenly vaporized into thin air (would that it were so easy!), your friendship would be no less for lack of it.

Furthermore, much of the gift-giving that occurs nowadays is inspired less by noble intentions, and more by aggressive marketing. Around every major holiday, we’re barraged with ads urging us to buy this, that, and the other thing for our loved ones. They promise that happiness will reign if we give our wife the right diamond necklace, our husband the right electronic gadget, our friend the right cashmere scarf, and our children the right trendy toys—and on the flip side, hint at the disappointment they’ll suffer if we don’t. Consequently, our gift-giving often has more to do with fulfilling obligations, satisfying expectations, and avoiding guilt than anything else.

Thanks to such marketing, nary a holiday, birthday, housewarming, wedding, or anniversary goes by without gifts exchanging hands—the evidence of which can be seen in our overstuffed drawers and closets. Multiply these occasions by the number of friends, relatives, and colleagues with which you exchange, and the stuff can build up quickly! Our challenge when we become minimalists, then, is two-pronged: to purge unwanted gifts we already have, and to avoid receiving new ones.

The upside of all these gifts flying around is that most givers will have already forgotten what they gave you—particularly if some time has passed since the occasion. Can
you
remember what you gave your boss for Christmas, or your spouse for his birthday, two years ago? If so, have you seen it since—and do you care? For most people, the
act
of giving is what’s important, and they don’t give a second thought to the object after it changes hands. In other words, when your sister-in-law comes to dinner, it’s highly unlikely she’ll be scanning your shelves for the candleholder she gave you last year. It’s the thought, not the thing, that counts.

Therefore, keep only what you truly love, and set free those things you don’t—that holiday sweater, Chia Pet, or piano key necktie may bring a great deal of joy to someone else. Think of it as spreading the giver’s generosity into the world! From now on, when you receive gifts that are not to your taste, put them right in your donation box—it’s much easier to part ways with them if you don’t let them settle in. In all likelihood, several months will pass before you fill up your box and take it to your local charity; if the giver visits in the meantime, retrieve the item temporarily and set it out for display.

Dealing with unwanted gifts that come long distance is even easier: express your gratitude with a heartfelt thank you note, and a photo of the gift in use. For instance, if your aunt sent you a crystal clock, take a snapshot of it on your mantelpiece; if your cousin made you a hand knit scarf, have someone photograph you wearing it. Send the picture to the giver, and the item to charity, and everyone will be happy. In the unlikely event you’re asked to produce it years later, you can always resort to “the dog broke it,” “it wore out,” or “it was lost in our last move.” Be careful not to sound too broken up about it, though—or you may receive a replacement!

Alternatively, you could sell the gift in question, and use the proceeds to buy something new. That way, you’ll still have a symbol of the giver’s sentiment, in a more functional or beautiful form. Or consider re-gifting it; you’ll save some money, and keep the “spirit” of the gift alive. When passing on your unwanted presents, just be sure to follow a few simple rules: make sure the item is appropriate for the recipient, and similar to what you would have bought them in a store; re-gift outside the social circle (and preferably region) of the giver; and re-gift only those items you haven’t already used.