100 Things

[GGT]

Could you...would you?

We have a lot of stuff. And honestly, it is difficult to purge. What goes? That is a hard decision. But I have an idea. A spontaneous idea that might change my life forever. I’m calling it the 100 Thing Challenge. And I’m taking it. Here is how it goes.

I’m going to only keep 100 things. All the rest gets purged. Sold. Given away. Traded Some how, all the other things will no longer remain in my possession.

This seems like a good idea to me, but I want to be realistic and proceed with caution. So I’m taking it slow. First, I’m only going to take the 100 Thing Challenge for my own personal things. Stuff like my car, which is mostly mine but which my wife uses sometimes, does not count. And I’m not going to include clothes at this point, though I am considering that next. And anything that involves physical exercise gets a pass for now. A few things might count as one thing. For example I have a collection of Marklin toy trains. I’ll need time to consider if the collection counts as one or each item counts as one. For now, the whole collection is one thing. But that’s about it. Guitars, iPods, camera equipment, watches, trinkets of all kinds, and more. All those things count as personal possessions. And I’m going to finish my 100 Thing Challenge with only 100 of them. I’m giving myself till the end of August to have my 100 things and to have gotten rid of everything else.

http://guynameddave.typepad.com/stuc...ing-chall.html


He excludes shared items like cars, and collections like books or dishes, plus clothes.....that sounds more like de-cluttering or spring cleaning. Based on that, I had a collection of Tupperware and plastic containers that drove me fricking nuts (trying to find lids especially) so that went to Salvation Army. I also had a ridiculous number of shoes and purses, and more clothes than I could possibly wear, so that got whittled recently. Felt liberating.

Still have a long way to go, what with kids' toys that spawned over the years. Hard pressed to get rid of the Legos or action figures, but we have boxes and boxes of those things. And my kids got the "hang onto everything for life" or "I might need that some day!" gene from their father.

I've read about people that count everything as one item, down to each plate and pair of shoes. That's some extreme paring down to the simplest life-style possible. Premise is "Stuff can't bring HappiNess".

[Ominous Gamer]

Its not a new concept, the NYT did an article on a woman who has lived like this for several years.

Not including collections I don't think I'm doing all that bad. I hate having stupid shit just sitting around gathering dust. The house needs to be simple, easy on the eyes. The collecting is what would kill me, I have thousands of Magic: The Gathering cards, still a few hundred Pokemon cards, cases of HotWheels, shelves of books, a handfull of consoles and racks of video games.

[GGT]

I know it's not a new concept. Just a new thread.

Based on 'collections count as one thing' you're only up to five things.

[oldmunchkin]

Well, if a collection only counts as one item, then I'm not doing too bad. I was just afraid I would have to get rid of everything else I own, and then I would still have about 450 things...all due to my unicorn collection!

[Bitter Jeweler]

Christ, I have 40 teapots, 88 teacups, and various other table stuffs. I couldn't pair down to 100 things. Ever! I have too many hobbies.

Although, selling the tea collection has entered my mind numerous times.


"collections count as one thing" is balogne. I could make it so I only have 25 things right now.

Just turn everything into a collection.

[GGT]

Agreed, Bitter. Could call any antique part of a "collection" and have a house filled to the rafters with stuff. (I used to collect tea cups and saucers too, but got tired of dusting them.)

[Tempus Vernum]

Collections count as one thing? So I can still keep my "collection" of several bookshelves worth of books? and my "collection" of useless electronic parts? This sounds easy!

[rumrunner]

I could easily, but won't. So I'll just count all my stuff as my "history of rumrunner" collection. Now I don't have to worry about it, ever.

[GGT]

I could easily, but won't. So I'll just count all my stuff as my "history of rumrunner" collection. Now I don't have to worry about it, ever.

It's an appealing concept, the older I get Aging could be fairly inexpensive and still very comfortable, if it weren't for current lifestyle. Enough clothes to fit in a suitcase and no more, wouldn't need much closet space (or washing machine). One set of plates/bowls/glasses, couple of pots 'n pans, a few good knives, wouldn't need a big kitchen (or dishwasher). Less stuff = less overhead = lower utilities = more money to XYZ. Instead of a car (and gas + insurance + maintenance) I could.....get a massage every week! Take a cruise around the world! Fly to visit my kids and friends any time I wanted!

etc.

I'd have to get a storage unit, though. I do have some emotional attachments to some STUFF.

[Dreadnaught]

Ditto with OG, if books and clothes don't count (and I don't have much of either, but still), I'm probably somewhere around this arbitrary boundary. And of late I've been constantly thinking of ways to reduce what I have, but honestly I think most my stuff is clothes and some papers that are valuable to me.

[oldmunchkin]

I actually have put some thought into this the last 3 years! Moving Mommymunchkin out of the "big" house, paying rent on 3 storage sheds, (it was 4 but we cleared one out) moving out of The Thing's house, and realizing I don't want to leave the mess for The Kid that Mom is going to leave for us, has really made an impression on me!

Of course, there are a lot of things I have that have sentimental value to me that would mean absolutely nothing to anyone else, including The Kid!

[Cracky]

I'm not even sure people are capable of keeping track of 100 things that are not collections.

Odds are most people have far less than 100 things that aren't just gathering dust.

[RandBlade]

I have my collection of random junk