Minimalism

Minimalism seems to be a hot topic everywhere. The forums I visit and the blogs I read seem to mention it fairly often. I did a little googling and found some interesting blogs. The latest is Zen Habits.

Now, I come from a family of collectors. I had SO much stuff before I left home that I can't believe it now. Just the thought of having to deal with it makes me nervous. All of the clothes and shoes, all of the little trinkets, the everything. I didn't really do much with it, either. I wore the same jeans over and over again, and I used probably 20% of the hundred+ tee shirts. I couldn't find a lot of stuff, too.

When I moved out, as I've said before, I took very little. I started out with a knapsack full of clothes and went back for 100 pounds of stuff (two big duffel bags). I also shipped a few boxes of books. And that was it. The only thing I pine for is a pair of peach/pink ballet flats that match one of my now-favorite dresses. I should have taken them with me. But that's pretty much it. I don't think about anything else I used to own and want it. In fact, I don't really think about it at all.

After I moved out, Porter and I lived in a small studio apartment for a long time. I had a desk and nightstand (prefurnished) my bike, some books, "enough" clothes, and a few other items. Not much, because I only had half a room to stash my stuff in. At one point I had to store my bike inside, so you can imagine how little I owned (there was a bed in the room, too). I didn't even have a car. The transportation system in Eugene was good enough that there really was no need. We rented a car occasionally when we needed to go somewhere off the beaten path.
Then we moved to a one-bedroom, and I bought some furniture. Now I have a lot of stuff. Probably more than when I moved out, though it's all spread through the house so it doesn't look like as much. It's also more varied. I "own" things like dishes and a dining room table now rather than 50 pairs of jeans. There are also baby things -- the toys, diaper accessories, etc. I don't want to keep expanding as we live in bigger places!! If I only need three pairs of shoes, why would I get more if I had more room for them? If I only need ten shirts, why would I have more? I guess there's a chance that I wouldn't be able to afford to replace them if one got worn, but thrift stores tend to be pretty inexpensive. I could probably replace a shirt for less than $3, and a pair of sneakers (if it came down to that!) for under $5. 


I really dig this minimalist idea. I don't like the idea of saying "I'll only own 100 items" but I do like the idea of only having what I need and not having to deal with the excess. There are a few sticky things to deal with right now, like maternity and too-small clothes. Am I going to be pregnant again? Probably. Am I going to lose the rest of the baby weight? I hope so! I'll probably be this size again after the next baby, as well.

This morning I was at the discount grocery store that also has kitchen items. I saw a pretty green Contigo mug. I already HAVE a Contigo mug, which is red. But this one was green, and was a design I see other people at school with. Immediately my subconscious started thinking of justifications for buying a new mug. I didn't even have the money to buy it, but I started trying to come up with reasons to be unhappy with my nice red mug. WHY? WHY? WHY? Why do I think I need to buy something new when the old works perfectly and I like it just fine (I even like the color red!)?

What do you think? Why aren't we happy with what we have and what works? Why does it feel "good" to buy something and acquire more than we used to?