No, this isn't our place. It's just a photo I found.
There's a lot of stuff that we both carry around with us because of the memories that they're associated with. We treasure the memories, so we treasure the associated 'stuff'. But the association doesn't need to be physical.
All those things that are simply sentimental will be thrown away or sold - but we'll take photos of them first! That way all the 'stuff' will be stored electronically, on our phones and in the 'cloud', and we won't need to physically carry them around with us any more.
I've got a million printed photos from my past (back in the days before digital cameras and digital photos) that I've kept in photo albums or just in a couple of plastic bags full of photos. I'll be taking photos of all my photos and then throwing them all away.
Books are another tedious thing to carry around. I've thrown away most of my books over the years, ever since the Kindle came out and I could buy the digital versions and keep them available electronically. It's going to be time for Fanfan to start doing the same. She can keep the books she really wants, and throw out the ones she doesn't. And from those that are kept, slowly buy the electronic versions and throw out the physical copy, so that the only ones that remain are the ones that she can't do without, and which don't have electronic versions (yet).
Clothes. There's more clothes than we know what to do with. And because I've lost a lot of weight over the past few years, most of my clothes no longer fit me. I could do with new clothes that are couple sizes smaller. And then there's Fanfan's clothes. Being a girly-girl, she loves having dresses and shirts she doesn't actually wear, along with a dozen pair of shoes. Maybe more.
It all has to change. This move has shown us we simply have too much stuff for two people who move around a lot, so we have to get serious about becoming 'minimalists'.
Minimalism is also known as 'simple living':
Simple living encompasses a number of different voluntary practices to simplify one's lifestyle. These may include reducing one's possessions or increasing self-sufficiency, for example. Simple living may be characterized by individuals being satisfied with what they need rather than want. - wikipedia
Do any of you practice 'simple living', or minimalism? Do you have any tips or recommendations for me? Maybe you'd like to share your own story of what led you to becoming minimalist in your own life?
You're showing your age by putting cloud in inverted commas.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you say that?
ReplyDeleteWhen we moved from NZ a year ago, we paid $600 shipping fee for our belongings. Everything was sold or disposed of except some shoes and clothing. It felt really good to declutter. Apart from less than $20,000 initial setting up for the necessaties, we have not acquired any more furnitures or gadgets. Compared to our insured contents for the value of $90,000, and the insurance company kept reminding us we were under insured, life feels just as abundant and colorful as before. We don't NEED much to live, it's always the wants that get in the way!
ReplyDeletehi Ella! You're right, of course. I've got everything I need - I pretty much fit it all in the back of the car, plus a few of Fanfan's things. But Fanfan has a lot of things she wants as well as needs, so we're going to work on that. :)
ReplyDelete:P
ReplyDeleteBecause it's the same thing when parents call an Xbox a 'Nintendo' or call all music 'those mp3s'.
well, I don't mind 'showing my age' :) It's even in my About page.
ReplyDelete