

2008: My year of living smaller - dimm
http://broadcast.oreilly.com/2008/12/2008-my-year-of-living-smaller.html

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endtwist
Though this article isn't all that well written, it brings up what seems to be
a (very good) trend lately: people exploring the idea of living with less.

I'm only a college student right now, and already have limited expenses, but
I've been exploring the idea of reducing the amount of things I own; a more
minimalist lifestyle. I've realized something that Jelliffe points out towards
the end of his article:

"Simplicity is great if it is coupled with quality household goods, but
terrible with commodity goods that bust all the time."

Most items you can get at Wal-Mart, Target, or any major chain store are not
well made...and, well, crap. Yes, the nicer things are more expensive and more
difficult to find, but they are worth it. Which makes more sense: owning one
quality $100 knife for 30+ years, or going through 10 $20 knives over the
course of 30 years?

That's just the beginning of living simpler, though. It isn't just about
replacing your stuff with better stuff, but about reducing the overall amount
of stuff you own. Do you really need X, Y, and Z, or can you do without Y and
Z?

Relating this to my own experience, I like to see it as an interesting
challenge. Since I fly back and forth from my school (and I don't own a car),
everything I own has to be packed away in a storage unit at the end of the
school year. Therefore, the less I own, the less I have to store, and the
better off I am. I've been working to get rid of a lot of things I don't need
(how much clothing do I really need? Electronics? Trinkets?) and avoiding
buying new things. The major advantage this has is that it frees up a lot of
money to spend on things I really want to _do_ , such as a trip to Japan I
have planned for this summer.

I wish this idea would go more mainstream, though, as I think the whole US
could do with a little downsizing. Perhaps this current economy will help push
us in that direction?

~~~
Prrometheus
I think the idea is simplistic.

I have had the same $10 Wal-Mart cooking knife for a few years now. I'm sure
it won't last more than a few more years. However, I bought it in poverty, and
it will last me through poverty until I am making good money. Then I will buy
a nice knife. There is nothing wrong with that.

Grad school is hard. It requires a lot of my time. A sewing kit is not cheap,
and sewing is time-expensive. It is probably a net positive for me to throw
out socks with holes in them, even if they cost me a few extra dollars over
the course of three or four years.

I understand the urge to simplify. This is the land of Henry David Thoreau,
after all. But sometimes it carries an assumed moral tone without
justification. People feel it's right and don't question it. If nobody bought
from Wal-Mart, people would have a lot less stuff. Some of that stuff is
valuable, it saves people time and makes them more comfortable. Often cheap
stuff is bridging a gap for folks caught in hard times. There is no need to
moralize against them.

~~~
endtwist
I'm not trying to moralize against anyone, nor am I trying to sound like I am
in any way more "right" than someone who cannot afford to simplify as much. I
only stated that the quality of these items these stores sell is generally
terrible. You are entirely correct in your statement that places like Wal-Mart
bridge a _gap_ or present a temporary standby until someone can afford to
"upgrade" and simplify.

As it stands, I'm likely going to be buying Ikea-produced furniture next year
because I need to furnish an apartment cheaply, and I will only be keeping it
for a couple years. I don't have the money or the means to buy furniture that
will last me a long time at this point... _but_ that doesn't mean I'm not
thinking about what I am doing. I still am aiming to buy as little furniture
as is necessary, and avoiding anything I can do without or simply don't need.

Yes, the idea is simplistic, but that is the point: if you can reduce and
purchase quality then you should, and if you can't, at least have an awareness
(and perhaps simplify another aspect of your life). I'm at a point where I can
do both, but understandably, not everyone can do that.

It's all about reducing as much as you can, within your current circumstances.
I'm not trying to say that you _need_ to buy that $100 knife now, but in that
case, perhaps you could do with one or two less forks (this isn't a literal
example, mind you). Less waste and less worry, without entirely sacrificing
comfort.

~~~
hernan7
Before going to Ikea, I would try hitting a couple garage sales. Check out the
Pennysaver magazine too.

~~~
ahoyhere
I second this. You can sometimes get really great, durable, nice stuff for the
same price or less than IKEA.

~~~
pstinnett
Or just search Craigslist's free or furniture section. You can often find
people moving who would rather give away or sell their perfectly fine Ikea
furniture than move it (probably because they're going to upgrade).

------
mdasen
Does living smaller mean having to give up things (such as replacing socks
with holes)?

The majority of Americans can take simpler steps. For example, buy larger
containers. So, I'm a young post-college student trying to save as much money
as I can and most of my friends make wages that are barely double the federal
poverty line and we're in the Boston area. So, we buy as large a container as
we can to save money. When I'm with people not of that demographic, I see the
opposite. Those 8oz Poland Spring bottles abound - in the homes of
environmentally conscious people. Saran wrap and plastic bags to be thrown
away replace tupperware-style containers.

You don't need to decide that old, crappy, ripped socks need to be repaired.
Buy that huge thing of soap to refill the one or two small containers you
actually need. Get a nalgene or similar bottle to use for water or other
liquids. If you want soda at work, get a 2-liter bottle and a reusable glass
rather than constantly buying cans and 20-oz bottles. Don't get single meal
wrapped stuff.

I love people living smaller, but I don't think most people will do what the
author has done (but congrats to him for accomplishing it). Still, there are
little things you can do that _don't_ affect your quality of life that really
do make a difference. It's not that hard to do it, the problem is that it's so
easy not to do it. Buying a reusable glass and 2-liter bottles requires a tiny
bit of planning and forethought when that vending machine is there with
wonderfully easy, single serving containers.

~~~
hs
i choose to wear sandals -> bye bye socks & holes problem

the 'need' to cover every part of one's body is perplexing ... also the 'need'
to use different products for different body parts (shampoo for hair, hand
soap, genital soap, etc)

i take old skool approach, just use washing soda (a pinch for 0.5 L water) for
my personal-cleaning needs. only when i deal with oily stuff then i use
commercial soap/shampoo

nowaday i don't go to shoes, socks, and cleaning aisles anymore ... freeing
time for more important stuffs

~~~
elai
You must live in a nice, warm, dry land where you don't need the warmth and
protection of socks. And you must be blessed with resliant skin and hair that
doesn't dry out or become rough when you wash it with baking soda.

------
dionidium
_"I don't particularly feel I need my mobile, but my friends consider it
unfriendly not to be at their beck and call"_

I didn't own a wireless phone in 2008 and noticed the same thing. For example,
nobody wants to arrange to meet at a specific place/time for a public event;
they want you to call when you get there and walk toward them pointing out
landmarks that betray your location.

I already knew that this is how meeting arrangements are now handled; what I
didn't expect is that it's now considered rude to require a more specific
commitment.

~~~
decode
Probably around 2004 I started noticing that many young people had forgotten
(or never learned) how to arrange a meeting without a mobile phone. Several
times I had conversations like this:

"Just call me when you get there."

"I don't have a phone."

"Umm... so what do we do?"

I had to explain that we needed to agree on a time and exact location to meet.
It was very strange, as I hadn't had this problem in the previous decade when
I was meeting people.

------
drinian
Live with less, but don't forget that time has inherent value as well.
Opportunity cost. Ask yourself if your purchases are giving you less or more
time to do what you actually want.

I also find that the best limiter for me is having a restricted living space.
I spent a year and a half on the road as a software consultant, and my luggage
got progressively smaller as time went on. By the end of my travel life last
summer, I had managed to combine two weeks of business necessities with a
camping mattress and stuff for the weekend, and hold it all in a single
airline carry-on sized backpack. This didn't make me less of a consumer,
though, it just directed the consumption in different ways. I consumed airline
tickets, hotel rooms, restaurant food, etc. at a much higher rate than most
people. But I enjoyed the lifestyle.

That being said, I would still really like to have a flat-screen TV and a
couch of my own. Priorities, though...

------
parlin
Funny, I was starting to think along these lines as well during last year.
Maybe it's something in the air. I sure hope so. _caugh_ consumption fatigue
_caugh_

My new mantra: From now on I will have FEWER, SMALLER, and BETTER things.

This usually applies to gadgets, such as my laptop but also subscriptions etc:
I aim to have as few recurring payments as possible. This includes avoiding to
own a car (Hello Zipcar) and mortgage (not that I can afford it at this point,
but still). I can recommend everyone to do a cleanup in that area every now
and then.

I live in NYC and managed to get a little office within walking distance so I
can be "subway independent". Sure I save a few dollars on walking to work, but
the biggest gain is to miss out on the frequent delays and floodings! Yay!

------
ctingom
"How can better vision not be at the top of my to-do list?" (to quote comedian
Brian Regan).

------
MikeCapone
As long as it's a personal choice, it's fine.

The problem with this 'movement' is when it tries to impose its choices on
others.

~~~
anthonyrubin
I agree that a specific lifestyle should not be forced on others.
Unfortunately, many of the costs of the average American lifestyle are
externalized through our government. We are all forced to pay those costs.

Examples:

* subsidies which allow extremely cheap processed "food"

* tax funds used to pay for sports stadiums

* tax breaks for energy companies

* tax funds used for environmental cleanup

------
whacked_new
I remember reading that when Einstein moves, the most important things he
brought with him were some paper, his pipe, and his violin.

Paul Erdos probably was an even lighter traveller.

It all depends on what defines you.

~~~
yters
I need food and clothing (if it's cold, or nudity is a crime).

------
corysama
As people slowly learn that having too much stuff can be more hassle than it's
worth, I'm seeing a quiet trend towards simplified consumption. It is my
expectation that rapidly developing regions like China will go through a
period of outrageous consumption, but it is my hope that they will learn
quickly from the American trailblazers in that area and settle into prefering
quality and simplicity over conspicuous quantity.

------
h34t
When buying material goods, I think it we may be mistaken and shortsighted to
only consider the purchase price and the satisfaction it will add to our own
lives.

What about negative externalities, like the future cost of having fewer
resources to use for more important purposes, environmental degradation and
rehabilitation, and the cost of dumping/recycling after use? These are all
real costs of every purchase you make, but often not "included" in the price.

Living on less leaves more scarce resources for use by others whether now or
in the future, and sends less crap to landfills. Label me a moralizer if you
like, but I think it is smart for society to encourage individuals to think
beyond themselves. That capitalism has proven incredibly effective at driving
innovation and efficiency does not mean we should defend its weaknesses as
well as its strengths (better to work hard at mitigating them, to minimize the
total overhead of the system).

------
josefresco
I love how some people can 'experiment' with living smaller while many in this
country and the rest of the world have no other choice.

This experiment would have meant more in 2004 when everyone was living high on
the hog.

------
kirubakaran
Why such extremism? Without it, one could get most of the benefits without
most of the hassles.

~~~
jimbokun
It was an experiment.

~~~
kirubakaran
Good point.

------
daveambrose
I have trouble applying this to where I live in New York City.

~~~
josefresco
Really? In NYC you can't repair your own socks, steal/share wifi or go without
contact lenses? Am I missing something?

------
InVerse
i like making stuff. consuming less actually helps me be more creative, feel
more satisfied, live more customized, and earn practical skills.

------
ahoyhere
I read this essay yesterday (thanks, HN! my addiction pays off!) and got to
thinking.

I used to live in a prosperous, expensive, beautiful, poorly kept up 1900s
suburb of Washington DC called Takoma Park. I had downsized to a 500 sq ft
apartment that I fell in love with -- it had such great design, craftmanship,
and big trees outside every window, so idyllic (sigh). My wooden deck, out in
the trees, was far bigger than my bedroom, and that was a plus too. It felt
wonderfully like home.

I had to go shopping all the time for various things and spent a ridiculous
amount of time in the car because everything was about 20-30 minutes away, the
roads were bad, and the traffic was incredible.

I lived there just over a year. Then I moved to Vienna, Austria.

Now I live in an apartment in an Altbau (old building), built in the late
1800s and renovated last in the 1970s. And the 1970s here were a lot less
prosperous than in the US. It's got an ancient pull-chain toilet. It's got a
totally 70s custom wood built-in kitchen with large tile countertops and a
broken built-in fridge, replaced with a standalone on the end of the
countertop. It's got door handles that pull off, sagging floors (they're like
110 years old) that need refinishing, a couple ancient windows that barely
open/close, and lots of 30- to 120-year-old furniture, courtesy my new
husband.

This should drive me nuts.

I read this essay and I thought: I haven't really bought any _thing_ in nearly
2 months, with the exception of books (Kindle) and small xmas presents. I've
bought lots of food, and I've bought some experiences (museums, etc.), but
not... _stuff_.

It wasn't on purpose. It doesn't really feel strange. I walk by lots of stores
every day. We even go grocery shopping every day or two, because the stores
are every few blocks and the daily bread is real, without preservatives.

My feeling of "needing" to go shopping just sort of slipped away, even though
some things about the apartment irritate me & could be fixed with a trip to
IKEA. Getting to IKEA is a fair amount of work since we don't have a car, but
that's not really why I haven't done it. I just don't care. And I used to be a
person who, once she entered a store, would take 3 times the amount she
intended because shiny things caught her eye.

It's very strange, but also nice. I didn't set out to be like this, it just
happened. I welcome it, but I don't entirely understand it.

~~~
Chocobean
i suspect getting married had something to do with it. I used to buy tonnes
and tonnes of books, collected soundtracks, assembled troops of figurines and
model kit mecha units...etc. But somehow I've become like you as well -- I'd
much rather spend 20 bucks on dinner and a movie at home cuddled up with the
spouse than another CD or DVD. I married young (22) so I should still be in
the prime years of blowing away money, but I'm not. The other day a hobby shop
was having a 80% off closing sale and I didn't even go.

~~~
justindz
I went the other direction. My wife is a natural born materialist. She has a
tendency to buy things for me that she thinks I will like which turn out to be
things that she would like if she had my interests but had her attraction to
object ownership (e.g. anime figures, novelty ThinkGeek keyboard).

EDIT: although I must admit that she nails it sometimes - turns out the under-
desk cycle and the rotating push-up handles are portable, useful and multi-
tasking friendly.

