Minimalism and selling stuff you don't use

[kbell]

I'm trying to reduce the amount of things I own, since I don't use a lot of it. The more room I clear out the better I feel. I have a tendency to collect things forget about them. Time to change that. One challenge I have run into is getting rid of things that may be worth something. In the past it was ebay, now what is a better way of doing it?

I also take a lot to donation places as well, like old clothing and random things. Books go the library and maybe soon DVDs.

How do you decide what to keep and what to get rid of?

 

[BURNΞR]

You only need a laptop & smartphone, clothes, ID and toiletries. A travelling suitcase or duffle bag. That's it.

Everything else can be kept with family or thrown out.

 

[LINUX]

1. Take all the shit you don't want and put it in a pile and invoice it. Now go on craiglist and find something you would do want and can use, like a dslr camera or a set of Craftsman wrenches. Write the person and offer them all your stuff in exchange for that one item.

or

2. Buy some beer and have a yard sale with your friends. You might meet some hot chicks in the process.

Congrats on minimizing. When we die, all this shit we collect eventually gets sold for quarters in an estate sell anyway.

 

[g(r)eek]

I'm trying to reduce the amount of things I own, since I don't use a lot of it. The more room I clear out the better I feel. I have a tendency to collect things forget about them. Time to change that. One challenge I have run into is getting rid of things that may be worth something. In the past it was ebay, now what is a better way of doing it?

I also take a lot to donation places as well, like old clothing and random things. Books go the library and maybe soon DVDs.

How do you decide what to keep and what to get rid of?

I've been on a similar journey. I still use ebay but for larger items I use Craigslist and also the Facebook marketplace (basically a Craigslist alternative). I prefer Craigslist because there's no "buyer's remorse" feature unlike ebay.

Yes, you have to deal with lowballers, but in the end, what you paid for it doesn't matter since the cash is more important than the superfluous junk in your life... Let it go!!!

 

[godzilla]

A girl I invited to my house a few months back came into my room and asked me, Where is all your stuff?

Traveling really helped me minimize what I needed. We don't a lot of shit we own. I have a bed, a car, clothes, phone, laptop and some random accessories like a watch.

What else do you really need that you can't borrow or share?

I do think though that you should own your own piece of property over time.

 

[Seeker79]

Carry on roller bag or a backpack?

For years I've used an Osprey 35L backpack but lately I've been thinking a roller bag might be better, especially since I stick to mostly cities now and don't leave the hotel with my stuff too often. Backpack made sense when I was doing more adventurous stuff going to small towns etc. but now I'm a hotel/AirBNB dweller.

 

[redbeard]

Often we fall into the trap of, “oh, I should keep this because I might need this.”

In that case, I think “have I used this in the past year?” If the answer is no, it immediately gets tossed or posted on CraigsList.

I’d also advise against low balling yourself. If you’re staying in one place, you can afford to wait for people to buy. So, list items at high prices and wait for a buyer to show up. You’d be surprised what people will pay.

 

[Hypno]

Good advice Redbeard.

CL is free and eBay has a 30 day listing. I think you can relist 3 times.

If you donate stuff you can get a tax write-off but if the value is iver $250 there are additional requirements so several small trips to a charity is better than a single negative donation

 

[Winston Wolfe]

It's funny, since I started traveling and working for myself full time, minimalism has happened to me organically.

I usually visit my home country about once or twice a year and stay at my parents' place when there. Every time I am back, I go through stuff I still have stored there and toss out about 90% of it.

Right now, all that is left over there is 2 sets of winter clothes, and 2 drawers full of stuff that has emotional value to me.

The drawers contain a bunch of letters and photos from past lovers and other people dear to me, such as my grandma who has passed away. The drawers also contain a ton of items that would seem completely random to a stranger, such as a particular set of playing cards, an old bong, even a clothespin. Each item reminds me of a certain good time in my life, a person, an event, or other significant period of my life.

I call these drawers my "memory drawers". The contents go back to as far as I was a little kid and every time I go through the drawer, I'm having the time of my life.

As for the rest of my belongings, they literally all fit into my suitcase and daypack. I've optimized everything over the years and tend to go for high quality items that last long. Good laptop. Good suitcase. Good camera. Good jacket. Good workout shoes and so on. Day to day clothes can be replaced anywhere.

I must add though, if I lived in one place and wouldn't travel around, I would probably own more stuff. But I do think everything I'd own would add value to my life and be useful, else I wouldn't own it.

 

[BigFellow]

I have been sleeping on an air mattress the last few months. It cost about $8 at Wal-Mart. It works just fine.

I have moved about 9 times or so over the last 10 years, and the last time I just said, "Enough" and decided I wasn't going to hire movers or rent a big truck. So I crammed as much stuff as I could into my car and got rid of a lot of furniture and stuff. I have a history of being a packrat so it was kind of a relief.

My apartment isn't the most impressive for having guests over, but I hardly ever had guests over before so it's not a big deal.

I have more mobility now. I can move anywhere, and I'm not dependent on paying someone to help me. Every item in my household can be moved by me alone.

 

[polar]

I usually visit my home country about once or twice a year and stay at my parents' place when there. Every time I am back, I go through stuff I still have stored there and toss out about 90% of it.

Right now, all that is left over there is 2 sets of winter clothes, and 2 drawers full of stuff that has emotional value to me.

The drawers contain a bunch of letters and photos from past lovers and other people dear to me, such as my grandma who has passed away. The drawers also contain a ton of items that would seem completely random to a stranger, such as a particular set of playing cards, an old bong, even a clothespin. Each item reminds me of a certain good time in my life, a person, an event, or other significant period of my life.

I call these drawers my "memory drawers". The contents go back to as far as I was a little kid and every time I go through the drawer, I'm having the time of my life.

Ditto w/r/t visiting family. Last time I tossed out or donated three or so big garbage bags worth of clothes.

Also have a couple drawers worth of sentimental stuff...some smaller stuff (like sentimental notes left on post its) I've scanned (taken pictures of) to keep digitally. Will probably do that with at least some of the handwritten letters and other sentimental stuff I have on hand. Not going to truck them around, don't want to dispose of the memories, but don't want to keep some of the items taking up space, so getting to keep them digitally is the next best thing.

 

[BigFellow]

By the way an interesting book is Less is More: The Art of Voluntary Poverty. The editor is Goldian Vandenbroeck. I've only read part of it though.

 

[Meadowlark]

An easy way to decide on if you want to get rid of certain entertainment items (books, DVDs, music, etc.) is just digitize them. Rip all those DVDs to a giant portable hard drive, get e-book copies of stuff you want read again, rip all your CDs to FLAC files.

Also, this might not save much space, but it's a lifesaver:

http://www.fujitsu.com/us/products/computing/peripheral/scanners/scansnap/ix500/index.html

http://www.fujitsu.com/us/products/computing/peripheral/scanners/scansnap/ix100/index.html

These are portable scanners that will send your documents to the cloud automatically, they DO NOT need a computer to function! Plus the PDFs made by them are OCR'ed and indexed to be searchable. Just scan your bill or other important document in and then shred the original. Now you don't have to keep track of papers.

 

[positivity33]

I have lost a lot of my personal items from mishaps during several moves and it's pretty much just made me want to be minimal in what i purchase as moving is such a pain. I pretty much have my personal electronics and clothing--I don't buy much for furniture etc. I'm more interesting in spending on experiences and saving.

 

[lunchmoney]

I make a habit of selling stuff I don't use on eBay/Craigslist one weekend a month. It's crazy looking in my closet how much "stuff" I once thought was important and doesn't see the light of day.

 

[The Beast1]

Had to get rid of stuff for a massive relocation.

2.5 years later, I significantly regret it. Lost a significant amount of tools, nice furniture, expensive electronics, cooking accessories, and other items I am slowly clawing back.

I end up asking myself, "Oh I need X." Turns out I got rid of it years ago /facepalm

Do yourself a favor and either leave it at a family's place or in a storage locker.

 

[Drazen]

I have a storage unit. I only keep essentials at home. Seasonal stuff, I'll pull out of storage when its time to need it (Coats in Winters, I have a box of Christmas and Haloween Costumes, etc). Even kitchen stuff. I'll probably audit whats in storage eventually but for now, its nice to have stuff out of the way.

 

[Ski pro]

I use a 6 month rule. If I haven’t touched it in 6 months it goes. Often I’ll do a big clear out if the stuff that sneaked last this rule which is surprisingly good for the soul.

Especially useful with skis. Currently only have 7 pairs but I generally give 4 or 5 sets away each year to ski clubs in Eastern Europe

 

[Leads]

Look into the onebag movement. After doing 18 months in EE, I'm still doing it in the USA. I started with a 40L and have now dropped to a 38L, which contains everything I own. The key is looking at the weight of the bag itself. My first bag weighed me down to the point that I was getting low back compression pain. It was nearly 4 pounds but the new one was just 2 pounds

Reddit Onebag Group: https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/

It then became "how light can I fucking go". With each weight drop, I felt even better. I got into the ultralight movement, which includes "thru hikers" (the ones on the trail for 6 months straight). The gear is pricey but lasts forever. (clothes, bags, etc)

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/

It always comes down to weight and bulk

 

[JackinMelbourne]

Are you guys being minimal for any reason in particular? Financial? Always moving? Saving the environment?

I must admit that too much excess clutter is unhealthy for the mind and I'd like to get rid of a few things but I also know that I WILL use a lot of belongings in the future, even if only once or twice a year...

An example within the last 6 months was having a forum member join me for one of my hobbies. I hardly ever do it but it's always great fun when I do!

Someone else mentioned regretting selling their tools, I can relate to that! It would suck wanting to knock something up and not having that one tool that you sold off for no reason other than not using it for a long time.