Deeply on vacation last week, I would have missed this article in the Financial Section of Friday’s NY Times if Linda Levering hadn’t kindly sent it to me. It’s very interesting, a story about a young man who has pared his life down to 60 items, including socks and underwear. He’s not someone who lives in a tent and eats roadkill, he just likes to travel light. http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/13/you-probably-have-too-much-stuff/
When he’s our age, he’ll probably own more; it’s just the way of the world. Were we to count everything around us, I doubt any of us would come in under 1,000. Just try it in one room. Or your clothes closet. What’s just as interesting as the article are the comments it has engendered from both sides of the aisle.
One point he makes in the original interview is the value of buying quality stuff that lasts. If you pay more for something, be it a sweater, kitchen knife, lamp or watch, you think more about whether you really want it, and take better care of it if you do buy it. Being better made, it usually rewards you by lasting longer. Why not wait until you can afford exactly what you want instead of going ahead and settling for something not exactly right, something stop-gap. If you really need something stop-gap, find it at your local thrift store so you can easily discard it afterwards.
Think about owning one umbrella, one good pen, one winter coat that is exactly what you want, and ditching all the cheaper versions you have accumulated along the way. When you only have one, you’ll know exactly where it is. It will be easier to find and you'll be saving money--in replacement costs and storage fees--in the long run.
When he’s our age, he’ll probably own more; it’s just the way of the world. Were we to count everything around us, I doubt any of us would come in under 1,000. Just try it in one room. Or your clothes closet. What’s just as interesting as the article are the comments it has engendered from both sides of the aisle.
One point he makes in the original interview is the value of buying quality stuff that lasts. If you pay more for something, be it a sweater, kitchen knife, lamp or watch, you think more about whether you really want it, and take better care of it if you do buy it. Being better made, it usually rewards you by lasting longer. Why not wait until you can afford exactly what you want instead of going ahead and settling for something not exactly right, something stop-gap. If you really need something stop-gap, find it at your local thrift store so you can easily discard it afterwards.
Think about owning one umbrella, one good pen, one winter coat that is exactly what you want, and ditching all the cheaper versions you have accumulated along the way. When you only have one, you’ll know exactly where it is. It will be easier to find and you'll be saving money--in replacement costs and storage fees--in the long run.
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