Author Topic: Selling all of my stuff: minimalism  (Read 6842 times)

Bearblastbeats

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Selling all of my stuff: minimalism
« on: August 08, 2013, 10:19:24 AM »
Since I've recently become unemployed for the first time in the last 11 years I've been employed, I feel kind of anxious about the future and what may come of it.
While I wait for unemployment benefits to kick in, I have all ready applied for work around New England, installed a floor for a good buddy and made a quick $500, and also have gone on interviews.

However, with no assistance coming in, my bills and responsibilities need to be met.

I feel a little crazy, but selling all of my belongings (again) seems to be the quick way out. After all, it's all material junk that collects dust and hardly (if ever gets used).

Let's start with my storage room, I mean living room. With 2 love seats, a coffee table that is just TOO heavy and bulky and an old leather couch. These make great places for my dog to sleep on, but that's it.
Other than furniture, a friend of mine has been eyeing my 51" plasma tv and strand to go with it, and at $500 dollars I might just part with it. It only gets turned on at night while in bed to watch star trek.

I have even considered selling the queen sized platform bedframe I bought last year at $600 and just having my mattress on some crap from wal mart.

I plan to just keep my bed, recliner and laptop and the clothes in my closet (after i toss some out)
Any one else live minimalist and/or anti-consumerist?

livetogive

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Re: Selling all of my stuff: minimalism
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2013, 10:59:05 AM »
http://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_less_stuff_more_happiness.html

I wrestle with whether to sell the stuff related to my hobbies all the time.  As of now a bunch of things are slated for sale in October when winter comes, and I'm noodling on selling my motorcycle although its one of my favorite things to do.

destron

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Re: Selling all of my stuff: minimalism
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2013, 11:38:03 AM »
You need to ask yourself: if you sell all your stuff right now, will you just buy back new stuff when you have a job again (essentially taking a high interest rate short term loan)?

Of course, I bet you can get a cheaper alternative for your items, but I doubt selling your love seat and couch will bring in enough money to be worth it, especially since you will probably want another couch when your financial troubles have passed.

If you sell the TV, I bet you can get an older tube TV for free on craigslist -- then just keep watching Star Trek.

NumberCruncher

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Re: Selling all of my stuff: minimalism
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2013, 01:53:19 PM »
...I have even considered selling the queen sized platform bedframe I bought last year at $600 and just having my mattress on some crap from wal mart...

Definitely a minimalist here but I'll tell you how I'd deal with the above.

Sell the $600 bed (assuming you can get a reasonable amount for it - even half).

Buy a $20 steel bedframe used on Kijiji/Craigslist. (or $40 new, if you don't want to wait)

Bam. You just freed up a few hundred dollars and have a bed frame that comes apart with eight screws for easy transport.

I draw the line at putting my mattress on a pile of junk. I may not be keeping up with the Joneses but using a pile of bricks or books looks ghetto, for the sake of saving $20.


So I'm a bit confused...why can't the mattress just be on the floor?

Bearblastbeats

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Re: Selling all of my stuff: minimalism
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2013, 03:06:27 PM »
If I were to sell the plasma tv and stand with it, I all ready have a dated projection tv that still works. I can use it as a catch as as well since its about 18" deep lol.

I could use the fast money now for the bills that are due. I probably would miss the tv for movie nights and the blue moons when I play a video game. I can hold off on the tv for now because I have someone buying my jeep next week for $600.

nawhite

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Re: Selling all of my stuff: minimalism
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2013, 03:45:48 PM »
I lived pretty darn minimalist when I was a whitewater raft guide. For 4 months I had:
car
laptop
2 person tent, sleeping bag, large tarp, and a plastic bin for food
3 sets of clothes
snowboard at a friends house
whitewater kayak.

That was it. And it was awesome!

I did move back in with some friends to go back to college but those summers were amazing.

onehappypanda

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Re: Selling all of my stuff: minimalism
« Reply #6 on: August 09, 2013, 08:56:37 AM »
I am NOT a minimalist but I appreciate the philosophy, and I lean towards having less stuff vs. having more. And I will tell you this: having less stuff is less stressful. It frees up time/space/energy as well as money.

I went through a phase where my tiny apartment was crammed with stuff because it was "nice stuff" and my family gave it to me. Then I realized that I was really effing sick of tripping over things, dusting things, reorganizing things to make them sort-of fit. That's when I came across minimalism and decided to get rid of a ton of it. Big furniture went first, and then nicknacks went when I realized that I didn't have anything to store them in. Once you start, it can get addictive. Your space will feel bigger and brighter, shopping no longer feels like fun, you spend less than half the time cleaning vs. what you used to. If you're like me, you won't want to buy new things because you'll enjoy the new space so much.

Now I live with an SO that clings to his stuff, and I miss my psuedo-minimalist apartment. Even though we have way more space in our current place, I'm slowly working toward getting rid of the things we don't use. I would definitely recommend scaling back on possessions to anyone - even if you don't go whole-hog minimalist and decide to keep a few things because you like them, cutting back is freeing in a way that goes beyond the money you'll make selling things (although that's nice too of course).