Minimalism and Personal Inventory

[Lmoot]

 I am on a mission to pare down my things. I've reached a point where I am tired of being the caretaker of stuff, and would much prefer having less individual items, but more quality things.

Does anyone, or has anyone taken a formal or informal personal inventory? Where you only allow yourself to have a certain amount of each item.

Personally I've always had a problem with clothes, not because I love them so much (quite the opposite). I never go through the clothes that I have and get rid of them, family keeps buying or bringing me clothes (what are they saying?), or I hang onto them thinking I can give them away to friends and other family, but I never do. Or I re-purchase something because I can't find it, or it doesn't fit me anymore.  A big problem is I hang onto to cheap old dirty shoes, because they still functionally work and I can't stand the idea of throwing them out, but they are not worth repairing. But I never wear them because they're cheap and old and ugly.

Or I buy things I know I'll never wear, because I'm trying to be something I'm not. For example, I hate blouses. I don't like different or unique cuts or frills to my tops. Just a solid comfortable fitted top, with a casual jacket, and earth tone pants or jeans (earrings and a wedge if I wanna be fancy) is my life uniform, and I have come to embrace that. If I want to go dressy, then I prefer just to wear dresses, to dressy outfits. And yet, my closet is stuffed with cheap $10 blouses I wore a couple times just to say I did. And I am so tired of washing clothes I never wear, because they've been sitting in the closet for so long and are getting musty. That is just stupid.

Anyway, for the first time ever I am doing a major haul and creating an inventory list for my clothes specifically (right now). Many of these I have. For the items I don't have, I will substitute the closest of what I do own for now, and get rid of the rest.

The idea is with less things to keep track of, I'll take better care of them, and I'll be able to afford higher quality, which will last longer, look better, and be able to be repaired.

I'll share my current list (which I am in the process of implementing), and feel free to share yours:

Inventory goals

Socks
- 3 pair thick (15+ miles)
- 3 pair regular thickness for hiking
- 2 pair wool liner calf height
- 2 pair wool liner ankle height
- 2 pair compression socks for standing desk
- 4 pair workout wear
* liners will double as everyday wear and reg hiking will double for outdoor work

Shoes
- 1 trail shoe
- 1 water resistant boots
- 1 workout sneaker
- 1 house slipper
- 1 Black flip flop
- 1 Tan sandal
- 2 wedges (1 tan/ black & 1 gold or silver)
- 3 misc

Bras
- 2 black
- 2 nude
- 4 sports
- 2 misc
- 2 sleeping

Underwear
- 5 tan
- 5 white
- 5 black
- 5 misc

Jackets/ coats/ coverups
- 1 warm jacket
- 1 active jacket
- 1 army green coat
- 1 khaki coat
- 1 black casual
- 1 rain
- 1 black coverup
- 1 jean jacket
- 1 brown coverup

Dresses
- 1 black casual
- 1 solid color casual
- 1 white casual
- 5 misc

Bottoms
- 5 leggings
- 3 jeans (skinny, relaxed, capris)
- 2 convertible tan pants for work
- 1 brown cargo pants
- 1 olive cargo pants
- 2 shorts
- 1 pair of obligatory black slacks (HATE slacks; don't even like the word)
- 2 misc

Shirts TBC

Pajamas/work out/mess up clothes TBC

Accessories/ misc TBC

[asauer]

Check out project 333.  This is what I do to keep things at the "just enough" stage: https://bemorewithless.com/project-333/.  On a related note, she wears a lot of "neutrals" like black and gray which I detest.  If you don't like those shades, consider using color theory (tints, tones, shades, pure hue) to guide what your capsule looks like.

[Million2000]

I've been thinking about doing something like this. My wife, child, and I live in an apartment and space is at a premium, but more importantly I know we will move in the future so having less stuff will be easier when we do move. We also, for several years now, have been buying higher quality goods instead of just buying large amounts of cheap stuff. I can't say we've done that with clothes but I would like to. Your post has given me some inspiration. I was recently thinking I need an inventory of all my "stuff" to actually see a quantitative view of my things.

I have started this process with my books, I have a lot of them, many of which I haven't read.  In the future I want a library with good quality hardback books that I have actually read and enjoyed. I'm about half way done with this and have already identified a chunk of books I will donate as I've either not read them (and have no intention of doing so) or have read them and don't like them. I hope to apply this process across all of my possessions and I think clothes will be my next target.

[Poundwise]

PTF. Unfortunately I operate on the cluttered end of the spectrum, as I have a semilarge family and my method of frugality seems to hinge on a lot of DIY (hence lots of tools and supplies) and stockpiling.  However perhaps I can learn, and perhaps cut down on some categories of items.   

[Bracken_Joy]

This was a thread we all had going that was quite handy. https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/spin-off-creating-a-minimalistcapsule-wardrobe-most-recent-update-page-15/ It's always good for a periodic necro too =)

The "buying clothes for someone you are not" seems to be a really common problem people have =\ I've gotten better at it, simply by not shopping haha, but that's not sustainable forever.

[ixtap]

Can you explain your goal a bit more?

From here, making a "goal inventory" sounds more likely to lead to shopping than disposing. What if you currently own six tan underwear, but two are getting frayed?

At best, it sounds like a good way to procrastinate on the actual disposal.

[Retire-Canada]

I've never done an inventory, but when I go through my stuff I use frequency of use as a screening tool to help decide what to get rid of. Keeping old shoes that never get worn makes no sense so if I haven't used those shoes in a year that's a good reason to throw them out. If I can't sell, reuse, donate or recycle an item I throw it out. Mentally it seems better to keep the item out of the landfill, but storing garbage in my closet doesn't really make any more sense.

On the gift front I do my best to inform people that are giving me junk I don't want it [including my GF!]. Over the years I have converted most people to giving me money. The other good option my GF uses with her family is setting up an Amazon wishlist to direct relatives to useful gifts. Our steamer died this fall so she put one on her wishlist for Christmas and one of her family bought us a replacement.

[joonifloofeefloo]

My limit is "everything we own fits in the car." Just for easy moves. This works well for us, and translates into having just what we need in our living space.

Have you tried the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up? It reflects my approach almost perfectly, and is also much faster than inventorizing.

[Lmoot]

^ haha I love it. Mine is everything I own has to fit in my bedroom. I'm living with family while I rent out my house out to some friends, and currently have some of my things in at least 3 other closets in the house...which is not bad considering I downsized from a whole house, to one room. Goal is to get everything into my room (including kitchen things and outdoor equipment). Then when I one day move back into my house, it will be even that much more uncluttered.

Check out project 333.  This is what I do to keep things at the "just enough" stage: https://bemorewithless.com/project-333/.  On a related note, she wears a lot of "neutrals" like black and gray which I detest.  If you don't like those shades, consider using color theory (tints, tones, shades, pure hue) to guide what your capsule looks like.

Thanks for the reminder of 333! I've heard of it some time back but had forgotten. Yeah, I prefer earth tones which means grey would get minimal use by me. But I definitely would use the ideas of clothing types and combos.

This was a thread we all had going that was quite handy. https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/spin-off-creating-a-minimalistcapsule-wardrobe-most-recent-update-page-15/ It's always good for a periodic necro too =)

The "buying clothes for someone you are not" seems to be a really common problem people have =\ I've gotten better at it, simply by not shopping haha, but that's not sustainable forever.

Thank you for pointing me to the thread! I didn't see it in my search. But then again I think I was searching under topic titles "minimalism". I am tackling clothes first, because it's the most pervasive part of my life. Also, I want to get rid of some furniture in my room to open it up. If I can get rid of enough things, I can take out the dresser and the armoire.

Can you explain your goal a bit more?

From here, making a "goal inventory" sounds more likely to lead to shopping than disposing. What if you currently own six tan underwear, but two are getting frayed?

At best, it sounds like a good way to procrastinate on the actual disposal.

I detest clothes shopping. I ended up in this situation because I still have clothes from high school. I own most of my inventory list already....in fact I own multiples of much of it bc they get lost in the unused clothing and I repurchase similar items.

You are right on the procrastination front. I've attempted similar things in the past and while I made some headway, obviously it wasn't enough. Being that I now get at least 1 day off per week, I make that my sorting day. Also since working from home I have more free time and it's more convenient for to go through a closet, or drawer, or a bin underneath the bed, before work, right after, on my lunch...whenever the mood strikes. In 2 wks I've brought 2 large bags to goodwill (1 per week), and working on #3.

The list is not only to guide me in what to keep, but also for the future, when it's time to replace. When they are worn out I will replace them with similar things of better quality and value; things that have repair/ replacement warranties (especially shoes and coats), etc. That's part of my overall goal of being more of a BIFL type of consumer.

I've never been one to care much for things, so I tended to buy lower cost, and lower quality things, and just lived with them until well past their due date. However, my standards have changed, particularly when I calculate the overall benefits of owning quality items.

[lizzzi]

Another good way to pare down your wardrobe while making it more user-friendly is to start with your travel wardrobe--the things you pack in your one-bag for a trip. You'll probably find that those are your favorite kinds of clothes both to wear and to wash. Comfortable, easy-care, mix and match, flattering, simple colors...just fill your everyday wardrobe with more of the same. That's what I did, and it has made my clothing choices sooooooo much easier. And my closet looks nice all the time.

In terms of setting up my closet, I liked the book How to Get Dressed, by Alison Freer.

[Schaefer Light]

My philosophy is "if I haven't used it in the last year, then I'm getting rid of it".

[joonifloofeefloo]

Shortly after posting above, I was puttering about my home, went to lie down and gasped, "Where's my bed??" I'd forgotten I'd put it in the dryer (because it fits there), lol.

[life_travel]

I'm naturally minimalistic but I love colours and variety so capsule wardrobe with "sensible " colours would never work for me :) I buy inexpensive so after 2-4years I get new items .
In our bedroom we only have two bedside tables , one draw is dedicated to undies , socks and bras , another one for stationery and a third one is for magazines / papers etc
Our wardrobe is really small which means we have limits of what we can keep.
For some reason the best advice I got was to hang clothes by colours , it works SO well for me! When I " feel" like orange or blue or green my eyes just turn to that space , and I only have 2-3 items of each colour , and I immediately know what to wear.
My husband's side is all mixed though .

[Bracken_Joy]

I'm naturally minimalistic but I love colours and variety so capsule wardrobe with "sensible " colours would never work for me :)

Same here. I've settled on neutral bottoms (black yoga pants, blue jeans), and compliment that with ridiculously brightly colored tops. When I find a t-shirt I like, I buy it in every color that makes me happy (a lot of blue, orange, and red). Minimalist in its own way, just very brightly colored.

Much like my house. I don't have much art up, but the walls are BOLD shall we say! I like to let colors and cut (clothes) or architecture (home) speak for itself.

[joonifloofeefloo]

Ditto life_travel and Bracken_Joy. I have just a few items of clothing (10?), but half are bold vs capsuled. I choose by what's practical and makes me happy, though once in a while consider potential combinations. I'm burgundy, brown, purple, aquamarine, black, and pink! I don't look very fashionable, but I'm very comfy and happy :)

[BAM]

OP, I must say your list overwhelmed me. Why would you need certain colors of underwear or bras other than to make sure you have something to wear under lighter colored clothing? Why not just 10 underwear with some of them being white/beige? If you wash them once a week, you have enough.
And you realize that you can dress for almost 2/3 of a month in the pants you have listed and over a week in the dresses alone?

If you are really wanting to simplify your clothes, why don't you just have a certain number of things (like 10 tops) and make sure they all mix and match (or at least match with 2-3 things)? That would make it much simpler and, therefore, much more likely to be successful.

I'm not fond of stuff either. Here's my list:
10 underwear (some light colors)
3 bras (enough to rotate/keep washed)
8 shirts (2 dressier)
5 leggings (sensory issues keep me from dealing with jeans)
1 skirt (would like one more but haven't found one I like yet)
10 pair socks/2 pair sleep socks (my feet get painfully cold)
2 pair pjs
1 pair black dress shoes
1 pair tennies
1 pair sandals
1 pair boots (can be worn in snow)
1 light jacket
1 heavy jacket
1 each mittens, winter hat

[Lmoot]

I enjoy some color and patterns as well. My favorite colors to wear are orange and yellow, especially together. And bright green. That's why I put miscellaneous in all of the categories. I just want to make sure that the bulk of my wardrobe aren't things that don't go with other things. Which is a problem I run into with my choices. Misc could definitely be some cheap unique things that wear out in a couple years...but I will try to limit those to the number allowed, and of course replace them, instead of add to them.

As I learn more about putting together outfits, Yep at 33 I still haven't figured it out much, and have more of a system, perhaps I will feel more comfortable broadening things. Right now though I just need a reset. Now I know going forward to only buy things that I love, and for my current size, not my optimistic size lol.

[Lmoot]

OP, I must say your list overwhelmed me. Why would you need certain colors of underwear or bras other than to make sure you have something to wear under lighter colored clothing? Why not just 10 underwear with some of them being white/beige? If you wash them once a week, you have enough.
And you realize that you can dress for almost 2/3 of a month in the pants you have listed and over a week in the dresses alone?

If you are really wanting to simplify your clothes, why don't you just have a certain number of things (like 10 tops) and make sure they all mix and match (or at least match with 2-3 things)? That would make it much simpler and, therefore, much more likely to be successful.

I'm not fond of stuff either. Here's my list:
10 underwear (some light colors)
3 bras (enough to rotate/keep washed)
8 shirts (2 dressier)
5 leggings (sensory issues keep me from dealing with jeans)
1 skirt (would like one more but haven't found one I like yet)
10 pair socks/2 pair sleep socks (my feet get painfully cold)
2 pair pjs
1 pair black dress shoes
1 pair tennies
1 pair sandals
1 pair boots (can be worn in snow)
1 light jacket
1 heavy jacket
1 each mittens, winter hat

Some of the brands that I wear only come in those colors, or the colors they offer don't appeal to me. Also generally I like to match if I can, so if I keep similar colors in bras and undies, I'll always have a match. I actually probably need to add more underwear to my list. Since I work from home most days, and wear a uniform for my part-time job, and it's just me, I don't build up laundry fast. So I generally only do laundry twice a month.

I don't want to become a minimalist, just to minimize. The goal is that I get to keep all of the things I truly enjoy wearing and using, and filter out what's less important or used. I already own all but maybe one or two pairs of the bottoms I listed. Also, they are for different activities.  For example I hike a lot, so I can wear the same convertible pants/shorts I wear for work, but I wouldn't wear those pants as part of my everyday wear because I don't find convertible pants attractive at all. They are merely function for me.  I don't like slacks, but sometimes I might have to go into the office for a meeting or something, or I need to work in event at my other job that requires black pants. Other than for those times, I will likely not wear them.

 Yeah, I want to have some flexibility and allow for mixing and matching, so I allowed some space under each category for miscellaneous items. The listed colors are just to build a neutral base. Not just for mixing and matching, but they also happen to be the colors that I like wearing.

I live in Florida, so I feel fortunate I don't have to worry about snow wear like you apparently do! I probably have too many jackets and coverups listed for a Florida girl, but hey we have to layer too ha ha.

[BAM]

That all makes sense.

I do think that the complexity of your list might lead you to have trouble succeeding though. The more detailed/specific you get, the more difficult it will be to keep track of and the more likely you will be to just quit.

[EmFrugal]

Instead of working from a list, can you just start purging different sections of your home? I purge twice per year (have three kids so accrue a lot of unwanted crap). I like to do a whole house purge bottom to top starting with the areas where I spend the most time.

I go through a series of questions rather than making inventory lists. And I don't focus on an appropriate number of items. Because it doesn't matter how many socks or pants I own. The key is that I wear these things regularly and actually like them. So for example, if I am in my closet I would hold up an item and say:

1) Have I worn this in the last six months?
2) Does this item fit well and is it in good condition?
3) Does this item bring value to my life?

If the answer is no, then I put the item in a donate pile. And some items are in such poor condition they get tossed. Any item where I say, "But I might wear this one day," gets thrown in the donate pile. Because let's be honest. I will never wear it one day. The first time I did this it was very difficult. But the more I've done it, the easier it has gotten. And the less emotionally attached to an object I am. And the less guilt I feel over saying see-ya later to it.

It's OK to wear the same pair of pants two or three days in a row, as long as they are clean and you like them. You don't need obligatory additional pairs that make you feel like crap.

I recommend starting with ten minutes a day of purging. Any more can make the project feel too daunting. And instead of putting it off by making lists, tell yourself, "For the next ten minutes my option is to sit here and do absolutely nothing or work on my purging project." Hopefully that will help kick start you into action ;)

[ketchup]

This is roughly what I have:
7-8 "business casual" shirts
3-4 T-shirts
1 pair of jeans
1 pair of khakis
1 pair of fancy pants
5 sport coats that never get worn
about two weeks worth of socks/underwear
1 nice winter jacket
1 pair crappy gloves
1 pair decent gloves
1 pair sneakers
1 pair nice-looking-but-actually-crappy "fancy" shoes, rarely worn

This is more a consequence of apathy than specific planning, but I like how it's turned out.

[life_travel]

As I mentioned above I love colours ( but also love black , white and grey ) so I don't really count my items . Our wardrobe is small so even if I add a few items without donating old ones , once a year I purge anyway .
The best thing we did years ago was getting rid of any bedroom furniture except bed and one bedside table each .
When we started to downsize , there was THE BIG purge where we donated bags and bags of clothes . At the same time we sold big bedroom dressers . Voila , now we are limited to what we can keep :)
So far it's been 7 years and feels like second nature .
Btw, people always comment that I look nice and that I must have a huge wardrobe . Nope , just my special little power of mix-n-match !

[big_slacker]

This is kind of done for me. I have 1/2 of a small closet in the house for my stuff, all other closets belong to my wife or the kids. :D

Same with my outdoor gear, I have a gear rack in the basement and everything has to fit on it.

I'm fairly minimalist but our household isn't, haha!

[Rosy]

My system used to be similar to Malkynn's except I never thought to keep it in separate closets/dressers - clever idea.

Now I live in Florida and no longer work so all I need are flip-flops, shorts, and tanks. The occasional wedding, funeral, festive occasion dresses, resort wear, sundresses etc.
In 2017 I de-cluttered once, made a plan for what I really wanted to have in my wardrobe and even splurged on a couple of dresses I love.
Now I love my clothes again - they fit, don't have holes or look all washed out and they make me feel better. Bingo - success.

In 2018 - I'll need nothing but a pair of hiking shoes and I may allocate $100 just so I can buy something new. I like change and I love colors. However, I noticed that I did not get rid of enough clothing in my last de-cluttering project, so I am repeating the closet de-clutter in January 2018. I had a lot of old, ill-fitting, holy, even stained clothing - whyever did I not let go of all of that?
I still have a couple of gift cards which will buy me two sets of new pajamas and that's that for new purchases - I do have enough clothing now, but seem to have a problem letting go of even some of the old tank tops that I definitely no longer wear. What's up with that?
So I have decided I'll just keep on de-cluttering until I am happy with the result.

My general rule is to have enough to wear for roughly two weeks without having to wash. I prefer 5 plus bras at a minimum and at least 10-12 undies, since Florida is so hot in the summer that you'll sweat through everything in one single wearing.
Unfortunately, I also do need some clothing suitable for a colder climate for my trips to Germany. I have given up buying extra clothing for the trip, I just bring jeans and T-shirts and buy a couple new things each trip, that seems to work out better.

[Lmoot]

I used to try and buy pieces that would serve as many purposes as possible, but I found that that would ultimately cost me more as I would buy nicer pieces that I liked, wear them a lot for work and socializing, then they would wear out or get damaged.
Buying decent looking pieces to do double duty was actually the worse investment than rarely wearing them because I was wasting their wear-life on contexts that didn’t require such a level of style.

I've been kind of thinking along these lines too. It's more difficult when your active wear is transferable to your leisure style as well.  It makes me want to pull the double duty you speak of. For example, I have a very sturdy, expensive and nice looking pair of gardening pants.. I use them for hiking because they are so comfortable, but are fitted and look good, and I'm trying to look less like a bag lady when out on the trails since I take photos and have photos taken frequently.  But the same qualities that attracts them to me for hiking, also attracts me to them for casualwear. I may just need to buy another pair, then when they start to look beat up, downgrade them to activewear, and buy another pair for casual wear...rinse, and repeat

[Lmoot]

In 2018 - I'll need nothing but a pair of hiking shoes and I may allocate $100 just so I can buy something new. I like change and I love colors. However, I noticed that I did not get rid of enough clothing in my last de-cluttering project, so I am repeating the closet de-clutter in January 2018. I had a lot of old, ill-fitting, holy, even stained clothing - whyever did I not let go of all of that?
I still have a couple of gift cards which will buy me two sets of new pajamas and that's that for new purchases - I do have enough clothing now, but seem to have a problem letting go of even some of the old tank tops that I definitely no longer wear. What's up with that?
So I have decided I'll just keep on de-cluttering until I am happy with the result.

This is why I finally decided to create an inventory. I've tried the "keep, and do not keep" method. I've even tried the "do I like it, does it fit, is it comfortable" method. But when you already don't have much expectation from your clothes, and you're easy to please, many things fit those designations...too many things. And I don't want to keep decluttering. If I don't clutter enough the first time, it doesn't take very much additions throughout the year or couple of years to end right back where I was. I need to do a major cull and to do so I need to consult an indifferent party....the List.