Part of the thinking that I had to overcome when deciding to become a minimalist was conquering the Depression-era mindset. Although the Philippines didn't have a Depression like it did in the United States, I still believe that the Depression-era mindset is rampant in our country.
The Depression-era mindset was coined for the hoarding attitude of people who have lived through the Depression in the United States. Unclutterer defines this mindset here. When I first read that article, I rejected it outright because I have never felt that we were at a "more prosperous time" to merit throwing away things that you don't need.
In fact, one of the difficulties I've had in embracing minimalism was that I found the practice of throwing away stuff or giving it away wasteful. After all, I grew up in a typical Ilocano household. My mother used to cut up a toothpaste tube in half to make sure that we get all the toothpaste inside; she added water to shampoo so that we'd get every drop. I used to hate living that way and felt ashamed that we had to do that.
That's why when I first started earning I accumulated so much stuff to remind myself that I am not poor. Yet, that mindset never really made me happy. That's because I wanted more stuff than I have and I knew that it will never end.
Now, I have to come to terms with my Ilocano thriftiness and minimalism. Here are a few guidelines that is helping me conquer my Depression-era mindset:
1. Give unused stuff away. I gave most of my stuff away instead of throwing them out. My immediate family members, all girls, had the first pick of my clothes, bags, and other stuff. I didn't know how to ask my friends whether they'd want my stuff because I feel shy asking them. They might think that I am being condescending. Knowing that I have made my family and other people happy with my unused stuff made it easier to part with them.
2. Sell them and create a stuff replacement fund. I got this tip from Get Rich Slowly. One of the most difficult reasons why I can't part with stuff is the worry that I might need it someday. Selling your stuff on Ebay or other online selling sites and putting the money to an emergency fund might drive away that worry. The only downside for this is that you need to invest some time and effort in selling the stuff. I myself was not successful in selling some books on Ebay which makes me wonder about the actual cost of my stuff.
I'd say that you can reserve this tip for big-ticket items like electronics. You can search Ebay and see how much similar items are selling or whether they are selling at all. I also thought of holding a garage sale, but I was thinking about the actual cost of selling stuff, packing them, doing an inventory, and haggling with customers. I don't think spending an entire day selling your clothes for P10 is worth it. Believe me, with all the ukay-ukay shops out there, you'll have a tough time selling clothes for more than that especially in the province.
3. Give unused stuff away. All right, so I'm repeating myself. I think giving away is your best bet to unclutter. Think about it. You will make another person happy and you have all the good will that goes with it. I just loved how my helper's eyes lit up when she saw how many stuffed toys I'm giving her. Contrast that to spending the whole day haggling with a cheapskate who wants the same stuffed toy for P5.
Have I conquered the Depression-era mindset? I'm still trying to. I still have tons of stuff sitting around the house. It's still too hot to really do something physical. I went out today and nearly died from heat stroke (drama queen!). I'm trying to psyche myself so I'll be able to part with my stuff when the rainy season comes and it's cooler where the storage room is right now. For now, I'm feeling more adventurous that I feel I'm ready to take the plunge and to fully embrace the minimalist lifestyle. It has so much promise.
7 comments:
This post couldn't have come at a better time! As you know, I am packing my stuff and it's so hard as I have collected so many in my less than two years of independence. I have decided to give some books and shoes to friends :)
I still do buy toilet paper when it's on sale, and I always keep an extra bottle of cleanser. Other than that, I am trying to finish using the products that I have bought.
I like giving stuff away, too. My place is still got some clutter, but it's a work in progress :)
i think ondoy did much uncluttering for me. hahaha! before that, i kept a lot of things from college way back to high school. it only took a day of rain and mud before i realized i needed to throw them away anyway.
by the way, i have an award for you at http://hitsandmrs.wordpress.com/2010/05/12/sisterhood-award/
@krissy, you're right! It's so hard to pack. I'm sure your friends will love what you're going to give them. Your stuff are pretty.
@aspiring minimalist, I was inspired to do the same thing with my toiletries. I have a short attention span when it comes to cosmetics, too.
@moonchild117, I'm sorry to hear about your stuff getting washed away. Isn't it amazing how much we can cope with unexpected situations like that? That's another point towards letting go of my stuff.
I can truly relate to this as I lived with my Ilocano grandparents during my high school years. Just this morning, I was thinking of giving away or selling my used clothes and shoes which I rarely use nowadays. Kaya lang nasasayangan ako. Toinks.
Lots of love,
@ Golden, I used to think that way, too. But the thought of having too much stuff lying around, not being used seems more wasteful. I hope you sell them, though, for lovely Jamjam's abubots.=)
This has been a hard one for me and my husband since we both grew up in households where you just didn't get rid of stuff because you might not be able replace it easily, if at all.
Being able to get rid of stuff has, in a way, reminded me of how lucky we are now that we *can* replace things. And, also, it has reminded us of how little we truly need. But there's still that notion of "waste" that I've been fighting.
What I've come to realize is that when you have stuff that you don't use but others could then holding on to it can be waste, too. And, because we are all in this together, sharing with others is important.
Nowadays, I think differently about thrift stores and stuff like Freecyle because I feel like I'm not just on one side of it. I help others through what I give and I can still be helped by others who give. (And we all help each other by receiving, too, since I would feel terrible about just throwing most things out.)
And since I do try to get rid of things responsibly and that takes a bit more effort than just throwing stuff out, I think that helps me to buy less to begin with when I think, "What will I do with this when I no longer need or want it?"
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