TOO. MUCH. STUFF.

“Minimalism is the pursuit of the essence of things,
not the appearance.” -Claudio Sylvestrin

By: Meredith Miller
Published June 12, 2018

Got [too much] stuff? You’re not alone.

That’s one reason why America’s Road Trip is on the road, 24/7. First off, we love to travel. Second off, all of our belongings can fit into a 40′ RV. We believe that traveling and creating experiences and memories mean so much more than physical things.

How much is too much stuff?

RV living has always appealed to me.

I don’t need a lot of room – really just enough for me, the cats Damien & Miles, and Randy. I’ve never really been into owning a lot of material items; I think that owning a lot of things actually makes people more stressed.

Think about it – you buy a house. You need things, both functional and just decoration, to fill the house. Then you collect things. Clothes, more furniture, boxes of miscellaneous items that even when you try to organize your stuff, all end up in the same box because they don’t fit into a category but you can’t bring yourself to get rid of them.

Then there’s knick knacks and momentos and that old vase Granny loved and the gross old cat toy your favorite dead cat used to play with and the broken toy you used when you were younger stuffed in the garage… It just gets to be a LOT of stuff.

Once you need less, you will have more.

Do we really need all that stuff? How much is too much? What’s necessity and what’s pleasure? Not to say you shouldn’t have things for pleasure, that you shouldn’t keep Granny’s old favorite vase. Here’s how I go through the process of deciding what to keep and what to donate/throw away:

(a) If it’s clothes –

have I worn it within the last season it applies to? I don’t think “Have I worn it in the last year?” really works because what if it’s a sweater dress that you love but couldn’t wear because last winter was unbearably warm? So – have I worn it within a reasonable time frame? If not, donate it.

(b) If it’s knick knacks –

obviously, I keep some knick knacks. Little reminders of people or places I’ve been, thoughtful gifts people have given me – I keep. What I don’t keep are the things that sit in a box for most/all of a year. If it has been a year since I looked at something, and within that year not remembering I owned it or even ever thought about it, it’s gone.

(c) I use Francine Jay’s “STREAMLINE”

process to help me minimize. STREAMLINE stands for:

Start Over; Trash, treasure, or transfer; Reason for each item; Everything in its place, All surfaces clear; Modules; Limits; If one comes in, one goes out; Narrow down; and Everyday maintenance.

I highly recommend her book, “The Joy of Less,” to anyone and everyone.

People place so much on sentimental items.

While I understand, like I said, little knick knacks or a family heirloom, with some things the memory is worth more than the item. Should I keep Grandpa’s ancient, ugly-as-all-get-out toilet paper holder or should I keep a photograph of him? Do we need that item to look at every single day, or can we live without it? Should I keep that old broken toy I used to love when I was younger on the top shelf of the garage, collecting dust, or can I accept there may be better ways to remember and memorialize my childhood?

Read Minimalism: “It’s Just One Straw”

Over the last year or so, Randy and I have really become a part of the minimalist movement. What started out as a part-time interest has really taken off over the last year.

Not only is minimalism about keeping the stuff that makes you happy –

it is also about being mindful o the environment and leaving the smallest carbon footprint you can.

If you’re interested in learning more about Minimalism and how to create less distraction and more meaning in your life, I highly recommend the Netflix documentary – Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things – or the book The Joy of Less by Francine Jay.

As always, I love to hear from you! If you have anything to say about your own personal experience with minimalism, or have any questions, leave them in the comment section below.

TOO. MUCH. STUFF.

By: Meredith Miller
Published June 12, 2018

Got [too much] stuff? You’re not alone.