At what point do we stop collecting "stuff" in our lives?

I’ve been going backwards in terms of collecting “stuff”. My ideas of feathering the nest are more and more simple and spartan. Tech gadgets I’m starting to like but not to the point of having to have them all. I have very much grown to like the ability to pretty much pack my life in a car and be able to go anywhere. My fiancee who lived a rather lavish lifestyle with his previous wife/family has also come around to the “less is more” way. We want to live out of our suitcases!

I am the same, Neiz. I am currently in the process of selling my house so I can downsize. Funny how I am looking forward to selling a lot of items I regard as my “favourite”... That’s weird for me. =). I dream of one day living in a “tiny house” such as these www.tumbleweedhouses.com

I’m already there.
I have been in my current house for 5 years and keep the stuff to a minimum. I donate to local thrift stores fairly often.
I furnished it mostly new when I moved in and this is how it is going to remain for quite awhile.

Since it takes about 2 years to get everything in a new house exactly how you want it, my stuff and it’s current arrangement is technically only three years old/ haha

I have been purging my house lately of extraneous stuff like kitchen gadgets and utensils, kids’ toys, books(!), etc.

Except…

for one small area, which is my closet. I have a collection of aloha shirts that I’ve worked hard at acquiring, and I want to keep them…for now. I did get rid of some other clothes, but don’t touch my aloha shirts!

;-)

I stopped when my Mom died, and I had to start getting rid of all her stuff.
I do not want my kids to have to go thru that!

I have a tendency to go back in time.

I don’t own a Kindle or anything like that, I listen to vinyl, and I have a rather large antique book collection.

@Hawaii_Jake

Haha…do you have one of those frayed straw hats and a hawaiian punch smile. :-D

@Coloma : Sh! You’re not supposed to know that’s me in those commercials.

My lust for stuff disappeared about 15 years ago. Since then I have been on a draconian declutter campaign. And yay! Because I gave away my large, stainless steel serious roasting pan, I no longer, ever, have to cook a turkey. “Let me make some nice cranberry sauce,” I offer.

I press things on visitors all the time. If you ask nicely, I would probably send you home with the brass bed I have stored in the basement or several arm chairs.

I have been converted by watching thestoryofstuff.com . I just decided I don’t want to be a pawn in the corporate game anymore. @Gingerlaurie I have a vision for a family compound with a tumbleweeds tiny home for each of my kids and their families.

I have always been a person who only buys what is useful to me. I don’t get extra stuff deliberately. I hate the idea of wasting things. I also try to be responsible in the way I dispose of stuff that is no longer useful. I can’t imagine this process of acquiring useful things and discarding useless things will ever end.

I’m not too much of a stuff person, but what I do have owns me for sure. Call the last few years a personal adventure in consumerism. I’m glad I went on the little journey, though, because now that I’ve tasted minimalism and excess, I can dial it down with the benefit of knowing what I am missing and knowing what I gain when I don’t have to maintain so much stuff.

Like @filmfann, I stopped collecting stuff when I realized my children would have to sort through and deal with everything I own when I pass away.

Less is better. you wouldn’t believe what I found out about my grandpa when my grandmother passed away. His clutter had many stories. Some not appropriate for young eyes. o.O

@gailcalled I’ll take the arm chairs. A person can never have too many chairs).

When we realize that it’s just stuff, for the most part..

@jonsblond: Good; Milo is outside loading the Ryder’s Van. Luckily he just got his truck license. And it sounds like he is practicing his double clutching.

Will the llamas be around to help? And keep in mind that he keeps kosher.

A useful rule is “Pity Your Heirs.” We emptied my mother’s apartment recently. Is it necessary to save every bobby pin, used emery board, mini sewing kits from hotels,single clip-on earrings, baggy ties and uncanceled stamps on yellowed envelops?

OTOH, we did find a pair of mother-of-pearl opera glasses in their original 1949 case, a glass apple with a Steuben signature on it, and some carbon-steel knives.