Downgrading

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Silatuyok

Well-known member
Society is so geared toward upgrading your life to the next biggest and best thing---but do you ever feel like downgrading, even if it's just in a small way? Trading in your vehicle lease for a reliable clunker? Chucking your iphone for the cheapest plastic thing that will transmit a signal? Leaving your beautiful home to live out of your car in a parking lot somewhere? Streamlining your life and giving the rest away to charity?

The more I am given, the greater need I feel to simplify my life and get rid of all my material baggage. I'm not sure yet if this is a healthy thing or not; it kind of feels like some strange form of non-religious penance. Or maybe I'm still having trouble feeling like I deserve any of it.

Life is complicated. :rolleyes:
 
Aletheia

Aletheia

Well-known member
simplification

Not having any money is way less terrible than I thought it'd be. Having nothing means I have nothing to lose.

I often think about finding some Sam Hunt hut down the West Coast to live in.
 
WeirdyMcGee

WeirdyMcGee

Well-known member
huuh... well, downgrading from where I am means getting rid of everything, since I don't get anything new - always second hand or donated from charity; and I always donate things I have no need for- back to charity so that someone else can get use out of it.

I'd like to be able to leave my 'things' behind and go to the women's monastery in Tibet and just live there until I die.
I don't have money for the plane ticket, though-- and I have nothing that's worth enough to sell and get a ticket.
...I'd also need a passport- which is impossible for me to get for stupid reasons, so it looks like I'm stuck here... in low income housing... until I die.
haha

I do think about it alot, though.
I've been homeless several times and if I weren't terribly agoraphobic and of poor health, I probably wouldn't care.
 
MikeyC

MikeyC

Well-known member
Marie, I agree completely!

When I move out in 2066, I am going to try to keep my house as bare as possible. My parents have always liked to fill the house with furniture and stuff, but I want empty space. Having too much clutter and "things" doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. It's very cluttered in my room because it's small and I don't have the room. Honestly, my biggest thing will be my CD collection.

I don't need a three-seater couch with 2 recliners - maybe just the 1 recliner will be plenty for me.
I don't need the biggest TV on the market - something mid-size is fine.
I don't need ornaments at all. Space-wasters.
I don't need a million bits of cutlery and crockery - one or two of each is plenty.

I will admit to wanting a better drum kit, big sound system, and an internet connection, though. That might make me a hypocrite. ::p:
 
Nanita

Nanita

Well-known member
Yes....Thank you for bringing this up, you just made me feel good. I like only having a few things where I live, and I don´t need fancy stuff.
Materialism & overconsumption = opium for the crowd of sheep-people gladly working to get money -to buy things -to try to fill the emptiness
 
Moa

Moa

Well-known member
I think about this all the time.

The more stuff I own, the more I worry about that stuff. Stuff has to be taken care of, cleaned, maintained, kept secure. I often wonder if it's worth all the hassle.
 
Hoppy

Hoppy

Well-known member
I think I've posted about it before but there is a thing called the 100 things challenge

I have plans to get all my stuff out on Christmas day, spread it on the lawn and have a glorious cleanout.

All this is part of cleaning out my life, in the hope that it will clean out my head.
 
B

Blabla..

Well-known member
Oh Marie ,

wanting less is absolutely healthy

desires are unhealthy , we constantly crave the pleasant sensations that these things gives us , but nothing is eternal , these sensations will diminish , then go away , then something new will be required to bring the pleasant sensations back , this is just like trying to fill a bottomless bucket , this madness never ends unless you start seeing what is going on.

So downgrading and having only what is necessary to live a healthy and peaceful life is definitely good.

Most people ask me why i'm still living in my very small apartment after all these years , i don't see any reason to move out , i have a place to sleep , some people don't even have this , and some might be much happier than me , whenever i think about moving to a bigger place , something inside tells me that this is not what is going to make me a better , happier person , it just doesn't feel right to me , this is not what i really need.
 
Moa

Moa

Well-known member
Hoppy said:
I think I've posted about it before but there is a thing called the 100 things challenge

I have plans to get all my stuff out on Christmas day, spread it on the lawn and have a glorious cleanout.

All this is part of cleaning out my life, in the hope that it will clean out my head.
Click to expand...

That is a neat idea, but I could never pare my stuff down to 100 items if I'm including clothing. I'm no fashionista, but where I live we have to have summer clothes, winter clothes, and spring/fall clothes. :)
 
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Silatuyok

Well-known member
Hoppy said:
I think I've posted about it before but there is a thing called the 100 things challenge

I have plans to get all my stuff out on Christmas day, spread it on the lawn and have a glorious cleanout.

All this is part of cleaning out my life, in the hope that it will clean out my head.
Click to expand...

That's a great idea. When I moved last month I went through all my things and only kept the things that I use, and the things that I cherish. A lot of other stuff was given away. I still probably have more than 100 things though. :)
 
coyote

coyote

Well-known member
i already have too much stuff

but i don't seem to be able to find the time or energy to get rid of it

ok, i lied, i'm avoiding dealing with it just like everything else

anyone want to come and haul it all away for me?
 
S

Silatuyok

Well-known member
coyote said:
i already have too much stuff

but i don't seem to be able to find the time or energy to get rid of it

ok, i lied, i'm avoiding dealing with it just like everything else

anyone want to come and haul it all away for me?
Click to expand...

That depends. You got anything good?
 
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Etbow23

Well-known member
well i'm still one of the only people i see that has a run of the mill non-smartphone plain old cell phone. I've always liked things that are a bit more old school, less complicated. I look at the things people buy where i work and it's like, they don't need 90% of this stuff.
 
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