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The 100 Thing Challenge
- Thread starter ::::BASSIST::::
- Start date
+1
Ive certainly removed everything from my life that I have no use for.
Like that woman I called my wife...
Yeah, I don't know that I will ever achieve 100 total items of my own, but this sure is helping me to clear physical and mental space. I'm glad the thread was posted.
-Mike
-Mike
100 is just a number. There are no rules. What's intriguing to me is the notion of greatly reducing clutter and getting of junk I just don't need.
It definitely does clear "mental space" and that's what its all about to me.
It definitely does clear "mental space" and that's what its all about to me.
Allow myself to quote myself.
I'm almost there. I can't believe I'm going to make it.
-Mike
I've been trying to narrow down my possessions to just 100 containers of stuff 
they're small containers though, roughly milk-crate sized
they're small containers though, roughly milk-crate sized
People trying to downsize/live with less?
Funny how my life changed in just under five years.
-Mike
Okay. Maybe what I don't understand is that unless having more than 100 things dominates your time and attention or energy in some inordinate way, what is the big gain, or drain ? Please 'splain.
For the wife and I, we are fixing to move into a tiny home or possibly a fifth wheel. Having less by the way of material possessions gives us more freedom to pursue those goals and make them more reasonable.
It's not about the number 100 in itself, as if these plans all hinge on 100 and will dissolve if I go over 100. It's the mindset for us of having less is actually having more.
I don't believe owning things is evil and people who pursue them are rotten. I've owned boats, motorcycles, bass guitar equipment, loads and loads of tools, etc during my lifetime and they were all appropriate to the goals in my life at that time.
Having less by way of material things at this point in my life will give me less to worry about and take care of while allowing my wife and I to pursue our goal of minimalistic and mobile living.
-Mike
Thanks. A tangible goal causes it to make perfect sense.
The other thing that dumbfounds me is the throw out anything you haven't used in "x" amount of time thing. I can't speak for everyone but the nature of my work and lifestyle would make that an incredibly wasteful proposition. Waste is one of the big depleterss of our resources. Make sense ?
slobake
resident ... something
I've read that too.
The articles I read acknowledged there will be seldom used items we all have that wouldn't fall under those guidelines.
-Mike
I have way more than 100 cooking and eating utensils. Throw in cups, plates, bowls and pots and I'm well over 200. I have 10 pairs of pants and 10 shirts for work alone. And we haven't gotten to the first piece of furniture in our 5 bedroom house.
Getting down to 100 possessions would be virtually impossible. Heck, getting down to 100 possessions per person in my four person home would be virtually impossible.
That being said, I am still getting rid of lots of stuff. I started a thread about it in December (and haven't had time to swing by and update my own thread).
It's an extreme. We don't have to get all emotional and go to extremes to make great strides in life.
Just start getting rid of some junk and go from there. For 99.99999% of people, getting down to 100 possessions would be just silly.
Makes for great YouTube viral videos and social media explosions though, dunnit?
Getting down to 100 possessions would be virtually impossible. Heck, getting down to 100 possessions per person in my four person home would be virtually impossible.
That being said, I am still getting rid of lots of stuff. I started a thread about it in December (and haven't had time to swing by and update my own thread).
It's an extreme. We don't have to get all emotional and go to extremes to make great strides in life.
Just start getting rid of some junk and go from there. For 99.99999% of people, getting down to 100 possessions would be just silly.
Makes for great YouTube viral videos and social media explosions though, dunnit?
I guess i'd need some clarity here. Do i have to count each tool or can i just count tools as one of my one hundred things? Same with firearms, if i have to count each one, i'm out, but if i can count firearms as one and tools as one, i'm most likely really close if not already there. But wifey? That's a whole nother ball o wax.
What's emotional about it? You aren't being told or forced to do anything.
It works for some people, others not so much.
My first response in 2012 was similar to yours, but over the last five years my life has changed in ways that makes this completely reasonable and possible...for me.
Me, I am a little emotional about it since I am excited to be almost there when I thought years ago it was just some over the top random fad.
-Mike
Update time.
I didn't make it to 100 things, but I have substantially less now.
I reduced myself to five days worth of undergarments, five t-shirts, three suits, two coats, two pair of jeans, and six pair of shoes. Ties got me, I have about 25 of those. Minus the ties, I have less than 50 articles of clothing total. This was a big one for me, but I did it.
Surprisingly, we successfully downsized our kitchen in a big way. We standardized on cast iron pans for cooking, two of those, and one DeMeyere skillet. I haven't counted all the kitchen items yet, but that is probably 100 on it's own.
Either way, we now fit in about 320 square feet.
My wife retired and I work part time.
One thing my wife and I have learned along the way is to invest in higher quality items when you are going to have less.
-Mike
I didn't make it to 100 things, but I have substantially less now.
I reduced myself to five days worth of undergarments, five t-shirts, three suits, two coats, two pair of jeans, and six pair of shoes. Ties got me, I have about 25 of those. Minus the ties, I have less than 50 articles of clothing total. This was a big one for me, but I did it.
Surprisingly, we successfully downsized our kitchen in a big way. We standardized on cast iron pans for cooking, two of those, and one DeMeyere skillet. I haven't counted all the kitchen items yet, but that is probably 100 on it's own.
Either way, we now fit in about 320 square feet.
My wife retired and I work part time.
One thing my wife and I have learned along the way is to invest in higher quality items when you are going to have less.
-Mike
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