Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
The 100 Thing Challenge
- Thread starter ::::BASSIST::::
- Start date
I have at least 100 things in my desk and office storage cabs.I'll take pointless threads for 100, Alex...
Although it’s easy to scoff at this mindset, it’s not easy to do. Me and the Mrs are in the midst of a downsizing right now for a move in a few short weeks - and it’s definitely a challenge! I may actually end up with several hundred things... but that’s down from quite a few hundred more.
So, my hand/power tool count is well into the four figures if you count each and every socket, screwdriver, wrench, etc. No way I could go to 100 unless it’s counting groups of things - eg, one socket SET, one screwdriver SET, one set of drill bits, SET of whisky glasses.....or maybe if “things” have a minimum size or value???
The number of things I own over $1000 is certainly less than 100, probably more like 25 including house, vehicles, furniture, appliances. The value of these things approaches 7 figures. The things I own between $100 and $1000 are likely around 100 and has a value of between 5 and 6 figures. Things less than $100, too many to count, not of much notable value and likely wouldn’t have any impact of my quality of life if they weren’t there - save for life being much less cluttered.
So maybe the secret to the 100 things challenge is to get rid of the flotsam and jetsam that we tend to amass at the lower end of the scale - not about “doing without”.
The number of things I own over $1000 is certainly less than 100, probably more like 25 including house, vehicles, furniture, appliances. The value of these things approaches 7 figures. The things I own between $100 and $1000 are likely around 100 and has a value of between 5 and 6 figures. Things less than $100, too many to count, not of much notable value and likely wouldn’t have any impact of my quality of life if they weren’t there - save for life being much less cluttered.
So maybe the secret to the 100 things challenge is to get rid of the flotsam and jetsam that we tend to amass at the lower end of the scale - not about “doing without”.
I like the idea but doing it at the expense of convenience, in my own world, isn't = to less clutter equals less to worry about. My kitchen is a great case in point. I have a ton of convenience items to make my wife and I's cooking experience more enjoyable. Could I do it without the items I've purchased? Sure. Is it better with specialized items? Absolutely. I will say that I am of a have what I need, not what I want mindset. I've been living that way a long while now.
Great points my friend, and this is a good example of what this has been all about for the wife and I.
Using your kitchen example since that is a big deal in our house too, we had all kinds of gadgets and tools in the kitchen to make cooking more convenient and specialized.
For us, it was completely changing our mindset of having/buying things that are convenient to us and having/buying things we actually really need without compromising the quality of life. In this example the quality of the time we spend in the kitchen and quality of what we prepare.
We had a large collection of pots and pans, each did something specific. In the end, we agreed we didn't need 5-6 cast iron skillets of various sizes. One was fine. We kept on Staub and one stainless steel pot.
We had multiple knives, I want to see 20-25 or maybe more. Each did something we needed it for. In the end, we unloaded all but five kitchen knives, keeping the most high quality and multi use ones.
We had apple peelers, potato peelers, apple corers, all kinds of gadgets that made working in the kitchen convenient, but really didn't make the food taste any better or make the experience of cooking better in reality. So out the door it all went.
In a way, cooking has become more fun and more rewarding as we have everything we need right in one drawer and we've refined our culinary skills to just use what we need.
It is definitely awesome to have just a few dishes and kitchen items to wash instead of a whole sink full of things to wash and clean after our meal.
Don't get me wrong though, I don't look down on anyone who has the big kitchen and an extensive collection of cooking gadgets. There are still times we go over to some friends house that have the big commercial kitchen, and we'll go to town prepping and cooking a huge meal. That is a fun, upbuilding, and great time.
-Mike
It's funny Mike, but the biggest down sizing in our kitchen was the pots/pans/knives as well. We've completely bought into the quality over quantity method. The knives was easy because with the better knives it can get STUPID expensive. I took Anthony Bourdains advice on home cutlery ( among other things). We went with Global and love them. A Chefs Knife a boning knife a paring knife and an offset serrated knife. That's it. We could have went for much higher dollar value for name brands but the Globals have been stellar for more than 10 years now. I inherited my Grandmothers cast iron.. so I have more than I need but sentimental value prevails. Still, it's not too bad. 2 Large Skillets w/ 1 lid, 2 small fry pans, a medium stock pot and a Dutch Oven. The only "gadget" we have is an automatic jar opener. My wife, after years of being a cook, has pretty arthritic hands. This makes it so I don't need to be there so she can open things. It's so amazingly 1st world to watch it in action too
It's amazing how much something like this:
Makes life in the kitchen better. haha
I have enough tools that....
Right now we're going through a kitchen remodel and the construction guys occasionally borrow tools from me. So far that includes a six-ton bottle jack, a 1/2" drive hammer drill, and an 18V cordless drill/driver when the guy's own one broke halfway through a job.
Neither my wife not daughters can find anything in the garage, because with the 36" deep tool workbench and 12" deep wall storage units, I'm the only one who knows where things are. In some cases they're one or two rows behind the tools in front.
It's not like you need automotive bushing removal tools often, but they're in there if you dig far enough. So is the late 1800's nail puller. It's close to the drill bits which have the tapered square ends to mount in the brace & bit, and behind the McPherson strut spring compressors.
Right now we're going through a kitchen remodel and the construction guys occasionally borrow tools from me. So far that includes a six-ton bottle jack, a 1/2" drive hammer drill, and an 18V cordless drill/driver when the guy's own one broke halfway through a job.
Neither my wife not daughters can find anything in the garage, because with the 36" deep tool workbench and 12" deep wall storage units, I'm the only one who knows where things are. In some cases they're one or two rows behind the tools in front.
It's not like you need automotive bushing removal tools often, but they're in there if you dig far enough. So is the late 1800's nail puller. It's close to the drill bits which have the tapered square ends to mount in the brace & bit, and behind the McPherson strut spring compressors.
That was the same for me. I knew where every last tool was in our garage and could find it in seconds.
I found it to be a good thing that I was the only one who knew where everything was. It kept them out.
-Mike
I’ve got so much sheet music! Over 20 years and over a dozen bands’ songbooks. Boxes of Real Book charts. Band In A Box printouts. Holiday jazz tunes!
Thank goodness I’ve got most of it on the iPad... but not everything... yet!
Thank goodness I’ve got most of it on the iPad... but not everything... yet!
