The Less is More Project: Week 4 - Less stuff, less stress

Tallkev, Flickr

Getting rid of stuff and not buying anything might seem like a daunting project, but as the house is becoming more and more decluttered, so is my mind.

Why do we acquire so much stuff? One reason for accumulating unnecessary things might be similar to the reason why we eat too much food: evolution and instinct dictate to get as much as we can when it's possible. We succumb to the temptation (and god knows temptation is everywhere, in the form of bargains, coupons and the like). But for those of us who live in abundance, it ends up being counterproductive. In fact, it can be detrimental to our health: just like eating too much food puts us at risk for a wide range of problems, owning too much stuff has been shown to have an effect on the "stress hormone", cortisol (which in turn can create all kinds of health issues). 

This is why minimalism/frugality cannot simply be about being thrifty, looking for deals, buying things on sale and/or second hand, or even making them yourself. Yes, you can find nice stuff at nice prices. Yes, you can create your own stuff with your own hands and labour of love. But it's still stuff! Minimalism is about taking your distance from stuff altogether.

This is why decluttering cannot simply be about arranging things orderly on shelves or in neat boxes and cupboards. You don't need those extra storage bins. You certainly don't need a bigger house or garage or shed. What you need is less stuff. Decluttering is about actually getting rid of the things you don't need! 

For more on this fascinating topic, please see the Becoming Minimalist blog, especially the post entitled Don't Just Declutter, De-Own. And share your comments below!


WEEK 4 IN REVIEW


Temptations 

Interestingly, I did not face too many temptations this week. I was not in stores, did not read magazines, still do not watch much TV, and managed to ignore the pop-up ads when I was online. Maybe that's the trick: out of sight, out of mind!

I do have one kid who likes stuff, and she regularly asks for this and that... but I do not yield. From all of her eight years and a half, she is beginning to understand why.

We ran out of some food items, but I have not replaced them yet: 

• seeds (flax, chia and hemp)
• Dijon mustard
• protein powder (for smoothies)

Are those needs? You tell me.


Instead of stuff, I focused on pleasant experiences: 

• My daughter's 11th birthday party. We kept the gifts to a minimum and instead focused on a really cool activity: wall climbing! 

• A night out to celebrate (surprise party!) a friend's 40th birthday. The most pleasant part of which was simply to chat and laugh late into the night with the dozen of good friends who were there (and take a walk on the beach together the next morning). 

Donations

Water bottles.

Good riddance - the things that are in too bad a shape to even be donated: 

Water bottles.

If you're intrigued about all the water bottles, read below...


Observations

While cleaning out the kitchen cupboards, I made a scary discovery: our family owns no less than 24 water bottles... not including the small ones that fit in my runner's belt, and not including the travel mugs (of which we only have 4). We are active people who love playing sports, hiking and camping, but... isn't 24 water bottles a tad too much? In my defense, a lot of them were not purchased: we got them for participating in a variety of events. But still. We should not have kept them all. Well, that's a problem solved now.


Cogitations

Not shopping while here at home might not be too hard, but I just realized that I won't be able to shop when I go to Montreal next summer (or if I travel anywhere else, for that matter). For a moment, I felt disappointed. But I am aware that not shopping will probably refocus my attention on other, more interesting things. When I backpacked around Europe for a couple months after I graduated from university in 1999, I was on a frugal "student budget" (precisely $40 a day including shelter, food and transportation), and therefore did not shop whatsoever. Instead I explored the cities' streets, visited a few hand-picked museums, hiked in National Parks, and generally took the time to feel the pulse of each place I went to. I didn't need to buy anything for that. If I remember well I did not bring back any souvenir from that trip - even the photos I took were rationed as I still used 35mm film - but I did bring back tons of unforgettable memories!

What did you resist this week? Did you donate or get rid of anything? How did that make you feel? Please comment below! And...

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The Less is More project: Week 3 - Pleasure

PinkMoose, Flickr

Man is a pliant animal, a being who becomes accustomed to anything. (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

Have you ever heard of hedonic adaptation? Also called the hedonic treadmill, this concept refers to the phenomenon by which our happiness stabilizes after an increase or a decrease caused by positive or negative events in our lives.

In our pursuit of happiness, we often fail to realize that once we have achieved what we believed would bring satisfaction and joy, we eventually return to our previous levels of happiness, as if nothing had ever happened. If you have finally found your soul mate, bought your dream house, landed your dream job or lost weight, and feel happier for of it... that new found happiness might not last. One shocking example of this phenomenon is the fact that people who win the lottery do not experience a permanent, long-lasting change in their levels of happiness past the initial excitement.

(The good news is that this phenomenon also works in the opposite direction. If you have become, say, paraplegic following an accident, your happiness levels might see a drop, but that drop is only temporary.)

In the context of this Less is More project, the phenomenon of hedonic adaptation applies to the pleasure we experience as a result of acquiring things. Have you ever noticed how short-lived the "high" we get from purchasing a coveted item can be? Even the most exciting new acquisition eventually looses its appeal. It becomes part of the decor. We take it for granted. As an exercise, I encourage you to look around your house for objects, big and small, that you were very enthusiastic about in the beginning, but that you now fail to notice or at least fully appreciate.

What lesson should we take from this? Is is worth our money and our planet's natural resources to shop and buy things that will only keep us content for a short amount of time? Does such a short term increase in happiness justify the stress material consumption puts on the environment? Is "I can afford it" a sufficient reason to buy something?

If we want to make ourselves or others happy, is there a way to achieve it without actually buying things?

Next comes the question of experiences. I am wondering if the privileged wouldn't benefit from spacing out their "special outings" such as nights out on the town, weekends away and longer trips in order to appreciate them better. Part of the pleasure in such activities lies in the build-up and the memories. When you do something too often, it's not special anymore, and you don't savour it quite as much. 

Do you have any personal, specific examples of how buying less and doing less might actually promote happiness?


WEEK 3 IN REVIEW


Temptations 

Target is closing all its stores in Canada, and that means big sales as they try and get rid of the merchandise. Many friends of mine mentioned going, just in case they find something interesting (notice they did not mention an actual need). When I said I would not go, a coworker told me: "but you might get a super bargain, and maybe you do need something" to which I replied (with a smile): "well of course if I walk into the store I will suddenly discover all those needs I didn't know I had". 

Not going. Period.

I went to get a haircut at my usual salon - which is located in a shopping mall. I walked fast and looked ahead of me. Bought nothing. I used the opportunity to be more mindful of my spending: I got a cut but no color. In the coming year I will try and go back to my natural color as part of the Less is More project.


Donations

I have a pile of clothes and a pile of books ready to go. I might add to it, as I realized I still own some maternity clothes and baby bedding. Not planning on using those anymore, so... farewell!

Good riddance - the things that are in too bad a shape to even be donated: 

I am recycling a number of outdated traveling guides. I am also using an outdated agenda's pictures to make bookmarks, some of which will make fun, homemade presents to fellow readers. Even if that's the farthest my craftiness will go for now, it's still better than nothing.


Observations

I realized that:

Owning pets is not a good idea if you want to keep your budget in check. Find tapeworms on a furry friend's behind, get appropriate treatment plus preventive flee treatment for the other furry friends in the house, and my wallet is now $235 lighter. A couple months ago, one canine eye infection cost us about $125. And I'm not talking about the food, the treats, the toys (which we keep at a minimum) and other equipment such as crate, leash, cushions. Which also take up space. But pets are such a nice addition to a home, aren't they?

Like adults, children like new stuff and neglect the old. That is... until you "threaten" them of getting rid of the toys they don't use. All of a sudden my kids are rediscovering what had been hiding at the bottom of the toy chest, and enjoying it fully. The flame has been rekindled. 


Cogitations

The problem of presents: I knew it would be an issue. As adults, we can agree on not exchanging presents, but what about the kids? It's only January and between the 2 of them, our girls have already been invited to 4 birthday parties. I was not gonna send them without a present. All I can do is pick something that I think the recipients will like (or a gift card). As for our own kids, we will focus on things they actually need, like a new pair of basketball sneakers, a new bike (the current ones are falling apart), etc. Last year, when R turned 10, instead of presents she decided to ask for donations to the local SPCA. I was very proud of her. We might try and replicate, but of course this is not something we can actually force on children. It has to come from them.



What did you resist this week? Did you donate or get rid of anything? How did that make you feel? Please comment below! And...

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