Decluttering has been the fad du jour for a while now, but I have also read of a number of people (mostly Japanese, at first glance) who have gone further and reduced their possessions to a level that they fit in a small backpack, while claiming all kinds of zen-like benefits.

Looking around Chateau J, I do sometimes feel that I have accumulated a lot of STUFF that is quite burdensome, as a thing to move, clean around, maintain etc. But somehow I can’t get together the enthusiasm to chuck out loads of stuff that might, you know, “come in handy one day”.

Has anyone else had better luck in reducing their stock of stuff? Is it worth it or do you just think “I wish I hadn’t thrown that away”?

I cleared 18 bin bags full of assorted rubbish / recycling / charity donations out of my flat a couple of months ago. It looks no different!

I couldn’t do it. Decluttering/sorting/shedding the tat is one thing, but I have too many interests and hobby type things to reduce my possessions so drastically. I like my stuff!

I would like to try this. I’ve currently got one wife, three children and two dogs. Guess I’ll have to sit tight for a while.

My house is fairly minimalist, I don’t like clutter. Also can’t afford to have clutter because the house is so small to start with.

Our house is stuffed full of crap. My wife won’t throw anything away, so I have to wait till she’s out and then take stuff to the charity shop….

I’m with footflaps on this. It’s the only thing me and Mrs F ever argue about. I pretty much own one bike now, my clothes, hats and some exercise gear. The house is rammed with crap and she’s useless at getting rid of it. With Funk Mk 3 on the way I’ll have to wait till she’s our and throw stuff

who have gone further and reduced their possessions to a level that they fit in a small backpack, while claiming all kinds of zen-like benefits.

I guess the zen like crap is due to needing to explain something. It’s nice to have the tools to fix my bikes, nice pans and other things.

Clutter is good. I feel like I’m not polluting the environment by throwing stuff away. 😀

Most my clutter is bike stuff. There’s a trail of bikes and bike bits from the hallway to the living room and every other room. Though I really could do with a carpet cleaner. Or a bigger house and a workshop 😀

We moved house last year and had a mammoth clear out. All my tools and “might be useful” timber went to a mate who is doing up his house, surplus furniture and stuff to auction or Ebay, and a couple of dozen trips to the dump.
We did bring some plants and seeds from the old garden, and were going to bring the hedgehogs, but they were hiding.

It feels great, getting rid of all the crap from modern life!

I got rid of a high percentage of my stuff when I moved to Hong Kong, and have since been in fairly cramped quarters and unable to acquire loads of substitute junk. One bike has become the undisputed norm, and I am fairly firm about not letting clutter pile up.

It’s a fairly happy situation, although I do miss my shed. 🙂

One bike has become the undisputed norm

Violation of human rights there. That’s like having one golf club…..I imagine.

I’m always wanting to be more minimal but then most of my crap is useful tools and equipment. I don’t have much ornament so am a bit stuck…

I decluttered not just my possessions but my whole life many years ago. It was a revelation, couldn’t go back now. Still have enough kit and gear for all my hobbies, but the biggest difference was cutting out all the other crap from my life so now I have ample free time to do them.

It’s nice to have the tools to fix my bikes, nice pans and other things.

Obviously not the kind of “crap” that would qualify for decluttering…

Obviously not the kind of “crap” that would qualify for decluttering…

Obviously not the kind of “crap” that would qualify for decluttering…

This thread could do with some decluttering 😆

Urrghh… Dunno how that happened.

I ain’t getting rid of all my woks until I find the one wok that rules all the woks for my cooking … 😆

how does it work this decluttering then? I remember reading about a guy who owned a fork and pan and one change of clothes and perhaps yes one or two other things . how does he does anything? do you buy stuff when you need it then sell it? borrow stuff? not do anything?

how does he does anything?

What is it you want to do that requires “things”? I guess this guy would say what he wants to do is discuss stuff with friends, go out to visit places, etc etc.

What is it you want to do that requires “things”?

Ride a bike. Drive to work. Look online. Make a phone call. Fix the sink. Paint the fence. Mow tha lawn. Play games with the kids. Go for a run. Watch something on the TV. Listen to the radio

Loads of things, but those are just a few things I’ve done this weekend.

OT – But what specific kit is required for going for a run? The rest are pretty much choices. Perhaps some individuals choose not to take these choices?

OT – But what specific kit is required for going for a run? The rest are pretty much choices. Perhaps some individuals choose not to take these choices?

Obviously they are just choices, but I was answering the question …..

What is it you want to do that requires “things”?

I could have spent the weekend washing my one set of spare clothes down at the stream, then sitting on the unmown lawn looking at a tatty fence thinking about the broken sink, and how I will cope once I’ve lost my job for not turning up I suppose. 🙂

My dad never used to throw anything out “just in case” (this is on a farm BTW). One day I was tidying up one of the buildings when I got to a barrel that was full of old nuts and bolts. I picked one up “What’s this for?” I asked, “Oh it might come in handy one day.”, “It’s a 1 11/16 Whitworth thread nut, all our machinery uses metric.” “We’ll keep it just in case” Aaagh!

Yeah – it was a question, not a challenge 🙂

I imagine that living in Tokyo it’s more feasible to do without a car and not have any fencing to paint or not to paint. Like most people on this forum, probably, I have boxes of spares for bikes that I don’t even own any more. I’m wondering how far down the road it’s feasible to go without it becoming some sort of fetish.

To me, de-cluttering sounds like the most depressing thing ever.
I like stuff. I like being able to do thing and make thing with what I’ve got. I like the memories stuff reminds me of. Let someone else throw it away when I’ve gone.

my ex was terrible for this. we’d go to boot sales with loads of stuff (clothes the kids had grown out of, garden stuff, bric-a-brac and useless kitchen equipment…you know the drill) we’d come back with someones else’s crap, and no money.

she enjoyed herself at least. 😆

Let someone else throw it away when I’ve gone.

After having to do this when my brother died, it’s one of the main reasons I don’t like owning much. It’ll make one crap job a bit easier for my missus / kid / whichever unlucky bugger gets the job of sorting through my tat. 😐

I have a friend who lives a decluttered type of life. He’s always lived like this, works well for him. Rents a flat in London and has a couple of very fast cars on lease. Minimal furniture, eats out all the time. Wears black t shirts, jeans and tops which get donated to charity every six months and a new lot bought. He’s incredibly social, has a crazy busy social life but no stuff. Always travelling around in Europe. Never saves a penny, no dependents.

In some ways I’m jealous. However, having a house, mortgage, garden and two bloody kids does seem to demand a certain level of stuff. I’m getting better. All the bike spares have gone now.

I say all…

Yeh I have never got the Marie Kondo thing of looking at an object and if it fills you with joy keep it, if it doesnt get rid of it. A pair of nail clippers is never going to fill me with joy but I don’t want to be without them.

my mate has 2 bikes, a guitar, a stack of books and two storage boxes of ‘things’ under his bed. thats it. Very minimal. It keeps him happier.

He is a bit unorthodox though..

While I like the idea, at the end of the day it’s garbage normally by people who do very little with their lives, don’t have kids and would struggle to open the u-bend under their sink to clear it out.

The first rule of manhood; he who dies with the most kit wins.

I have too much stuff. Seeing it all boxed up ready for the removals was kind of depressing…

My folks died last year and going through their stuff made me realise that I had to do something about it… some day…. soon! I did get rid of some stuff but I have 7 guitars (3 of which are out on semi-permanent loan), 4 bikes (gave one away, sold another), cycling gear, motorbike gear, climbing gear, walking gear…. Boxes of cds & dvds and some books. And clothes for three different sizes…. 😳

One day, I’m going to get ruthless….