KIS - Less Is Definitely More

Having less means you'll have much more.  Here is why:

Less Stuff = Less To Do

Fewer things to wash, dust, care for, maintain, move around, store, trip over, search for, organize, re-organize, move again.  You get the idea.

Less Stuff = More Money

For one thing if you don't buy it in the first place then you didn’t spend any money.  Few items means less money spent to house, license, insure, maintain, or repair those items.  This is especially true of items with a motor.  Cars, RVs, boats, jet skis, four wheelers, lawn equipment, etc.

Less Stuff = More Space.

Which equals more money, funny enough.  For one thing if you have less stuff you don't need a 2400 to 3500 square foot home with a three car garage to house everything you own.  Time was homes were constructed to house people.  People take up less space than stuff does so homes were smaller.  A family of four really can live comfortably in a two or three bedroom home around 1200 square feet.

Smaller homes mean smaller mortgages, less insurance, fewer taxes, lower energy bills, etc.  It also takes less time to clean, organize and maintain them.  Especially if you don't fill them to the rim with stuff.

Storage units become completely unnecessary.  Not rental fees paid to store stuff you eventually forget you have and no longer use because it is inconvenient to go to the storage unit and dig stuff out of it.  Plus once you do you usually find it is dirty and needs some maintenance because it has been sitting so long.  Not only to you have yet another task to do but you will most likely need to spend some money on this project.

Less Stuff = More Time

A ton of time is used up in work hours just to purchase and pay for the expenses associated with our stuff.  Less stuff means we spend less time working to afford it all.  When we spend less time at work we have more time for the important things in life like family, friends and fun.

Less Stuff = Less Waste

We all know that if we buy more food than we consume eventually it will spoil and we have to throw it away.  The same can be said for all stuff.  Too many clothes don’t get worn or taken care of.  Eventually they are out of style or no longer fit and we toss them or better yet donate them to a thrift store.  But the money spent is gone and the value received is nil.

When you have too many possessions you can't care for them properly.  Stuff gets piled on stuff.  Things get neglected, broken.

Less Stuff = More Joy

More money in your pocket and little or no debt at all gives you security and peace of mind.  More time for fun and relaxation makes for better relationships including the one with yourself.  Less stress leads to better health and better decision making.

I firmly believe in these principals and I still plan to pare down the items we have although we've already done A LOT.  But we can easily fall back into the trap of accumulating stuff.  Now that our basic needs are taken care of I'm more about replacing items rather than adding more stuff.  Recycling, repurposing and donating items rather than adding to the landfill is also important to us.

What are your thoughts?  What could you get rid of right now that would improve your life?


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