Get Rid of Everything You Own

“How many people ruin themselves by laying out money on trinkets of frivolous utility?” – Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments

How would you like to get fast cash, save money every month, and have more time to accomplish the important things in life?

Here at the YBW blog, we have the solution!

Evaluate Yourself

Take a look around the room. How many items do you own that haven’t been used in the past month? I recently de-cluttered my house and I was shocked by how much stuff I had that I never used.

I owned CDs, but I only use my iPod for music. I had a closet and two dressers full of clothes, but I only wore about 15% of them regularly. I owned a television, but I only watch TV on my computer. I owned upwards of 300 books, but I could only see myself rereading a few of them. The rest were just taking up space on a shelf.

My townhouse is fairly small, so I decided to open things up by getting rid of my superfluous possessions. What I expected to be a simple task of throwing away a few things turned into a weekend-long purge of my earthly possessions. By Sunday afternoon, I had changed my entire outlook on materialism.

Our society is addicted to useless things. I created this website because we’re all addicted to useless activities, and this is directly related to our love of material goods. When we get rid of our things, we also make it easier to get rid of those other time-wasters in our lives.

My process to get rid of everything was an important step in my transition to a life of action. Once I wasn’t tied down to trivial goods, I felt freer to pursue other activities.

Here is a solid three-step process to de-clutter your life and focus on the more important things:

1. Throw out the cheap items that you don’t use.

The first thing I did was throw away anything that cost less than $20. It’s not worth your time to sell something for that much money, but it’s not doing anything sitting on your shelf. Unless you have a friend or family member who could use it, your best option is to pitch it.

Don’t be surprised if you throw away a huge amount of trash. I got rid of five trash bags full of things that I hadn’t used in months (or years). I could have stopped at this step and still seen a dramatic increase in my quality of life.

The primary benefit of this step is psychological. When you have less clutter, you feel more relaxed and less constrained by your material goods.

This part was easy. The next two are a bit tougher.

2. If you don’t use it, give it to someone who will.

His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama once said, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” I took this to heart as a followed the second step of my materialism cleanse.

After I threw out all my worthless junk, I went through my closet and dressers and bagged up the clothes that I couldn’t justify keeping. I kept my best dress clothes (my suits, button-down shirts, etc.), a few casual outfits, and some exercise gear, but I filled six jumbo trash bags with clothes that I didn’t wear very often.

I did a quick Google search for my local donation shop and drove them to a Goodwill down the street from my house. I never noticed before, but donating clothes (and other items) is one of the most awesome things you can do. Quite literally, everybody benefits:

• You get rid of your useless clothes and even get a tax break!
• Your contribution (either directly or indirectly) helps somebody in need.

3. If it’s worth something, sell it!

The third and final step sounds like the easiest, but it involves the most difficult decisions of your purge. In this step, select those big-ticket items that you don’t actually need. Here are a couple big ones that you can sell today:

• Your television. I honestly don’t know why people own TVs these days. If you use it to get your news, you can get the same information online (without dealing with commercials!). If you have to watch the latest episode of “House, M.D.,” then hop aboard the Hulu bandwagon and watch your favorite shows for free, at your convenience and with less advertising than on TV. If you can’t live without watching your local football team on Sunday afternoon, reconnect with friends and watch it at their house. Getting rid of your television has the added bonus of dropping your monthly cable bill.
• Furniture. Sell your dresser and build a simple organizer in your closet. Sell your bed and replace it with a hammock (seriously, check out Seaside Hammocks — I own the Mayan Deluxe King). Strive for simplicity and think outside the box!
• Appliances. I had a George Foreman grill left over from my pre-vegan days. Look around your kitchen and your workshop and see what useful tools and appliances you can part with.
• Collections of items. I own a large collection of books that take up too much space, but it would be a hassle to sell them individually. Used books stores will only offer you a few dollars per book (if that), so don’t waste your time there. Your best option is to post a Craigslist ad and list every book/CD/DVD/figurine/whatever that you want to sell. Tell people to buy however many they want for a relatively cheap price and keep the list updated as your stock decreases.

The easiest way to sell these items is through Craigslist. It’s free and you don’t have to register. You also save on shipping charges because buyers are local and can come pick it up for themselves. Take a couple good pictures of your stuff, throw them up on Craigslist for a decent price, and expect to hear from potential customers by the end of the day!

The Benefits of a De-Cluttered House

Since I cleansed my house of my material superfluities, I can relax better at home, I’m more creative and productive, and I’m saving an incredible amount of money and time.

In addition to experiencing the mental freedom that comes with discarding most of your worldly possessions, I’ve found that all of my chores have become so much easier. It’s simple to keep up with laundry when your entire wardrobe would fill up two loads in the washing machine. Dishes are easy when you only own four plates.

My recreation has also evolved to match my newfound freedom. When I’m bored, I can’t resort to flipping through channels on the TV. I’m forced to think of constructive outlets for my energy, which fits in perfectly with my personal goals.

Life is much more fun when you rely on yourself, not your things, to make you happy.