Bike Forums

Bike Forums (https://www.bikeforums.net/forum.php)
-   Living Car Free (https://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=226)
-   -   How simply do you live? (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=163801)

Shawn Gossman 06-19-12 11:17 PM

I am a very conservative liver... Its odd too, I see most people my age (27) living like they are richer than they are. Not me, no thanks. I lived on my own for about 4 years in such a poor condition that didn't get to eat a meal a few times a week. I kept living that way because I didn't want to admit I needed help. Overspending wasn't the issue, the issue was the dump I was in and the money I had to spend to repair it every week. I remember one winter, I couldn't afford heat and since my pipes had froze anyways, I didn't see the need to turn the heat on. It would be below zero inside when I woke up with ice on the inside of the windows and I would go outside to get warm, LOL. I blame that episode on me being out on my own for the first time and being young... about a year ago, I finally broke down and moved back with my uncle. He was really lonely and depressed anyways so it worked out for both of us... BUT back on the direct topic, haha, I can go ranting on and one...

I live very conservative.

My bedroom is nothing fancy, its a room with a bed and my clothing. Its just for changing and sleeping, that's it. My office is where I am at when I am at home most of the time, it has my computer and all that noise. I don't buy anything unless I need it or unless its an extreme hobby which I have quite a few of but I budget myself to be able to afford it and still save...

My main money spending is photography (expensive Nikon DSLRs and lenses), storm chasing (fuel, radar, etc.), cycling and web development (dedicated servers, software, domain names, etc.)

Other than that, I have a truck which is my transport, I don't need fancy gadgets but I do have a droid but no ipod, mp wahtever player and all that crap, lol. Then my next debt is my PhD degree I am getting.

That's it for me :p

gerv 06-20-12 09:18 PM

Welcome Shawn. I hope those frozen pipes will be a thing of the past.. :)

Rollfast 06-25-12 03:29 AM

/

Originally Posted by Smallwheels (Post 14373146)
I've got a personal problem with getting rid of my stuff. I feel it must be sold and not given away. Something inside me demands that. Even though the absolute freedom would be wonderful, giving away things makes me feel like I'm cheating myself. If you owned a huge painting worth $20,000, and you were moving to a much smaller place, could you just give it away, never to get it back, just so you could fit into your new small apartment? That is a made up extreme example, but I couldn't do it with such an item, nor can I do it with perhaps the $3000 worth of things I don't want to keep around anymore.

To compound this problem I'm a procrastinator. Getting rid of stuff is taking way longer than it should. In 2005 I was forced to shed hundreds of items when I moved away from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The moving truck couldn't hold all of my things. I ended up leaving most of the contents of a full single car garage behind. I just took tools, the mower, and the laundry machines. Anything else you can imaging that would be kept in a garage was left behind. Months before the hurricane I had started selling furniture. It felt good to sell the pieces. Even though I was receiving money, I felt the prices were still too low.

Maybe I've got the mentality of a poor person who feels they just can't let go of things. That might just be the biggest barrier I have to achieving a lifestyle with very few possessions. Do you think there are many people who have this barrier? Nobody I know is working toward such a goal. One of my friends just can't believe that I want to move into an RV.

I suppose I could look at my situation in a different way. Right now I want to get rid of a couple of hundred items that I don't use. Most were inherited. They're just taking up space. If I got rid of them for free I would have the space and lose the worry about them. I would still be in the same financial position but I would be free of them. I'm going to ponder this for a while.

WOAH.

What you've got are issue of the stress of losing items you loved followed by emotional overcompensation and the alibi that you should be able to make money hand over fist.

You missed the boat and eBay is NOT the real world. There isn't a brass bell to ring. So let's sort it out for you.

1. What can be used by you?
2. What can you advertise, whole or partial, working or not that others can use?
3. What can you call a charity pickup truck or haul there for (AND ACCEPT WHATEVER THEY DO SIGHT UNSEEN)?
4. Do you have realistic ideas about what has a market these days?
5. Do people have a DIY spirit or are they younger and unwilling to fix?

Always keep a few things you know will be needed.

Star Trek was right 234% about the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the many etc

A lot of the people who list things for crazy-looking prices are twisting in the wind and you can't expect that price at a yardsaker, St. Vincent won't get it unless a charitable soul wants to...they are there to sell stuff to the poor. A pawn store is there to be able to triple what they paid. You get 34%-that's how he stays open.

Many people try certain things that might be obsolete but still desirable, like cassette decks but not if they aren't familiar with fixing a broken one. Some are clueless and don't know if they can fix them anymore. These folks will not just committ and will be picky. Sometimes being honest and filling rhem in can help.

BUT DON'T LIVE IN AN RV! Winter will hit sooner than you think and RV's SUCK re: insulation, knowing the condition of the gas appliances

(MY SMALL TRAILER FURNACE ALMOST BLEW UP)

You have a lot of shame for something a damned hurricane was completely responsible for, and it's still eating you. Nothing is ever certain.

What I do suggest is that you contact a local auction dealer and go over it with them. No matter what you get the total will even out. You must accept the ultimately the BUYER knows the price. Of course you can set a reserve!

An auctioneer often knows well what things are worth of if you should donate but when you can't get past a dollar sign then perhaps you are feeling guilty about losing things in the storm.

These is no reason to go 'retrograde'. YOU own it, not the other way around.

PS There are always young men walking the highways with only a backpack and you are still above thes.

kookaburra1701 06-25-12 03:43 AM


Originally Posted by Smallwheels (Post 14373146)
I've got a personal problem with getting rid of my stuff. I feel it must be sold and not given away. Something inside me demands that.

So, I know this is going to sound very trite and weird, but I kind of had the same issues even though I can't stand having too much stuff, there's always a voice in the back of my head telling me I might need it. I blame moving out on my own right as the recession hit and my mother. (THANKS MOM) Watching Hoarders on A&E really, really helped me breakdown some of the destructive mental processes I'd been developing in regards to "stuff." While I was no where near hoarder level, I recognized some of the same tendencies in myself, and what they would say while getting rid of their things was exactly the same things the little voice in my head would say to me, and I'm hearing some of the same things in your post.

If you're interested, quite a few of the episodes are available for free on Hulu and AE.com, or if you have Netflix they're available to watch instantly. Just throwing that out there as something that totally changed the way I relate to my possessions.

Smallwheels 06-25-12 06:16 PM

Financial Value Over Emotional Value
 
I have a list of things I want to keep. The list is under two-hundred items now. The biggest things would be the bed and a bicycle. Everything else can go. I have very little attachment to those things. I see them as having value and letting them go for $0 to me seems like just taking money out of my bank account and throwing it away. There are over one-hundred-twenty-five collectable items in this group of things. All were inherited. Most of them are figurines from the fifties or earlier.

Had Hurricane Katrina destroyed my house I would have just moved on and accepted the loss. I wasn't attached to the house because it had just been sold two weeks prior to the storm. When I packed the truck to move I even left behind a car that needed a repair. I instructed the new owner to please donate it. The Goodwill store wanted it but they weren't in operation just after the storm.

Since I did have the opportunity to collect all of those things after the storm I should do something positive with them. It would justify the effort of taking them with me. I've already sold most of my furniture. All i have left is a bedroom set, a kitchen table with chairs, some office cabinets, and two coffee tables. There are two chairs that I regularly use but they will be sold too.

As far as living in an RV goes, I don't intend to spend winters in Montana even though it could be done with plenty of propane. Southern California is where I'll spend winters.

Getting rid of these superfluous things will make me feel like I'm living a simpler life. When they're all gone I'll be able to look at my situation again and decide if it had the desired effect. If not then at least I'll be more mobile with more options to choose.

stevel610 06-25-12 06:45 PM

I was reading about the Missionary Sisters of Charity (Mother Teresa's Order) today it said their belongings consisted of 3 Sari's: 1 to wear, 1 to wash, 1 to mend, a pair of sandals, a metal bowl and a spoon. Those is cold climates get a sweater. There was something very attractive about the simplicity.

AK404 07-01-12 03:19 AM

Aside from a few chosen instrumental albums, I think I should like to get rid of my CD collection.

wahoonc 07-01-12 06:01 AM


Originally Posted by AK404 (Post 14427047)
Aside from a few chosen instrumental albums, I think I should like to get rid of my CD collection.

I haven't gotten rid on my CD/LP collection, but it is in storage. I have gone digital on everything. I find having my entire music collection on a couple thumb drives is so convenient. My wife's DVD's and VHS collection are next.

Aaron :)

gerv 07-01-12 10:24 AM


Originally Posted by wahoonc (Post 14427169)
I haven't gotten rid on my CD/LP collection, but it is in storage. I have gone digital on everything. I find having my entire music collection on a couple thumb drives is so convenient. My wife's DVD's and VHS collection are next.

Aaron :)

I mostly listen to youtubes and want to make my own music.... While cleaning up the crap in my house, I dusted off an old electric keyboard that I have been dying to play. Except I can't find the power cord. :(

wahoonc 07-01-12 01:42 PM


Originally Posted by gerv (Post 14427776)
I mostly listen to youtubes and want to make my own music.... While cleaning up the crap in my house, I dusted off an old electric keyboard that I have been dying to play. Except I can't find the power cord. :(

Unless it was a transformer cord you could cut the end off of an extension cord and hard wire it. :D

I do use youtube for some stuff and I do have a subscription to Pandora. However somethings have to be purchased to enjoy, I get in certain moods when only a certain genre or artist is all that I want to listen to.

Aaron :)

Smallwheels 07-01-12 03:04 PM

Radio Shack sells all kinds of power adapters. Check them out.

I was a musician during the beginning of digital recording, before mp3 players existed. Even CDs don't encode the full audio quality of an analog recording. Theoretically it is possible to make a digital recording that is just as complete but such aren't available to the public. Neil Young (famous musician) said that Steve Jobs (deceased former CEO of Apple) was interested in creating a codec capable of such quality. Since that isn't happening who knows if it will ever be created. Neil said that downloading a song with the full fidelity of an analog recording in digital format would take a half an hour per song.

I'll invest in a dedicated digital music player when such a codec becomes available. I've got a few CDs of artists and music I like but the fidelity just isn't as good as records or even tapes.

I like playing my bongos even though I'm not that good at it yet. I'll always keep some type of musical instrument as part of my simplified life.

wahoonc 07-01-12 03:30 PM


Originally Posted by Smallwheels (Post 14428624)
Radio Shack sells all kinds of power adapters. Check them out.

I was a musician during the beginning of digital recording, before mp3 players existed. Even CDs don't encode the full audio quality of an analog recording. Theoretically it is possible to make a digital recording that is just as complete but such aren't available to the public. Neil Young (famous musician) said that Steve Jobs (deceased former CEO of Apple) was interested in creating a codec capable of such quality. Since that isn't happening who knows if it will ever be created. Neil said that downloading a song with the full fidelity of an analog recording in digital format would take a half an hour per song.

I'll invest in a dedicated digital music player when such a codec becomes available. I've got a few CDs of artists and music I like but the fidelity just isn't as good as records or even tapes.

I like playing my bongos even though I'm not that good at it yet. I'll always keep some type of musical instrument as part of my simplified life.


I have heard that about digital recording too. However my hearing is very poor so even a MP3 is good for me, sometimes being partially deaf has it's advantages. :P

Aaron :)

Rollfast 07-02-12 09:06 AM


Originally Posted by gerv (Post 14427776)
I mostly listen to youtubes and want to make my own music.... While cleaning up the crap in my house, I dusted off an old electric keyboard that I have been dying to play. Except I can't find the power cord. :(

Two prong [| |] is the same kind used by many old Sonys, Akai or Teac reel to real decks, if that's what you mean, and it's available at the electrical store as well as music shops.

Horros 07-05-12 03:14 AM

Can definitely relate with you guys. :) I tend to live somewhat ascetic life, don't really even have to try, things just fall into place like that. I do like some aesthetic beautification in my place with plants and art, but only to a point. Almost everything else is thought pure function wise and everything unnecessary flies out the door. Bed I like to keep simple and pretty hard (better for back anyway), kitchen to the minimum (couple sets of dinnerware, and no chef knife sets or fancy pans, even though cooking I really like), no washing machine/dishwasher, for example. There's few less necessary things my life depends on, like guitar and other instruments (even here I prefer small instruments), bike, old computer. I have some other hobbies and interests that I have things and tools for, but nothing takes much place. Only glaring exception to this is my small collection of old games, which I don't even use... it's not bad, but it's little bigger than I'm comfortable with. Gonna get rid of it mostly, only going to keep few table-top games and a handheld device.

There's only one downside; public transportation is extremely expensive where I live, and I'd really like to use it more. It would be dream to be able hop into train or bus with my bike without worrying about the money too much. Instead I have to get my legs fitter and cycle wherever I need to go. :p To be quite honest, I might want a motorcycle some day in the future and a vegetable garden, that much luxurious my life could become! If I ever find a partner and end up having kids, then life would mostly likely change quite a bit, but that happens when and if happens. Until then glorious bachelor life shall continue.

Newspaperguy 07-05-12 10:11 AM


Originally Posted by Smallwheels (Post 14404553)
I have a list of things I want to keep. The list is under two-hundred items now. The biggest things would be the bed and a bicycle. Everything else can go. I have very little attachment to those things. I see them as having value and letting them go for $0 to me seems like just taking money out of my bank account and throwing it away. There are over one-hundred-twenty-five collectable items in this group of things. All were inherited. Most of them are figurines from the fifties or earlier.

If these are things you truly want to keep, then keep them. If you do not want them and if you do not think you will want them in the future, then there's nothing wrong with selling them at a low cost or even giving them away. If they are antiques or collectibles, you may wish to donate them to a museum. You might be able to get a tax receipt for doing so, but even if that isn't the case, the items can be enjoyed by many people.

Smallwheels 07-05-12 10:18 AM

Tour this guy's apartment; http://www.theminimalists.com/apartment/

For the amount of things he owns it seems like a big place. I wouldn't want to own a two-thousand square foot house and just have a spartan lifestyle unless the biggest part of the place was a giant living room for entertaining. To me there needs to be a balance between the space and the things that go into it. A place that looks mostly empty just doesn't fit with my sense of taste. The guy at TheMinimalists could live in a Tumbleweed tiny house with no problem.

wahoonc 07-05-12 10:58 AM


Originally Posted by Smallwheels (Post 14442650)
Tour this guy's apartment; http://www.theminimalists.com/apartment/

For the amount of things he owns it seems like a big place. I wouldn't want to own a two-thousand square foot house and just have a spartan lifestyle unless the biggest part of the place was a giant living room for entertaining. To me there needs to be a balance between the space and the things that go into it. A place that looks mostly empty just doesn't fit with my sense of taste. The guy at TheMinimalists could live in a Tumbleweed tiny house with no problem.

Reminds me a bit of the Shaker homes I have seen documented. I would rather see something like he has than a small house crammed to the gills. I had a small house (640sf) when I first got married, the people we rented to the last time moved out with a 26' Uhaul truck packed. I have no clue how they got that much in there. When I lived there every thing I owned would fit in the back of a small pickup truck and the house was comfortable.

Aaron :)

Zedoo 07-06-12 10:46 PM

I am dependent on city electricity, water, and gas. A disruption of any of those services would be a problem for me, so I can't brag about minimal clutter or expenses.

Zedoo 07-08-12 12:29 PM

I don't like buying new electronics, but an LCD tv has a clearer and more complete picture in a smaller space, and old CRTs can be partially recycled. I will need a new computer this or next year. That could cost as much as a used recumbent bike.

Smallwheels 07-11-12 06:43 PM

Who Needs Furniture?
 
I just decided to sell my furniture. Uuuuuh yeah, that's what I'm doing. This was an unusual decision for me since I'm not moving for a while. My logic is that starting now I'll be able to refuse low ball offers for my furniture and get more for each piece. The items I'll keep until the very end will be my bed, a comfortable lounge chair, and kitchen table with chairs. Those could go really fast with a low price on Craigslist.

For a while I thought of the pros and cons of doing this. Losing the contents of my home in a way takes away the mental comfort of home. Without all of the accoutrements of a home it seems less comfortable, less settled. It is a loss of presence and stability. Having rooms with boxes stacked up in places where tables or other furniture were previously located will look and feel strange. What I'll need to keep in mind is that doing this is part of my long term goal. Wherever I settle in the next year I'll be able to get more furniture if I need it.

I'm considering sharing an apartment with someone so I can save money. By cutting my rent in half I could also cut my need for money too, though having a surplus of funds is always more desirable. I don't intend to cut back my hours at work.

Maybe furniture will go faster on Craigslist than the other things I've been trying to sell. Since 2006 I've sold several furniture items and three large appliances. Some took months but they eventually sold. I don't have much left to sell. I've got two coffee tables; three filing cabinets, a bar stool, a piano bench, and a bedroom dresser with two matching bed side tables.

One item that I have no idea how to sell is an ancient record cabinet. It is for those discs with grooves that make sound. It has a horizontal cylindrical chamber with built in sleeves for holding the records. It has multiple doors that open with the hinges on the bottom of each section. A door is pulled open to access the sleeves. When it is closed the whole thing can rotate like those big spinning cages that are used to hold raffle tickets. The next door comes up and can be opened to access another section of the accordion sleeves holding more records. Nobody is searching for something like this and nobody would even know what it is by looking at it. Where should I sell that?

kookaburra1701 07-11-12 07:27 PM

Find your local hipster dive and put up a flyer. You'll make bank.

Zedoo 07-12-12 01:23 AM

Lately I've been thinking about barter. The craigslist barter section is mostly gas-burning toys for other gas-burning toys, and generally more expensive and bigger stuff than I want to trade. There are bike barter sites, but I haven't found any at the local level. I mostly avoid transactions by mail.

BadBoy10 07-18-12 12:27 AM

I sleep on a twin air mattress (much to my Mom's chagrin).
I keep promising her I am going to purchase a bed--I want a steel folder bicycle instead.

kookaburra1701 07-18-12 01:27 AM


Originally Posted by BadBoy10 (Post 14495848)
I sleep on a twin air mattress (much to my Mom's chagrin).
I keep promising her I am going to purchase a bed--I want a steel folder bicycle instead.

I had an army cot from the surplus joint for 4 years until my mom couldn't stand it anymore and gave me her old Select Comfort bed/queen matress. It takes up soooo much room and all I can think of is how much of a PITA it's going to be to move.

Smallwheels 07-18-12 01:38 AM

When Hurricane Katrina came to town I was in the middle of a move. Everything was already in boxes. When I returned to town I couldn't rent a moving truck because all of the local ones were flooded and all movers were refusing to enter the area. My cousin brought a truck to me from Tennessee. While he was visiting I slept on a contemporary military cot for a couple of days. It was comfortable enough. If it would have had a squishy pad it would have been just as comfortable as a regular bed. For me it is better than sleeping on the floor. I just pulled it out of storage. When I sell my bed it will take its place.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:20 AM.


Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.