My simplification odyssey...
 

Greetings All!
Yesterday I finished reading this thread. I started at the beginning, with the first post from 2006, and have read the entire thing. This discussion has helped me in many ways. I stumbled onto this discussion back in spring of 2014, and got about 75% of the way through it by fall of 2014, reading a few pages a week when I had time. I used to do most of my bike forums reading in the Touring and Utility Cycling sections. Just this past week, I picked back up where I left off, and got to the most recent post yesterday.
The reason for the long pause in the middle of reading this discussion is that i moved in with my (then) girlfriend in June of 2014 and my free time mostly vanished. Just as I was getting a lot of useful pointers from everyone here about how to simplify one's life, I went and complicated mine. I'm 38 now, and had never embarked on the cohabitation adventure before, and didn't quite know how it would go. But I was excited that another human being had seen fit to tie up her future with mine, so I went for it.
Without going into too much gory detail, what I learned is that moving in with a partner is the worst way to attempt to simplify one's life. It does quite the opposite. At least it did with her. I'm hoping there's a lady out there somewhere that shares my relatively recently acquired interest in doing more with less. Fingers crossed! It probably didn't help that we also brought in a single-parent sibling of hers and their 3 young kids into our 4 bedroom, 1200 sq foot modest city row-home. It was cramped. I had never not had my own space before. And there was no room anywhere for a work bench or similar such man cave of any kind. One major sticking point was that I wouldn't store my Surly Troll outdoors, and there was no other place for it than the living room. Cro-Moly bike with SON dynamo hub, VO fenders, Dura Ace bar end shifters on Paul Thumbies and nice racks for touring! Outside! I think not! (and yeah, I'm smirking as I write that cuz I know I would in the long run survive just fine without it... but would have preferred to keep it running smoothly) That bike became my refuge when I really needed to get out of the house, in any kind of weather. We shared a car, which means she drove my car to work while I took the bus, and she picked me up afterwards. No space = no peace/solitude/reflection which are necessary for my sanity, and after about 8 months I dumped her and moved out. I continued to pay my third of the rent for the remainder of the year lease after I left, and had the landlord transfer the security deposit that I paid into her name, or she would've been homeless. I landed back at my parents house for 4 months, because my old room in the shared house that I had previously lived in was going to be available again in August of 2015.
It was worth the wait. My parents and I got reacquainted with one another in a way that we had not been previously, and I'm back in my old apt. It's a 3 bedroom, which I share with 2 relatively sane housemates. I have the largest room at 240 sq ft with 9 foot ceilings. And it's only $310/month with utilities and high speed internet. I'm a CNC machinist, so that expense works out to about one eighth of my monthly net. Bargain! Way cheaper than customizing, making payments on, and living in a van. And I do have the luxuries of indoor plumbing and room to entertain company of the female variety. Having moved 3 times in the last 18 months, I have had to personally deal with each and every scrap of stuff I own. The first time, when I moved in with her, I got rid of nothing, and stored a bunch of extra stuff in the basement. With her and her sibling the basement was packed to the gills. When it all fell apart, I had by then spent some more time reading this thread, and the ax fell swiftly when I had to decide what to keep.
It was all going to have to fit into one half of my parents 2 car garage. I didn't have the time to sell anything on Craig's List, it all went to Goodwill. Even my leather motorcycle jacket, with 90's style airbrushed tribal artwork! And most of my goth club clothes! And large-group camping gear like giant stew pots, fire grates and massive tarps. I hadn't used that stuff in 5+ years so it had to go. I also got rid of the volume of about 6 footlockers of other random stuff, as well as 8 milk crates of books and 6 milk crates of VHS tapes. While living with my parents, I put all my burned CD's onto an external hard drive. 3 days of typing artist name, track name, to get rid of a phone book sized binder of burned CD's. The books that remain have sentimental value or are sufficiently rare that I want to hold onto them. I've read Kurt Vonnegut's "Fahrenheit 451" too many times to go to all digital format e-books. In the event of a coronal mass ejection or electromagnetic pulse weapon, my (now rather small) library would be gone. Not cool!
I moved back into the shared house 8/15, and now everything I own fits in my 240 sq ft room, other than a few kitchen items as well as a window air conditioner and a few 5 gal plastic buckets which are in the bottom of the bathroom linen closet. I've even simplified my preferred bike, and switched to a 1990 Schwinn High Plains, 23" seat tube c-t-c, 24" top tube, (I'm 6'3") and have stripped the Surly to probably sell. I found the Schwinn at the Classic & Vintage bike swap at Trexlertown this past fall. The Schwinn is for me the best-fitting frame I've ever ridden, and I went from a 34t large cog on the Surly to 28t on the Schwinn, which has made me faster, that along with a lighter frame set. I also switched out my 48t large ring for a 50t. It's also the 1st bike I've ever ridden that is lugged and has a tapered, raked fork. I feel like it "planes," in other words, transfers my cycling motion into a harmonious blend with the imperfections of the road so as to feel smoother and smoother as my pace increases. I've liked this Schwinn so much that when I saw another frame set just like it on CL, I picked it up so I have a backup. It totally looks like a banged up beater, with many paint scrapes, which is an anti-theft plus in my urban environment. The back up will either get stripped and rattle-canned, or maybe sent out for powder coat if I can cope with a week or two of overtime to cover the cost.
I will freely admit that I am not car-free. I am car-light. I drive the car my grandma could no longer drive after she had a stroke in 2006, and I will continue to drive it into the ground. Work is only 3 miles away, and weekly errands even closer. But I do bike commute when the weather isn't horrendous, and will either not replace this car when it dies, or maybe pick up a 4x4 off road contractor-size van that I could sleep in. And ditch the apartment and 90% of my remaining stuff... Pipe dreams? It wouldn't be a cost savings as far as I can tell but it would be much more mobile. We'll see...
Thanks for taking the time to read all this, and thanks to all of you who have participated in this thread. You've been a touchstone and a source of inspiration in my efforts to live more simply!
~scroungetech

First off, it is a common mis-conception that the lifeline service is provided by the government. In fact, it is provided by the phone companies.

Lifeline phone service is the keyword you need to search on.

Thank you for the story. Your tale is inspiring. How do you feel about it all? You didn't go into that very much or the motivation for it beyond your reading of this thread.

Astute question, SmallWheels. I feel less encumbered by having less stuff, and have only missed 1 or 2 items, and only briefly. That it is all in my room with me means I'm still regularly scrutinizing what I could do without. I wanted no help from anyone for this last move so I would have to personally carry it all on my own. It all can now either fit in my car or on the roof rack, but not in 1 trip. As far as the relationship that ended, I have only made a few half starts at trying to start with someone new. I'm no longer so sure that I'm cut out for the amount of interaction that goes along with a committed monogamous partnership, in relation to how much solitude and independance I've had recently. Definitely avoiding codependence, and I know plenty of couples who each have many separate interests & hobbies to the point that they barely see one another during the week, which sounds great to me... In my free time the last few months I've been learning more in-depth bike mechanics from youtube amongst other things. I knew about voluntary simplicity long before this thread, and have tried to stay true to the diy ethics I learned from the punk rock scene years ago, and some eastern philosophies as well as nature based belief systems. It was this thread that gave me the kick in the butt to finally get serious about paring down and redefining that which I truly find to be important. Thanks for asking.
But I haven't really answered your question about how I feel about it all. I still feel sh**ty about the relationship ending, and am still trying to pick myself back up & figure out if I even want that kind of thing again. I do like the mental room to maneuver that having less stuff has brought about, but once again trying to redefine the meaning of my life. It's an ongoing process, and needs to be seriously overhauled every three to five years to get ready for the next big challenge or achievement. I'll figure it out.

Ray Bradbury, wasn't it?

I still have all of my cds, in two big plastic boxes. I need to double check to make sure they are all ripped before I get rid of them. I have them stored in 3 different hard drives, after I lost them all the first time I ripped them.

Sorry your experiment in cohabitation didn't work out. Just the kids would have killed it for me.

Yes, it was. The car-free Ray Bradbury.

Yeah, I got mixed up on the author. This is what can happen when one gets rid of a bunch of books I guess.

Try again. Either you're doing something wrong, or they don't meet the income criteria. I know lots of people who have free "Obama phones." (Not that I understand why this topic is even being discussed on this thread!)

ya man i love going no frills and only one wheel! Saves wear and tear. The biggest prob is mad people dont get the concept of road share


http://csr.ebay.com/sell/success.jsf...20%3E%20106953

One thing I wanted to emphasize in my posts from late December 2015: Thank You to all the people who have kept this thread active for so long. The info here has applicability for all facets of a life lived more simply, and your supportiveness has helped many people make the transition. So, Thank You!

there are people paying good money for the actual pages of advertising in those magazines. Some sellers on ebay offer monthly lots of magazines. food for thought.

As a hermit my life was wonderfully simple, but then I got married.

+1

I married WAY above my "caste". So I can't complain too much. But she certainly complicated my life in many ways.

I am pleasantly surprised that no one is giving you a used bucket of sawdust for living in a MOTOR vehicle and posting on a bike forum. There was a long period of my life where I could MOVE everything I owned to a storage unit in one minivan trip. Never tried living in one. I have been "homeless" for long periods of time on bike tours up to a year in length and "living" on the road and sleeping in a tiny tent. But 6 months was about my limit for being truly happy doing that. I am fairly certain I could be happy in one of those campers that sits in the back of a pickup truck. This way I could leave the "home" part behind and use the vehicle for other purposes. But good on you for making the minivan thing work. I guess it's about like living on a small sailboat but with less "romance" (to the untrained eye anyway).:thumb:

The 22nd of this month will be the one year anniversary living rent free. The van was bought for $800. Insurance for the year was $800.

Winter in Hollywood was so comfortable compared to my previous location in Montana. There were only a few weeks of wearing extra clothes to bed.

For many years I wanted to travel the world in a sailboat. That still might happen but only in the Caribbean and Gulf Coast. I don't want to hang out in the radioactive Pacific.

Would I be considered homeless if I were living in a sailboat or perhaps a big RV? It's all about perspective. Sailboats roaming from city to city around the world sounds adventurous. Rolling from city to city around the world in a minivan somehow doesn't equate, even though it can go more places.

This is such a good simple living topic. I frequently wonder where I should settle in my future. I'm a horseman and this keeps me owning a bigger vehicle and more stuff than I would otherwise. Also, acreage is cheaper near small towns. Right now, I live on the eastern edge of Austin in a ratty trailer that I rent on a farm to have horses and live near other environmentalist. I'm frustrated with the driving here though. I drive 25k miles a year mostly for work, and about 6k of that is for personal trips.

I dream of living on the edge of a town of 5 to 7 thousand people that still has a lively downtown of old buildings. Often these towns don't have environmentalist though. Well, in TX very few small towns have some overflow of Austinites. They seem to be my only option, but because they're close to Austin, they're expensive.

Ah, life with horses. It's beautifully simple in some ways, yet is difficult to do without a truck. :-/

As for simple living philosophers that I like, there are many, but Samuel Alexander of simplicitycollective.com is a terrific writer who is very serious about voluntary simplicity.

Very observant.. I do apartment rentals and remodel and realized this also u just "borrow" some thing. U think u own but the banks have every one fooled. They "give" u money to buy some thing....but it is not there money to give the government prints it$$ gives it to them to give to u to use..u have to pay them back......??? But they did not have but 20% of that money in their vaults. .. Or at least they claim they have to have 20% of what they borrow out...talk about a scam????

Very good "sign" maybe some time soon the rail system will come back and less cars and much more bikes will come ..but I am not holding my breath:backpedal:

I like simple living too. Owning a house suddenly chances things, because it is a new avenue for DIY-everuthing and simplicity of maintaining your own life. I love that part, and it feels less simple even though I really like the hobby-of-life.

bikes may use the full lane
 

No doubt, simplifying is all about decluttering for me. The only thing I keep around are cool bike related trinkets, like this bikes may use full lane sticker on ebay!

Well,
 

At 56 years of age,I've always lived in Survival mode since my stint in the Army, but still I have too much crap by my standards. No car, but 3 bikes ... Soon to be 4 (maybe). A junk 29er in my storage, a Curry electric which I've almost abandoned at the bike shop, and my Specialized hardrock sitting in my hallway 😁 Now I'm mulling over a nice gas bike! A 66cc motor on a Trek 4300 Hmmm ...Damn I hate decisions! My furniture is mostly crap given to me or left here by the previous tenant, Except for my Air sofa and Queen size air bed. Both Ex'es are gone, daughters are grown, tag I'm it.I have aspirations of moving to Portland Ore. With no more than a backpack, carry-on and a bike! Sort of crazy huh ?

Sorta crazy, but if you're young and free, why not! (Or even if you're old and free...) :)

Tell ya what, Roody, compared to the state of things here in the Midwest, the quality of life, employment and economy just seems to make more sense in Oregon. Especially if you are a bike hound like we are lol! I'd like to retire there if possible. 😎👍

so simply, lol

I'm car free again. This means I'm also not living in a van anymore. For over two years a Dodge Caravan minivan was home. Everything I owned fit inside it. Living that way became routine. There were neighborhoods where parking was safe and those became my neighborhoods.

I traveled and worked in different places on the west coast from Washington to California. The politics of California are just insane. That is one reason I returned to the USA (left California). The other reason was my van was dying. Putting a few thousand dollars into something that was purchased for $800 didn't seem right. Plus there is a web site project I want to do and that requires hours of uninterrupted internet access daily. So the van was traded for $300 and a 44" flat screen TV. My things were transferred into a rented Kia Sportage and north we went. It was cheaper to rent a car instead of shipping my things and taking the bus.

I miss living in my own little house on wheels. While here in my previous hometown of Helena Montana USA, I stepped out of a Walmart to return to my rented car and there were many RVs and vans where people were spending the night. I felt a longing to be one of them. Now I'm in a rented room with great internet, a washer and dryer, a shower, a kitchen, and the ability to stand up while indoors. My van didn't have a tall roof. So no standing upright.

Furniture is the next thing needed. Sleeping on the floor with a pad is comfortable enough. What is needed is some form of a chest of drawers where things can be kept and the TV monitor can be mounted. A reclining chair would be nice too. One of those outdoor fold-up recliners with the bungee cord supports will do nicely. A friend of mine with a truck will need to help with getting those things.

I'm thinking about buying a Kickbike. People in forums say that the company changes prices for sales occasionally. One will be purchased at the next sale.

I'm still living simply, just not in a van. Do minimalists own huge TVs? It's just one TV. So I have a minimalist approach to large TVs. I have just one. :)

Completely car Free !!
 

No van here,anymore! Miss it? No not really when I think about how much it costs. Sitting on three bikes currently. I last wrote about getting a gas bike but that didn't happen , at least for now. My Sofa BLEW UP lol! It was one of those Air sofas from Walmart ... No I'm Not that fat, just fluffy lol. I'm a little relieved it's gone really, since it took too much room. I want to Be even More minimalistic than I am now, just have to figure what to trim. Currently Unemployed so things are dicey right now. Good thing I have Camping Gear huh ? 😎👍

Years ago I bought an inflatable mattress for the bed platform in the van. It worked for two days and sprung a leak. I've never known of an inflatable mattress or bed that works for a long time. Ultimately it was traded for two foam pads from the same store. Those worked OK but they weren't very thick. They were too flimsy but still got used until the van was sold. It's like throw pillows these days. They're all made of foam that almost totally collapsed with the slightest pressure. WHERE ARE THE GOOD PILLOWS?

Has Anything In Your Life Changed?
 

I really don't remember when I decided to become a minimalist. It probably just evolved as I came across articles and videos about it. The first few pages of this thread are inspirational. Occasionally I'll reread them. I've read the whole thread twice. In it there are many people who wanted to pare their possessions to different degrees. That's OK. This isn't the "I only own 100 things" thread.

What has changed in your life since deciding to let go of some things? Did you actually get around to doing it?

There are still a few changes needed for me. For a long time I've said I need to get a good camera to photograph all of my family photos and memorabilia so that the physical objects can be sent to a cousin who collects family memorabilia. It hasn't been done yet. Now that home is a thirteen by nine foot room it really doesn't need to be done, but now the space to do the project is available. It will get done before Christmas. Getting rid of those four or five boxes of the twenty-five owned will be a big space saver; especially when I go back to living in an RV of some type yet to be determined.

Since moving into a room more things have been purchased. A zero gravity reclining chair, a cot, a counter top water filter pitcher, and a toaster oven. Some cubby hole shelves and fabric baskets will probably be bought soon. The twelve hole size should be plenty for holding just about everything that won't fit easily into the closet. It will work well to hold the 44" TV that was accepted as part of the payment for my minivan. It will become my new computer monitor for working on my web site.

A few times I imagined letting go of some of my favorite heirlooms that aren't photographs. At times it seems possible and at other times the attachments seem too strong. There is no immediate need to let go of them, but the idea of being free to let them go is appealing.

Years ago I adopted the idea that everything owned would fit into a van. That came true in 2015. Eventually I gave away 99% of my possessions. Spending the money to keep all of that in storage at the rate of $720 per year didn't seem logical. Thus the decision was made to let it all go. There are no regrets about making that decision.

There is a guy written about on the internet in minimalist blogs who lives out of his backpack and another carry bag. He travels and rents rooms while he lives in each different city. He has some type of internet business that he does. So he's not doing it because he is poor. He just doesn't want attachments to things.

When I left Los Angeles all of my things were transferred from the 2004 Dodge Caravan into a Kia Sportage. The bed was left behind along with a portable jump starter/air pump and some small things that didn't seem needed at the time. It took over an hour and a half to pack the things into that little SUV. Even though it was parked beside the van.

When I got to Helena the rental car needed to be returned but I didn't have a place to stay. So a friend let me unload the Sportage into his backyard so the SUV could be returned. Unloading took just about as long as loading. That day I picked up a 2017 Chevy Cruze from the same rental agency. It was used for two days while searching for a room. My friend let me sleep in his new RV trailer for one night.

Once a room was acquired, all of my stuff needed to be loaded into the Cruze. That took over an hour. Everything didn't fit but almost did. The Cruze has fold flat rear seats with a big trunk opening. The rest was put into my friends truck and we moved it into my new place. Doing that took over an hour too. The point being that I really don't like moving so much stuff. If everything could be moved in twenty minutes it wouldn't seem like so much of a hassle. Maybe that should be my next benchmark in letting go of things; to not need to spend more than twenty minutes moving the possessions into a vehicle to carry them to the next residence. This doesn't include packing time, just removing things from the location into a car. That sounds reasonable to me. Everybody's got to have goals.

So tell us what you have changed since reading this thread and deciding to let go of some things.

Interesting question. So I looked up my first post on this thread (see below), from 11 1/2 years ago. The big change in my life is that my son and his family moved in with me a few years ago. With five people now in in the household, we had to move out of the small apartment into a still smallish house. I still live minimally, and so does the rest of the family. I don't cook as much as I used to, but coffee is still my main vice. I still don't own or drive a car, but the other family members all share one car. Therefore, I now consider myself carlight rather than carfree. Sadly, I don't own a bike because of some health challenges. My son has three of four bikes, all beaters.

I live as simply as I choose to live and my life philosophy is to have no philosophy.