wahoonc

One man's trash, another man's treasure?

I have some things that belonged to grandparents or great aunts and uncles. One of my favorites is a Rolls Razor that belonged to my grandfather, I still use it to this day. We have a walnut drop leaf table that was made in the Amanna Colonies that belonged to my great-great grandfather.

I have room for a lot of stuff, and sometimes it pays off. Other times it is a PITA. We just took a huge load of scrap metal to the dump where I have been cleaning up on the farm, that was a pay off. This weekend I was mowing grass when the solenoid went out on one of the mowers, no problem just go pull one off one of the junkers up at the barn.

Aaron

tjax

They are both great. I <3 TED talks. They make you think out of the mundane every day living.

JeanSeb

I really enjoyed reading your post, thanks. And one thing about the quote above. There are a few items that I keep only because they mean something to someone else, sadly. There's a pocket knife and a small jewelry case that my grandfather used to own, that were passed on to my father and now he wants me to keep them. I can see why, but since my grandfather passed away when I was little (2-3yo I think), I barely remember him in the first place. I guess I'll have to give them away at a later time.

And Smallwheels, congrats on the "garage sale". One thing though about the lady that took a lot of your wooden sculptures and such... you never know, maybe no one else would have taken them, so there's a slight chance you would have been stuck with them if it wouldn't have been for her, hehe.

But anyway, it must be easier to breathe now.

Roody

Aaron, I've always admired the relationship you have with bikes, tools, and other artifacts. You're not at all materialistic but you have a deep respect for quality, value, design and function.

Also, I wish I had one of your old lawn mowers right now. Ours finally died for the last time and I'm waiting on a co-worker who says he will bring me a nice one for 20 bucks. Meanwhile, the grass is growing taller than the shrubs!

rbrbrbrb2

1 i eat out of can most of the time
2 i do have a towel soap shaving kit
3 i get a sleeping bag when i need one
4 i have the tools i need

wahoonc

Worked for me... then my wife decided I needed to be "civilized"

I still eat out of cans when she isn't around. , just make sure to hide the evidence

Aaron

technoD

I'm seriously about 1 week from dumping 3/4 of all my crap and starting a minimalist lifestyle! Leaving the girlfriend and moving back up north where I'll be more in my comfort zone, the downside of course will be trying to pay on my tickets while avoiding the 2 traffic warrants they have on me, lol!
Pretty nuts, huh?

ukoro

Quite a few pages ago, I wrote about a Living Simply issue I was having with Bedding. I wanted something like a traditional mattress but lighter and easier to move when it comes time for me to relocate. I considered a Japanese futon but I don't think it will be enough to support me on tiled flooring.

For a while I was using a futon mattress and a memory foam mattress topper ontop of it. (The following link is the exact one I have) https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Master-T...ifold+mattress

The Futon Mattress was curving down the center due to its material and because it was once used on a futon frame in bed mode and couch mode. Then, the most brilliant idea came to me, use the memory foam mattress topper folded up. I then becomes by itself enough support to be used by itself without anything else. Measurements of 3 Feet 2 Inches in length and one foot in height. I am 5'7 at 12x - 13x pounds. (Haven't weighed myself in a while.)

For this to be feasible, one person would need two of these stacked up in length for it to accomodate the majority of people. I believe when I ordered mine it was $30.00 + $20.00 shipping for one, now the price went up much higher.

But even so, when you think about it, this is much lighter and still cost effective compared to a regular mattress and you could keep stacking up in length, width and height to make all sorts of configurations, like a california king =].

Hope this helps someone.

iron.wren

ukoro, What about something like this? Not sure if you can buy it pre-made from them but it may be an idea, or springboard other ideas. I read a blog about Tiny houses which coincidentally is called tinyhouseblog.com. (I personally would like to live in a tiny house eventually) I remember those mattresses came up on it a while back. I hope this helps somewhat.

Smallwheels

It has been three weeks since my garage giveaway. I didn't die from giving away so many things. Overall I was disappointed with the event. Unfortunately it happened on a weekend that was a holiday weekend. If I had to guess, I would say less than sixty people came by. There was no line at my door like my first garage sale years ago.

About thirty-four boxes of things were given away. I took in about twenty dollars in donations above the cost of the ads and plastic drop cloths that I used on the lawn to cover the damp grass. Some people just had to give me something for the things they were taking.

I didn't sleep for forty-three hours during this ordeal. My body rebelled afterward and I'm still not over it. I caught something like a cold but it was just exhaustion. I'm still coughing a little bit. This was all my own fault for not getting prepared weeks in advance. Instead I started just a few days before the event. That caused me to need to rush to get it done.

Was this a success? Only partially. I did not give away nearly as much as I wanted. My kitchen table and chairs went to my downstairs neighbor. My comfy padded chair and mattress set were taken. At least four big brass lamps were taken too along with some other chairs. I'm really glad those big things are gone.

I kept a solid wood coffee table, a mahogany piano bench, a four shelf metal shelving unit, a wooden stool, and a four part metal filing cabinet that I converted into a desk by putting a piece of plywood on top. These things will eventually be sold. The only one I'm using now in my new place is the filing cabinet desk.

What is left? I have nearly filled a 16' X 9' storage unit with boxes of things that weren't taken. There are about ten large boxes of things that I did not put out to give away. These contain things for sale and a few family mementos. Still, the concentration of items I really like is much higher now. There are about thirty-five more boxes in addition to those.

The physically challenging part is over. Getting rid of the remainder will be a test of will. I know what I want to sell. Those things won't require any thought. I know that I don't want those things and it is just a matter of making it happen. It's not that I don't like the things that will be for sale, it's that I don't have a place for them in the life I want to create. The challenge will be to go through the other boxes and see all of those things that have memories and feelings attached to them. They aren't junk. Just about everything could be sold if I wanted to wait long enough to find a buyer. Will I be able to let these things go? Of the things I'm willing to let go will I feel the need to get money for them or can I just relinquish them to Goodwill and let them earn some money? I don't earn enough money to use any tax deductions I might get from donating these things.

My next move is to borrow a truck from my new landlord and go through all of the boxes and separate the things I know I really want to keep from the other stuff. I made a list a long time ago so I know what I want. It's the things I've forgotten about that might creep into the things to keep pile. I don't want that to get out of control. This will probably take a few days if I work on this alone. Having helpers wouldn't really work because they don't know what I want and don't want.

On the last day of my move I over filled a 4.5'H X 6'W X 6'L dumpster. I will be bringing more things to it as I clean out my storage unit. The storage unit is just across the street from my old apartment. Since I didn't create much trash over the years I lived there I believe I've got some catching up to do trash-wise. I really don't have much trash left though.

Goodwill said that I can bring anything to them. They put everything to use. They even take old unwearable clothing because they sell them overseas for making rags.

I really don't know how long it will take to get rid of the remainder of these unwanted things. What I really should try to do is keep my digital camera charged and take lots of photos of the things I'm releasing. The photos should help with my anguish. I forgot to do that before my garage giveaway, but I'm finding that I still remember most of the things. Even if I forget them is it really a loss? The things I need to remember stay with me. Do I need to feel that nostalgia by seeing images of things about which I've forgotten? Out of sight out of mind. Are memories attachments? The biggest difficulty with letting go of things is the attachment I feel to them.

According to Buddha it is attachments that ultimately cause suffering. It is this move and purge that has proven this to me directly. If I had no attachment to the things I gave away I wouldn't have felt sorrow when they left. On the other hand I feel freer now that they are gone. I feel a bit of satisfaction knowing that they are now with people who wanted them. It is this knowledge that will make getting rid of the remaining items easier, whether they are sold for ridiculously low prices or given away.

I'll report more about my letting go of things as I make headway. I've got a way to go before I'm done.


Regarding Mattresses

I learned something interesting before my move. I had my mattress and box spring in my living room before the giveaway. So I slept on a big military style cot. I've done that before and I felt it was better than sleeping on the floor but not quite as good as my pillow top Serta mattress. This time I added some things to my cot. I put a slender foam pad from a lawn chair lounger on it. Then I put a comforter folded a couple of times on top of that. The comforter let moisture spread out and evaporate the way a regular mattress does. On top of the comforter I put a sheet and used my regular covers just the way I did with the bed. I found this sleeping system more comfortable than my mattress. Everybody who ever slept on my pillow top mattress loved it. There is something about having the two sides of the cot being elevated and holding me in place a little that made this sweet. I recommend this to anybody who wants a lightweight easily portable bed. Unfortunately my new place came with a queen size bed. I can't remove it and use my cot.

I'm keeping the cot even though I don't use it now. It cost me $80 ten years ago and didn't get a lot of use. Now that I have this knowledge it will be with me when I move (whenever that might be). There are similar brands to mine out there that are easier to put together. They come with an easy to use lever to make the cot tight. Find one of those. Mine is from Slumberjack. I don't recommend this brand because it is difficult to assemble.

Roody

Smallwheels, I'm sorry the plan did not go as well as you had hoped. But whatever you accomplish is an improvement over nothing. Keep up the good work!

ukoro

I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this. With bedding it becomes kind of a personal requirement of what one need. I think the Design looks cool, but at the same time I wonder if this would be a drawback, not getting even support especially over the long haul. I think natural mattresses that are chemical free are a good thing, but it really doesn't say here what the bedding is made of, as far as I could see it only mentions what the external cover is made of.

I think for DIY, that price is kind of high. The FAQ says that there aren't returns basically because it's a consumable product. They also stated there that they cannot make premade ones as they're not a licensed bedding manufacturer. So it's kind of a big risk. I am pretty happy at the moment with my solution. Thanks for the Heads up. =]

I also have heard about the Tiny House Movement. It definitely is interesting and something I am considering in the back of my mind. If you're thinking about going smaller, it definitely requires a lot of defining on what you want in and out of your life. There were a lot of good videos I had seen online, if I find them. I will link you to them.

iron.wren

Yea, I had not looked into those mattresses much. I just remember seeing them and found them and I agree the price does seem very high for a DIY Project. I have definitely been thinking about what I want out of life and other things. When I began college a friend who turned out to be a mentor listened to me talking about how much crap I had and had to deal with. He mentioned the 100 thing challenge and/or see if I could fit all my possessions in to my car which I have a regular cab Toyota Tacoma. Sadly I'm not yet to where I could be car free but I'm working to be car light. This also coincided with the first time I saw Fight Club, but we won't talk about it (The book is currently on my to read list).

I will graduate with a Bachelor's degree in December and as I have gone through out college I have read about the tiny house movement and minimalism. I really like the guys here. They and also those here have challenged me and I have paired away a good amount and have become less of a frivolous and needless spender and found more practical and I have about came to the point to where I look for everything to have a good practical purpose that is being used, which I draw for those "back up" items for here. I really like their idea and we live in a culture and time to where things are so easily accessed, like one of my profs talking about I believe it is Oxford is digitizing a specific group of archives they have for what he studies and says he will be able to research from his bed in his pjs/underwear. I have to admit, though plenty do it way after, I do realize I have somewhat easier way because I'm in a time that I am very mobile to where I do not want to accumulate that much junk or as much that does when you "settle down" in a spot. Therefore I can set the practices and mindset into motion to where I can avoid plenty. I really like the Tumbleweed house designs but not dead set and probably will use that at the beginning to start from whenever, which could easily even be 5-10yrs away, I might decide to build a tiny house or look for one. I will take any info you can send to me and thank you to all on here.

Smallwheels I would also like to say sorry it did not go as planned but I hope that like a snowball down a hill that even with a slight snag that you can keep rolling and where the metaphor breaks down, keep shedding instead of holding on.

ukoro

Here's one of the Videos, check back as I will be editing this post with more links soon.

Videos:

We The Tiny House People (Documentary): Small Homes, Tiny Flats & Wee Shelters - 1h21m47s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDcVrVA4bSQ

Other Links:

Empty for now, check back later.

Smallwheels

Packaging has come back into my mind. On May 12, 2013 I wrote about my idea to make large trunks to hold my possessions. I really like the idea so I've thought about different ways to do it. One day I was moving things around in my room and I had to move a sports equipment bag that I had bought to help me evacuate New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina came to town. This bag is approximately 30" long with the pouches on the ends full of things. The interior section is about 27" long and 12" high. The width is about 15". It came with a shoulder strap. The floor is made of the same material as the sides which are nylon woven fabric.

This is a tough bag. I bought two of them to haul things over the rear seat and front floor board of my motor scooter. They worked well. They are flexible so they draped over the seat and floor board and were easy to attach. Their floors have thin removable plastic sheets made of two equal length parts riveted together. The floors can twist lengthwise because of the center rivets. The thing about these equipment bags is they are not supported by frames. They hold the shape of the things put in them.

I was thinking that these would make excellent trunks if they were just bigger. It turns out that larger models are available from several manufacturers. Instead of making wooden trunks I have decided to turn some sports equipment bags into trunks. To solve the problem of them not having a sturdy shape I will create an internal frame from skinny PVC pipe using elbows and Ts. If this works well the bags should be able to stand up on the small sides and leave the long opening easily accessible like a door. I will have a mini closet.

The largest size I see for sale is 40" long. More than one brand makes models with wheels on one end for easy portage. Since I want to keep them standing upright I think it would be easy to make shelves by adding a PVC cross bar or just affixing a small plastic or wooden divider into the frame.

My landlord uses many large plastic totes by Rubbermaid for storing things. I like those but under stress they crack. These nylon sports equipment bags aren't as sturdy as wood but they don't crack and they rarely rip unless they get dragged on the ground or something sharp punctures them. Even if that were to happen it doesn't necessarily mean they are ruined. Unlike a plastic tote, a nylon bag could be repaired with a needle and thread. If I just use my bags to keep things in my room and only move them when I actually move from place to place they shouldn't wear out. I'll need to have more of them than the large trunks I wanted to build. The smaller size should be easier to move and will weigh much less than the wooden trunks.

These bags cost $22-$123 depending on the brand and features. Making wooden trunks would cost me plenty of money because I don't own the tools needed to construct them. Right now I do own a hacksaw. That is about all I would need to make the PVC pipe frames to put inside these bags. Making a mistake with the length of a skinny pipe wouldn't be as costly as making a mistake cutting numerous pieces of wood and fastening them together. This seems like a good alternative to wooden trunks.

technoD

Ok now I know you're a clone of myself lol! Except ... the Steinway??? Holy crap!! But then I digress, since my drums take up the most room of anything I own.

technoD

2 Suggestions here, look into getting U.S. Army duffles and a Jeep # 3952 bag. I own one of each and wish I had three more of each since their damn near bullet proof!
Right now I have 3 of the rubbermaid totes and they are gonna go for the reasons you mentioned.
Google the Jeep bags, they are tougher than NAILS! DO NOT tear and are waterproof.

iron.wren

Smallwheels, I would suggest looking at bags from: Mountain Hardware, The North Face, Patagonia, Mammut, Black Diamond, and Osprey. All of these are great brands, even though North Face would be personally my last choice but one everyone will know. All of these manufactures of Backpacking/Backcountry equipment that can be well abused and would be above and beyond what you would need. Each has easily bags that would work beyond what you would need for a solid amount of time. I personally Have one of the Mammut Cargon's ~90L and it is extremely durable and seems to be a black hole at times. I also use an Osprey backpack for backpacking and love their brand and their warranty is amazing! Though these will probably be more expensive than what you are looking at, they are well worth it and will easily hold up. I have picked a number of brands that are similar for you to look at on Backcountry.com

Also a good website to also look at which has their own brand is REI.com

I can give you more if you need it.

Smallwheels

Thank you for the suggestions. I have searched for Jeep bags and the specific number. I do not find them anywhere. Do you have a link to them? I looked up some different duffel bags. Some say they are from the military and others are made similar to military bags. The canvas ones seem to have a hit or miss when it comes to quality according to reviewers.

Duffels seem to be cylindrical. Putting a frame in one would work but it wouldn't be as wide as the actual dimensions. There was one I found called the Giant and it measured 48" X 20". If that were made taut by putting a square frame in it such a design might work. I'm considering it. I would still prefer to have something with a rectangular shape made of heavy duty nylon or something similar.

Thank you for these links. They do seem to be quality bags. They are all too small. The minimum length I want is 40". When not being transported these will be standing vertically against a wall acting as miniature closets. Taller is better.

There is one bag that I believe is just too long. It is a duffel style found at Amazon.com and it is 72" long. That is taller than me. It must be designed for two or more people to carry.

Since I own a small luggage hand truck the bags I buy won't need to have wheels. I can't haul more than one at a time so the single hand truck will be sufficient. One benefit to using rectangular equipment bags is that they have a flap type lid that can act like a door to the whole thing. Duffel style bags have a center zipper which must be spread apart to access the interior. For some of these bags I'll be making dividers that will operate as shelves when the bags are stood on end.

JeanSeb

I apologize if this sounds offensive, but this seems to be getting way too complicated for a simple living storage solution. I stack my clean clothes on top of my remaining cardboard boxes, doesn't get much simpler really.

Maybe you're trying to get ahead of things. Will you need that many bags when you're down to the right amount of possessions (to your liking, that is) ? I realize you didn't actually mention the number of bags you'd have so, sorry again.

But anyway, on my end, things are going really well, except on the selling-bicycles-I-don't-ride-anymore side. I'm a huge procrastinator when it comes to selling things. And even though I don't own much, I'm getting aggravated at how much I still have ! I'll probably end up with a backpack full of clothes and two or three boxes of random useful things, anyway, that's sort of my end goal as of now.

One quote I've enjoyed reflecting upon lately is Friedrich Nietzsche's "Becoming who we are". It seems appropriate for when we decide to shed possessions, we're basically stuck with them until we get rid of them the proper way, even though our mind shifted a while ago.

Later !

Astrozombie

Ok who sleeps on an inflatable mattress? I've been thinking of dumping mine since i takes up so much room in my room (Full)

Smallwheels

JeanSeb I understand what you mean by being a bit complicated. The purpose of having many of these trunk like containers is so I can move often and not need to have to arrange packing over and over with weak boxes. As time and money present themselves I hope to spend a little time in a few different cities as I seek one to live in permanently. In case I rent a room in a really old house without closets I'll have my own with me.

As far as how many I'll need that is yet to be answered. I own a set of bongos and a djembe drum. The djembe is about 15" in diameter and 25" tall. It alone will nearly fill one of my smaller equipment bags. The bongos are too long to fit sideways so they will also take up about 16" of length and 9" in width in another bag. The only other large items I'll have are a Vitamix blender, a water distiller, a Xootr, a fan, air purifier, and a back stretching device called a True Back (those things really work well). I don't intend to keep my printer or my desktop computer and large screens. My large things should take up only three trunks. Clothes, kitchen tools and the rest of my items should take up maybe two more trunks.

My pillows can be used to cushion the djembe inside the bag and blankets can be used that way with the bongos.

This whole package isn't being designed to be unpacked and reloaded daily. If I ever move into an RV or make a customized van these trunks can be fastened to one wall and the rest of the vehicle can be outfitted for living. All of these items could be put into a large or even medium sized closet. All of this when written about does seem like a lot of stuff. Compared to what most normal Americans have this will seem like a really small amount of things.

I'm not there yet. I still rent a storage unit that is nearly full. There is a bicycle part buried in there somewhere and I need it soon. I'll be going through the storage unit and removing one pickup truckload every week or so, weather and work permitting. It will take about five visits to clean it all out. My landlord will lend his truck to me when I need it.

My concept of simple living will be different from other people. We all have our concept of it and what we want in our lives. For now being mobile is something I want to achieve. I won't be as mobile as a guy with just two suitcases but that is OK with me.

wahoonc

I used a backpack mattress for several years. Mine was a Thermarest 3/4 length, it would roll down to about the size of two loaves of bread.

Aaron

DetroitSchwinn

No car, and I bought my home for $4500 cash. So bills consist of property taxes (@1700 a year/12 months = $142 a month), Edison which is about the same for heat, electricity and cooking fuel, cable/cel phone (my biggest bill @ $160 a month) so my bills are LESS than $500/month. My employer has contracts with Ford Motor Company for multimedia support and almost every Ford facility I work at is LESS than 8 miles from my house. Even in wet and cold the ride is rarely unbearable. I own almost no "hard copies" of anything, instead everything is digital. My partner and I grocery shop almost everyday so there are rarely "perishables" on hand. We have a washing machine but no dryer... In summer we line dry outdoors, most things take a MAX of 12 hours and in the winter we hang things up on a line downstairs under the main duct for the furnace. Monthly payments are the bane of my existence and the taxes I pay are relatively high, BUT I think it's a SMALL price to pay for so much economic freedom... I should add that I buy most things second-hand and even my bike is a 1974 Schwinn Le Tour...

gerv 

Welcome to BF! Sounds like you should feel right at home here