It has come to my attention that for many, determining the things that add value to their lives is not so strait forward. That many people are not fully aware of  the full cost or value of the physical things they own even though they are paying the cost and/or enjoying the value every day. It is for this reason that I have put together a list of the seven types of physical clutter, and explain why they are clutter. My hope is that we can use this as a guide to help us minimize:

1. Lazy Clutter – Let’s get this one out of the way first. This is just the stuff we don’t need, we don’t want, but it’s too big and too time consuming to get rid of. There is no mystery here, this is clutter in it’s truest form. Get rid of it! It’s dragging us down.
2. Old Promises – This is that weight bench we used in our youth that we have been promising ourselves we’d start using again to get in shape. Only that promise started two years ago. And we are afraid to get rid of it because we somehow believe all hope of getting in shape would then be lost. Truth: We are holding on to that bench as a false hope that we will get in shape. In a sense, it’s the bench what is keeping us from getting there; because the hope of being in shape is just enough to satisfy so that we don’t have to actually do it. It’s a crutch. Use the bench or lose it. If in the future we actually DO want to work out, get in shape, then we will want to bad enough to purchase a gym membership or new exercise apparatus, and use it. The actual purchase of said service/item is a major part of the commitment of DOING the act, as opposed to PROMISING TO DO the act.
3. Just In Case Supplies – Extension chords, duct tape, zip ties, and useful things of that variety. I suppose if these things don’t take a lot of space they are no big deal. Put them in a 2′ x 2′ crate in the back of the closet where they are not noticed (definitely keep first aid, fire extinguishers, and real emergency supplies easily accessible). But I once knew someone that kept a hand truck (dolly, whatever) in his linen closet because he said “You never know.” ……….Really dude….. really. Lose the “just in case” bulky items. In the rare event we need them, how hard or far can they be to acquire (rhetorical)? I know we can rent a hand truck from Home Depot, or U haul for pretty cheap.
4. Collectibles – I admittedly don’t understand peoples obsession with having things just for the sake of having them. To me all the things we own function as a tool for health/survival or entertainment/stimulation of some kind. Its occurs to me that the need to collect exists only to satisfy some sort of insecure void people have; that collecting somehow makes people feel successful or superior in some way. I am no psychologist, so I cannot advise on how one could break a collecting habit, but maybe just being aware that it is a habit which stems from insecurity is a start.
5. Keepsakes – Things we keep to remember the good times. These things are tied to memories. But are they really? Are the memories really not just a part of us? A few keepsakes are healthy, but too many can be considered “holding on to the past.” As if losing these items means losing a part of our self. This is an insecurity/fear of a different variety. Know this: Everything we were, are, and will be is all inside of us. Many memories will be forgotten, and that’s ok. Because the lessons we learned from those memories will be with us always. The residual affects of those memories remain. If we must have keepsakes, I suggest we take photos. They take up little to no space and they last longer than most trinket keepsakes. Not to mention they are an actual frozen moment in time, as opposed to an object that was present in the memory.
6. Excess Decor – Having beautiful prints/paintings on our walls is a wonderful thing. I often gaze at the wonderful prints on my walls. Very often though, I have seen people with their walls covered with all kinds of prints, pictures, paintings, and even tapestries. Their walls are so cluttered, that one can’t tell what color paint is on the wall behind the decor. Here is the thing ………. a good looking home is not just about what we can see, but also about what we can not see. The true beauty of a good picture can easily go unnoticed if their is a lot of visual distraction all around it. i.e. All the beautiful pictures/prints/paintings  are sucking the value out of each other, and in the end just appear like a jumbled mess on the wall. Most of the time the most beautifully decorated wall is one with a single breathtaking landscape print right in the center of the wall, and blank space all around it. This same principal can be applied to all decor, not just wall decor.
7. Occasion Items – Things we keep because once or twice a year we have use for them. A single man has no need for lots of flatware or silverware during his usual day, but on Thanksgiving and Christmas every year a particular single man (we don’t need to give him a name) has his entire family over (4 generations) for dinner and merriment. So he keeps a substantial amount of flatware and silverware for these times. If he truly doesn’t mind the storage and cleanup. fine. He can continue on his merry way. But consider this, would it not make life easier and simpler to stock up on disposable silverware/flatware before these events and use them. No storage, no dirty dishes. It would be worth considering similar alternatives for other “Occasion Items” we all have.

 

I don’t even have cable service and all I am exposed to all day is people and other media griping about the BLM movement, Police brutality, election mud flinging, and news about our constitutional rights being violated and/or taken away. I hear friends, family, and acquaintances alike yammering about it constantly. After a while it makes me sick. Don’t get me wrong, these are all important issues; every one of them. But it’s all just talk.

“But Anthony, do you not consider it crucial to be informed on the issues that effect our lives?”

Of course I consider it valuable to be informed, but being informed is a means to an end, not an end unto itself (like money). Despite what we were taught, knowledge is not power ……… applied knowledge is power. It doesn’t matter how well informed we are, or how well we understand our situation, if we are not using that knowledge to take action toward a greater good, then it was all wasted. For the most part, these people yammering endlessly about politics are not doing anything with this information. Might as well choose ignorance, at least there is a greater chance we will be happy.

“Political talk without action is just gossip.”

 

The Big Question: What power do we (the middle class) have to take action on all these issues that affect us?

The Answer: Collectively we have tremendous power. In fact we are really the only power. All the other parties that have power, only have the power granted to them my the majority, by us. We can exercise this power in four ways:

 

1. For starters, I’ll mention the obvious power we all have. We have the power of the vote. last I checked we still live in a Democracy. It’s debatable exactly how much weight our vote carries, but that’s another topic for another time. But we still have the vote nonetheless.
2. Next, we have the power of the almighty dollar. I believe that we have a responsibility in how we spend our money, and we exercise power in our spending habits. This is just as important as how we earn our money. Anybody that earns a living, has a small amount of power in the money that they earn.
3. We can also get involved politically ourselves. That’s right. If you wanna change a system, change it from the inside. For those of us who have a passion for politics (not me), go for it! Work with the system and run for office.
4. The only other way to exercise our power as a collective is one that is a last resort. And that is through protest/civil disobedience/revolution (change a system form the outside). This method is messy, and their will be casualties, that’s why it is a last resort. I say civil disobedience because the truth is, violent action has always cause more problems than it has solved.

 

Voting isn’t going to change anything because the selection we have to vote from is …. unfavorable, and untrustworthy.

One could work their way up in the game (good luck).

Those of us who see the truth realize that protest/CD/rev is not even necessary in the problems we face today, as the problems we have today are small beans compared to those we have dealt with throughout history (learn your history). The gain is not worth the potential loss (yet).

So how can the problems of today be handled? Consider power (2). The power of the dollar is even more important than the power of the vote. Why, because by now I believe that most of us are starting to realize the truth: The government doesn’t run our country, corporations do; big business. It is they that are buying all the big decisions that affect the way we live. BLM, CLM, and the 2016 Election are all the result of subterfuge created by America’s elite through all our media channels (TV, Social Media, Radio, etc) to keep us focused on each other, rather than the higher powers and their agenda. The media is also being used as a manipulative tool to gain permission from us to take away our constitutional rights. Sorry, I digress.
The solution: cut off their revenue. For those who are minimalists like me, you are already in the battle. If all people were minimalists like us, the corporations wouldn’t have the ….. power to buy the big decisions. It’s just that simple. Ah, but there is more we can do. When we do shop, shop local. Support our local small businesses. This stimulates our local economy and robs the corporations of the power they need to continue on their greedy way.

What I am saying is, that with today’s problems, the only way we are gonna get the attention of our oppressors, is by hurting them where it hurts the most, in their wallet. Then, only then, will we have the complete attention of corporate America, and they will bend to our demands. Example: If everyone collectively decided to stop buying/using iphones, you better believe that the price for an iphone will drop significantly almost overnight (Whatever happened to a good old fashioned boycott).

 

So in conclusion: In addition to continuing this wonderful minimalist lifestyle I enjoy, I will be making a serious effort to incorporate shopping local into my lifestyle. Farmers markets instead of grocery stores. “Mom and Pops” shopping instead of franchise shopping. I will be keeping my readers up to date on my progress as I go, in the Journal Entry section of this site. I strongly urge others to make this change as well. We need to scrutinize who we give your money to. Enough complaining about the issues the 10 o’clock news would have us all nervous about. Turn off the TV and take action. This will be a challenge for me, but I feel if I take baby steps at a time, I will pull through it. Stay tuned.

 

All of our purchases are generally thrown into two categories: a product or a service. That is what we have been led to believe. But the truth is that everything in fact, is a service. Or at least, the products are used to provide a service. Either way we look at it, it’s the service that is the end result we are looking for. Much of the time, it is necessary (more cost effective and /or convenient) to own a particular product to get a service we require …… but not as often as we think (or they would have us believe).

As minimalists, we should keep in mind the services we require, and determine if the purchase of a particular product it really the best way to acquire the service. Or conversely: As minimalists, When interested in purchasing a product, we should be determining if there is a better (more efficient, convenient) way of acquiring the service it provides without having to purchase said product. To help illustrate the mindset I am speaking of, I have created the table below to show some examples of things we might own, what their service/function is, and potential alternatives of acquiring the same service that may be more efficient then owning the item ourselves (It all depends on our lifestyle).

Owned Item	Service/Function	Alternatives
House	Shelter/Storage	Rent
Automobile	Transportation	Public Transportation (bus, train, subway, taxi), Rent a car, Lease
Dish Washer	Sanitary eating	Do it yourself
Computer	(too many functions to mention)	Membership at a local public library. Internet cafe
A Yard	Outdoor Recreation	Local Public Park
Washing Machine & Dryer	Clean Clothes	Laundromat
Refrigerator	Food Preservation  and Storage	Shop and eat fresh every day
Stove and Range	Cook Food	Eat only living food

 

Example: It is usually significantly less expensive to rent ones residence, than to purchase ones residence (but not always). While home ownership more often times than not, yields far greater long term profit, it’s often not worth suffering a lesser quality of life now for potential profit in the future.

Example: For someone who may only require the use of transportation once a week to the grocery store (an elderly recluse perhaps), the purchase of a vehicle may be a completely unnecessary expense when considering loan payment, gas, insurance when for less than $30 a week they can have a taxi take them to and from their local grocery store.

Example: For a bachelor who’s entire flatware comprises of 2 forks, 2 knives, 2 spoons, 2 plates, 2 bowls, 2 glasses, and a cup, a dishwasher is completely unnecessary (I don’t think I have to explain why).

Example: To my surprise there is actually still people out there that don’t have much interest or use for a computer (I don’t get it), but maybe once a week they like to check their email to stay in touch with family that lives very far; they like to send digital pictures, poems, etc. Those people may have a public library very close and could use their computers. Expenses avoided: Computer purchase, anti-virus software, internet access, and potentially many others.

Example: A yard must be maintained which is both time and cost intensive. Unless we get some sorta joy in doing these maintenance activities (and many people do ….. not me), it makes far more sense to have outdoor recreation in a public park if there is one reasonably close. The grounds are already well maintained because our tax money is already taking care of that. We’re already dumping money in the parks, might as well use them.

There are three more items in the table , but I think we see where this is going now.   In a nutshell, minimalism is all about efficiency. So with all the services we require, we have to decide what the most efficient way to acquire those services is. Often times we will find that acquiring a new product is not the answer.

BTW: The attached picture is a photo of my brand new running sneakers ……. it has nothing to do with the subject of this post really. I just think they are fierce and wanna show them off. Running sneakers are an example of a product which offer a service that can’t be acquired by any other means. That is “optimum comfortable running.”