I have so much stuff
I’m moving, again, and packing is painful yet necessary
Since leaving home at the age of eighteen, I have lived in twelve different places (I’m thirty-four now). I’ve moved either every year, or every two years for a variety of reasons and every time that I do, I’m shocked by how much stuff I own.
When your things are hidden away in wardrobes, cupboards and drawers, you don’t get a sense of their full volume. It’s only when you have to pack them up into suitcases and boxes that you realise how much there is.
Even when I’ve moved within a year I’ve forgotten how much stuff I’ve got. And the total of my possessions aren’t even all in one space — I have a few boxes scurried away at my parent’s house, a few at my step-mum’s flat, and a few at a friend’s as each place that I’ve lived in has had a different amount of stuff supplied with it.
I would love to be one of those people whose possessions fit into one suitcase, and there have been times in life when I’ve had less stuff. But you tend to accumulate things as the years go by and in different living situations.
I don’t tend to buy things for the sake of it. I try to buy something only when I need it, but then there are a lot of things that I need.
My clothes alone take up nearly four suitcases — and for the average person, that’s probably average. I work in a job where it is expected that I wear a range of formal clothes, so I have a lot of business wear. I like hiking and camping, and that requires A LOT of gear. I exercise and sweat almost every day, so that requires a lot of changes of gym stuff. I have a really long warm winter coat, a shorter down jacket, a rain coat, two smart coats in different colours, a Spring/Autumn coat and a denim jacket. I wear them all. Not all of the time, but often enough to not want to get rid of them.
Some of those items I’ve had for years, and I intend to keep them for a lot longer still. I don’t own that many shoes because I’ve got big feet and I find it hard to find things in my size, but even my moderate collection has trainers for sports, trainers for casual events hiking boots, city boots, a smart pair of boots, smart flat shoes, sandals and flip flops. Eight pairs in all. I have a range of jumpers and dresses. I wear all of these things.
I own a couple of pieces of furniture — although as I’m renting a furnished place, not as much as I would have if I’d had to rent something unfurnished. I have a desk and a mattress and a chest of drawers. I have pots and pans and plates and mugs and everything else needed in the kitchen. I have some cushions and pillows and bedding.
And then there are the books. Even though I get rid of the ones that I know I’ll never read again, they all still seem to pile up. I love books. I read and re-read them on a regular basis. I lend them to my friends and family. I never feel lonely when I’m reading a good book.
I have some beautiful artwork and souvenirs from various trips that I’ve done. I have some electronic stuff like a laptop and TV and a hairdryer.
I don’t think of myself as being materialistic, but my home is full of materials and there’s no getting away from it. In the past I’ve been ruthless and gotten rid of things (usually donating them), only to need them a few months down the line and have to buy something again.
I think that it’s possible to live more minimally than I do now. I have lived out of a small suitcase for months at a time, but with consequences.
Having less than you need and use means that you limit the experiences you can have. If I didn’t have hiking boots and a down filled sleeping bag, I wouldn’t be able to camp in the mountains. If I didn’t have formal business wear, I wouldn’t be able to attend all of the work conferences that I have to go to and look professional at. If I didn’t have books, I would be miserable.
I’m not pro-materialism, but I’m pragmatic. There are things in life that I need, and the use of those things brings me happiness in various different ways. I admit that I don’t live the most sustainable life.
I could do more to reduce, reuse, recycle, but I don’t think I’m the worst offender either. I think that if you need something, looking for a second hand option is a good idea, and selling off the things that you don’t need anymore rather than throwing them away makes you a bit of dosh and means there’s less waste going into landfill.
I’m looking to buy a house, and I’m going to have to be very careful not to expand into it and end up with more stuff than ever.
