I occasionally blog about how you can be green merely by cutting down the size of your house and the amount of stuff you own. I am getting to the point where this sounds so attractive – just living a simpler lifestyle by cutting down the clutter.
I am not the only one. Thirty-one-year-old Tammy Strobel asked herself if her stuff actually made her happy and the answer was “no.”
Strobel and her hubby Logan decided to rid themselves of unnecessary stuff. Strobel made $40,000 a year, yet the couple was $30,000 in debt. They decided to get rid of sweaters, shoes, books, pots, and pans. After putting their TV in the closet, they learned they could live without it, so they got rid of it too. They sold their two cars.
Then, they took it a step further. Strobel read about the 100 Things Challenge. This is a movement in which people go through their stuff and find the 100 most important items and toss everything else. Strobel asked herself questions like “where was my stuff made?” and “why do I shop so much?” She said, “Being aware of how stuff affects our physical and emotional health is empowering.” She also found she was working to buy stuff she really didn’t need.
All this happened three years ago and of course, it wasn’t an overnight process. How are Tammy and Logan now? Fine actually. They went from a 2 bedroom condo to a 400 square foot apartment. She has four plates and two pots in the kitchen and only owns three pairs of shoes. And they still don’t have a car.
Strobel changed jobs; she’s now a freelance web designer and writer and makes about half of what she used to ($24,000). Yet now, the couple is debt free.
And here’s an even better part – Strobel doesn’t work as much, so now she has time to volunteer, travel, and go outdoors. Now the couple hopes to buy a tiny house within the next couple of years.
Strobel pointed out that this change changed her life and that clutter can get in the way of us living a full and productive life. Do you agree?