The Benefits Of Not Having Too Much Stuff

For nearly two years I’ve been living out of a small suitcase, and it’s been wonderful. Here are some of the best parts I’ve found of living without much stuff:

1. Lower Object Based Emotional Burden

Having too much stuff can become a huge burden on your life. When it comes time to organize and downsize, it can actually be quite hard parting with all of the things that you already own. But once you’ve made that leap, and don’t have much stuff, that burden is no longer there, and you can have one less thing in the back of your mind that bogs you down.

2. More Space To Live

I’ve been living in very confined spaces, and every little bit of space that isn’t taken up by stuff makes it that much more livable. When I first moved onto the boat I ended up throwing away about 20 trash bags full of stuff that the previous owner had just left there. It was all over the walls, in the cabinets, and on precious shelf and counter space. When I was all done the boat felt so much bigger and nicer, which really helped during hard times like the winter when being on the boat wasn’t terribly fun.

3. Easy To Find Your Things

I use to lose things all the time - even within my own room. There was so many different piles of stuff, so many drawers and shelves, and desks full of other stuff that when I had to pinpoint that one item I was just holding onto, I couldn’t find it. Suffice to say I don’t have this problem anymore, both because I have almost nothing to lose, and it’s plainly obvious where everything is at all times.

4. Ability To Move Quickly

Just this past weekend I moved out of the boat and into my apartment on my way to a Birthday party. I put my stuff into my suitcase, took the subway over to my new place, walked up the stairs, put the suitcase in my new room, and then went to my friend’s party. It was so trivially easy to move that I didn’t need to do any planning, pay movers or lift a bunch of heavy things, or waste a whole weekend moving. I’m big on the idea of having the freedom to quickly adapt and change living situations when necessary, and being able to literally move my entire life instantly is pretty awesome.

5. Reduced Decision Fatigue

I use to spend a lot of mental energy deciding what things to buy, and how I would keep accumulating more and more things. But now I only buy something if I absolutely need it to function, and it can fit in my small living space. This means that I spend a lot less time agonizing over what to buy, since I don’t really buy things anymore. Not having to make all these small decisions definitely leaves me with enough energy to ponder about much bigger, and consequential decisions.

6. Prioritizes Spending Wisely

The decision to have as little stuff as possible, and thus to stop buying useless things, has saved me quite a lot of money. It’s almost a cliche at this point that you’re better off acquiring experiences than acquiring physical possessions, but I actually do live by this, and spend my money mostly on experiences these days.