#2: It is my own decision, or realization, that I will never fully be what I call a minimalist. I am too interested in gadgets and also a shopaholic. That doesn’t mean that I don’t still try to keep my excesses to a minimum. 🙂 I have improved a lot compared to 10, 20, or 30 years ago. Now I realize I have this problem and what a burden it is to own too many or the wrong things.
We have gotten rid of many belongings in the last ten years. Hundreds of DVDs, hundreds of CDs, many many paper books, lots of clothes, furniture, appliances and tech toys. We haven’t owned a TV, home stereo, landline phone, cable-based internet, or laptops for many years. I have declined to inherit things from diseased relatives, except for a few tiny, low-value items. We haven’t bought a larger house. I want to live even smaller, despite us already living in a smaller space than the country average. I don’t make a lot of money because my time and family is more important than increased economic freedom. I more often make conscious decisions to buy stuff and even abstain from buying pretty regularly. I seldom go out to have lunches at work. I don't give away overly expensive presents. I get rid of things immediately when I realize I don’t use or like them enough.