What Can We Live Without?
Posted on Nov 1, 2011 | 36 comments
Could you survive on 5 dollars a year?
I'm sure people have. In fact, just yesterday I was watching an episode of GlobeTrekker in which a man claimed he lived for a whole year in the rainforest of Costa Rica on leaves and berries, and he only spent $5 on stamps to send letters home.
And then a few days ago I was reading this short post by Leo Babauta at mnmlist suggesting we all go non-corporate, a la the Occupy Wall Street crowd, and take back our right to live without being guided by products and agendas.
These stories got me thinking about what I really need in life. What I need to be happy and fulfilled.
Could I live on 5 dollars a year?
Yeah.
I could do it.
I'll just pack up all my stuff and go find that guy in the jungle!
I'll admit, and not happily mind you, that the corporate world has hooked me. I am bought in. I'm a slave to the creative forces that keep conjuring up stuff for me to buy, use, and need.
In my world, I can't escape the powers that be.
My food, clothes, transportation, holidays, education, and day-to-day life have been occupied by the corporate masses. They run my life. They keep the wheels spinning so fast that it seems as if nearly every moment, of everyday, I need to buy or get something to solve some sort of problem I have in my world. It is overwhelming.
And then I stop and think about that guy in the jungle who spends his days eating berries with monkeys.
Is his life overwhelming?
Is he a slave to the influences of the corporate world?
No, he's not.
He might have to worry about a python or some spider bites, but groceries and oil changes are the farthest thing from his mind. He is off the grid. Free from the influence of corporate greed. He has given himself the ability to learn what life is all about.
And that's exactly what I want to do.
I know I can cut back and make some everyday changes to my lifestyle that well help free me from the grasp of corporate influence, and I have, but that hasn't solved my problem.
I have 2 young kids. I live in a major American city. And I am surrounded by ads and influence every second of my life.
As I sit here at my computer, without even the slightest turn of my head, I am being influenced by Macintosh, American Airlines, Firefox and Citibank. Unbelievable!
I want to live without the influence of all this stuff and be able to see the world as it's meant to be seen - AD FREE! For me, the only way to find out what I can live without is to obviously live without it. And the only way I think I can do that successfully or fully, is to get myself and my family away from all this crap. To move our lives away from the maddening crowd and relearn life.
I have to change my world.
So tell me people, what can we live without?
What can you live without?
Well, the day this ship sets sail we will certainly let you know, but until then my guess is we can do without an awful lot.
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I could live without junk mail...
I could live without a closet and a cupboard and a bin full of toys the kids barely care about...
I could live without having to pay my 6-month car insurance premium....
I could live without cleaning the kitchen after breakfast, after lunch, after the afternoon snack for the kids, and after dinner....
I could live without an electric bill....
I could live without a gas bill....
As we work toward our eventual RTW trip these are all things we look forward to living without!
But a few years ago on our 6-month cross country road trip we also learned there are other things--treasured at home--that we really don't miss when we are living a life of adventure.
Like hundreds and hundreds of books that I'll probably never read again (and if I wanted to I could find online or at a library)
A fancy wine opener (really, a simple corkscrew works just fine)
Things are nice. I like having things. But when you have a few things those things become tools. When you have a lot of things those things become an anchor. You go from living and experiencing life to just maintaining your stuff!
Clark Vandeventer recently posted..The 4 Elements that Make an Awesome Trip
. . . just maintaining your stuff. Your so right. I can't stand it. It is just spinning and maintenance.
We wonder sometimes why we don't get anywhere in life. Seems like it has a lot to do with all our crap.
Having lived in a nomadic then semi nomadic state and then re-settling into a home here in Tahoe I have been amazed by how much time I spent marinating stuff! And my friends here don't understand why I don't want a bigger house, why I don't want more stuff....
Clark Vandeventer recently posted..Parents Photography Workshop: Assignment Abstracts
Well said Clark...it's quite insidious how your belongings shift from being tools to anchors if you're not mindful.
Val Joiner recently posted..Granola Talk: November 2, 2011
The longer we travel, the less we need, the more we learn to live without... and we still have too much crap!!
I can live without a car... and we do, everywhere except in the US of A.
I can live without mega stores... and am happiest with mercados.
I can live without books, as long as you don't ask me to give up my e-reader!
I can live without new clothes, used is better... but I sometimes still buy new.
I can live without a job... but not without work.
I can live without TV... it's insidious, really.
I can live without advertising, and largely we do... that's a freeing thing.
I can live without a home, that's a huge life lesson in and of itself, for me, at least.
I can live without anger, resentment and bitterness... but not until I give up the idea of "expectations."
I can live without school, and so can my kids.
I don't think, however, that they can live without Lego!
I'm not a minimalist. I'm a maximalist, live huge, dream big, explore passionately... but that doesn't require "stuff." When we have stuff, it's great. But we don't NEED stuff.
Holding all you have (or don't) with an open hand seems to be key.
You don't really own it... but more importantly, it doesn't own you.
Thanks for the thoughtful post Justin. You've got my wheels turning again!
Jenn Miller recently posted..Goals: Past, Present & Future
I got your wheels turning? Returning the favor I guess.
I want so badly to be free of my stuff. I want it so badly. But I am like an alcoholic in a liquor store. A kid in a candy store. Oh man, all I can think of is stores, and I hate stores. This is ridiculous.
Great post--and fantastic comments. And dang, Jenn Miller, could you have hit it more on target?!
Moving every 6 months for 10 years left a lot of "surprises" to be found in boxes. In fact, 2 years ago at this time we had our personal belongings in 5 different locations (Mexico, and 4 different states). Some of the boxes we opened we hadn't seen in years! Now we are down to 2 locations (where we are now, and some boxes left with family), and I sit here wondering why in the world I need whatever it is that got left behind. Obviously we're living without it!
I was thinking an appropriate Thanksgiving Day activity would be going through our current closets (and the kids toys) and pulling out things, again. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait until the kids are in school, again...because they aren't as keen on the idea of thinning out the toys and clothes!
And an ad free life is a good life
There is sooo much that we have learned to live without. I find it almost embarrassing to think back to when we were in the US and how many times I said "I could never live without x". So much change has happened in us that we now live with very little and as we started to embark on our journey we let go of a whole lot of the things we still had thought necessary. I also think for personal products and cleaning clothes dishes and the house in general that we use only about 2-3 products and NO chemicals. That has opened our eyes as well. It also seems to be about a pickiness level. We now see that any (bed, pot, dish) will do. You can make most anything work:) Maybe the next group writing project?? The things we learned to live without with an explanation of how and why for each thing?
Great point on being picky Mary! Anything will do, we need to get over ourselves.
"You can make most anything work" You are right! And how beneficial it is for us to be flexible.
The world can be easy if we let it be.
Glad to have found you and add you to my list of family travelers
I think one of the biggest secrets is you don't know what you can live without until you live without it. Living here in The Bahamas there are a lot of "things" that we can't find to buy even if we wanted to. We have emptied out our house to only those things that someone who buys it will want (with the exception of my running the business equipment) and have discovered huge joy in simplification. When we leave on our trip (as soon as we can sell our house - yes, another "thing" that we thought of as investment but have recently come to realize is just one of those "those things that become an anchor") we have pledged to take only one carry-on suitcase each plus one suitcase for business equipment.
LM recently posted..Live And Let Go… Of Stuff
Hey Lisa,
Just checked out the site and love it! You have certainly accomplished a lot!
Love simple living, I can't get enough of it. Probably because my life now is so complicated.
Can't wait to see your trip get rolling. I will be following along.
Thanks,
Justin
Clark - totally agree! I can live without so many things and have been for the past few months. We recently had a garage sale and seeing people look through all your possessions and then just flick some things back on to the table really brought home to me that I could probably have lived without all this "stuff"! A couple of times we looked at each other and said "imagine if we never buy any or this type of stuff again - how much better off we will be financially and also from not feeling weighed down". "Stuff" from now on will be viewed as a tool. A tool to remember things, a tool to help us save, a tool to help us earn. I'm hoping thinking of things this way will avoid any tears if we discover our lovingly preserved photo albums do not survive 14 months in storage - they are just a tool to help us remember. They are not the actual events. Those we will always carry with us.
Tracey recently posted..Garage Sale Etiquette – How to avoid a punch in the face next time I invite you into my garage!
Great Tracey! You should talk with Heidi. She has been scanning photos for months. She even scans the kids art work. Life is going digital.
"Imagine if we never buy this stuff again". I bet once you start traveling that will become a reality. That stuff can get really heavy.
I think the best thing that could happen to most of us is have a fire totally take out our stuff. (Of course we would be gone on a trip, I want all the people safe).
I really want to set up a scanner in the garage and go to work!
Clark Vandeventer recently posted..Parents Photography Workshop: Assignment Abstracts
Light it for me! I won't say a word!
I totally used to say that to Kobi back home. I'd walk from room to room packed with clutter and not even know where to start simplifying and say, "Wouldn't it be great if some fire just came and wiped it all out and we could start all over again!"
Great article Justin. I just added you, the source of all this inspiration, to the group post.
Thank you for everything
Gabi
hahaha - just found this stream again - you guys are hilarious!! At the start of the year Australia had AMAZING floods. My good friend's house went under and we spent two days with an army of helpers cleaning out the mud! The streets were amazing - lined with all of people's possessions that were just being thrown out - many were devastated. All I could think was how great to get a good clean out and chuck stuff you've been hoarding that is really junk!! As I walked kilometres down the street I was checking out their stuff and wondering where they hell they stored all this crap! Of course I kept these thoughts to myself in the face of such desperation! So I know just what you mean about wishing for fire!!
Tracey recently posted..Quote of the day. I Quit!!
I could live without my car. I'm sure I could. The fact that I practically live in it now does not make me happy.
And when I'm living without my car, and my car payments, and my car insurance, and paying for gas, that's a lot of extra beanage I can save towards the Big Trip!
I love Clark's last paragraph! I can't wait to live without all these anchors!
Paige AllOvertheMap recently posted..DC’s Hidden Gems: The Woodrow Wilson House
I gave up my car a year or so ago. Love my bike. And you must have a lot of local transport near you. You could do it. No doubt.
Anchors - That's a good one!
I can't wait to get out from under all of my stuff. We are reasonably minimalist already but still have a load of crap!
Amy recently posted..The Moment of Inspiration in Hoi An Vietnam
Ughhhh. It never ends. If there is a world without stuff, I want to find it.
Amy, I feel like I am on a journey toward minimalism. Then I felt discouraged when I read a blog post by a minimalist who said a good place to start is having 50 or fewer possessions. Argh.... I have a lot more than that.... at least I do here at home. But when I think about long term travel... having 50 or fewer possessions seems easy.
A few nice shirts and a nice pair of pants to wear on the amazing occasion that Monica and I are going to have a nigth out for just us
2 t-shirts
2 pairs of shorts shorts.
sweatshirt
cargo pants
um.. underrwear, socks, etc.
um.... deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush so you'll be willing to talk to me
a corkscrew to open a bottle of wine
a cutter to cut my cigar
iPad
iPad keyboard dock
iPhone
knife
first aid kit
passport
Clark Vandeventer recently posted..Parents Photography Workshop: Assignment Abstracts
I'd need my iPad, the charger, the kids and Gert. Don't need anything else - I can tell as these are the only things I ever panic about when I think they are missing. Notice the iPad is first on the list - hahaha!
Tracey recently posted..Earth Mother I Am Not. Will the Kids Make it Home Alive??
Remember when all of our "stuff" was in storage when we were in China? I think we were back in the US for at least 6 months before we even remembered we had it...
Oh yeah! I forgot. And it was all crap anyway. We should start a storage place for travelers and minimalists. We can rent lockers!
It's actually a little scary how easily I could walk away from all of our stuff. Yet, if you own a home, there's a certain amount of baggage that goes with it. I guess the trick is keeping it in check. We're easing our way towards minimalism. Once you identify the few things you want to spend your time doing, it's pretty clear what has to get kicked to the curb. So we're taking the slow approach...a box/bag a week goes to the consignment store, donation, etc.
What could I live without? The stuff shuffle. How many hours have I wasted moving things around the house, putting things back in their places so we're not fumbling over them? Ugh!
Val Joiner recently posted..Granola Talk: November 2, 2011
Yes, I get that. I could walk away too. And I will, I just need to get some stuff sorted out and pray that in the meantime my stuff doesn't eat me alive!
Daaaaaaaaaamn! Now I feel guilty about buying that large pizza tonight. Damn jungle guy! Tough to say what i could really live without? Easy to say it but not to actually do it. Nothing is free in this world. I could give up my car but do i really want to live off public transportation? I don't know!
Great article!
Eddy F. Baez recently posted..If you can dream it, we can draw it!
You could ride a bike. You could walk. You could work from home. You could move. You could do whatever you want. Might take a while to get there, but you can do it.
The ever-present dilemma of life. But the problem is that there are few places left in the world where you can truly escape commercialism anymore. We've been surprised from our travels that even in third world conditions, the people are still heavy consumers, if they have the money. In fact, it seems that the poorer the country (in Asia at least), the more they seem to buy 'stuff' albeit 'little stuff'. India was surprisingly bad. Unfortunately people use 'stuff' to fill the voids in their lives, to 'add spice' perhaps.
I think the only way to be truly minimalistic is to be extreme like the guy in the jungle, but then you also miss out on stuff like reading and learning new things.
My hubby always tries to make us get rid of something old if we acquire something new to reduce the accumulation situation. Although we are huge minimalists, I do tend to be a hoarder, so his attitude at least keeps us in check!
Well, if it is tough for you guys, it is impossible for me. I love the way you guys travel with kids. Really!
I agree with you. It is tough, almost impossible. I think it helps to keep moving. And I would love to be in the jungle. I would love it. At least for a while.
Great post. Ironic ending.
Drop the coporate world! Follow us via twitter and facebook!
I needed that chuckle.
Yeah. Don't think i didn't think about it Heather. You are sooooooo right!
That is the point exactly. We are so overwhelmed by it all, we don't even realize how everything now is tied together.
I don't want to drop the corporate world. I king of want to drop the whole world as I know it, at least for a while. Just get some air.
We live without a lot of mainstream North American things already (TV, microwave, video games, movies, cell phones, meat, fast food, eating out etc), but it AMAZING how much we still "have to have". We just spent the weekend cleaning out our garage and it feels so good to take a car full of stuff to the Salvation Army! Now that we are planning our trip it is freeing deciding not to buy this or that... why buy a new pair of winter stylish boots when next year I will only be wearing flip-flops? I am REALLY looking forward to living with less.
Justin your last comment "I kind of want to drop the whole world as I know it, at least for a while. Just to get some air." I'm with you!
Heidi my wife is from Victoria! Must be some travel bug in the water.
I just visited your site and see that no matter how much you travel you always want more - same here! Love to see how you are cutting back so much already and still not satisfied. Keep going! All the best!
We are down to 2 suitcases each, and have been travelling the last 5 months. Having nothing does give freedom, and the ability to move around easier while travelling in a van.
We just bought a home here in South France, and we plan to stick to our minimalist life, so we can pick up and travel at will.
No TV was the best thing we ever did for our children, and ourselves too. No influence from commercials! My kids watched a commercial once in Canada, and for 3 months they asked us for the giant ride on dinosaur that can eat leaves!
My friends had the same experience except her kids kept asking for the Big O Tire Shop!
Happy Travels fellow adventurers!
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