3. What was Left
Along the way, I heard of the 100 Things Challenge, but those lists always seemed incomplete, unhelpful. They didn't include boring, mundane,“Necessary”stuff like toilet brushes, trash cans, and bedsheets. Became so curious about what was Necessary for my lifestyle, that I began Accounting & categorizing all my remaining stuff onto a table List in Word, noting items that were favorites, to-be-upgraded, or uncertain.
Had 165 items left. #1 was Clothing-related (38), followed by hangars (24), kitchenware (16), computer-related (11), stationery kit items (11), med kit items (9), document zipper envelopes (8), linens (7), cleaning tools (7), etc. That's 131 right there. Plus, they're mostly grouped accordingly in my home–with less stuff, it kind of organizes itself. I could still eliminate 30+ just by folding my clothes & getting a laptop, but some simple things have become Luxuries for me: clothes on wooden hangers, a bigger monitor, nice pair of small USB speakers.
Love having just 165 items. Easy to remember & track. Not much to clean, organize, store, manage, or move. No ingenious storage or organizing solutions required. I know every-thing I own, exactly where it is, and can get it in under 30 seconds. If I lost everything in a disaster, I don't think I'd care (money aside) - I have so little, I can replace nearly everything because of the Total Item List. Love having that List–gives me a complete overview of my 'inventory'. Use it to both plan future purchases (mostly Upgrades & Recombinations) and even to declutter (the uncertain items).
BTW, if you're prone to overshopping & re-cluttering, Minimalizing might be one of the better antidotes - you'll be more sensitive to the clutter power & hidden costs of every new item–costs in Space, Time, Energy, & Money. You won't want to upset your newfound, peaceful equilibrium by letting too much new stuff in. For me, there's absolutely no way I'm voluntarily going backwards to what now looks like a suffocating, bloated life where I'm overweighted, distracted, blinded, & imprisoned by my own Stuff.
150-180 is my“Preferred Minimum Range" - it's not for everybody. Your own Range, if you choose to aim for it, depends on different factors such as Age, Location/Climate, House Type/Condition, Work Status, Household Members Status, Life Goals, Hobbies, Preferences, etc. But most of these, except for Age, you affected in the past, & will affect in the future, with your own life choices.
But 150-180 feels me. Too low, I sacrifice Convenience & Comfort. Too high, I sacrifice Space, plus more Time & Energy due to more Stuff Management. Either way, a lower Quality of Life. If I do any shopping, it's to Downsize, Upgrade, Replace, or Recombine (get 1 multi-tasker to eliminate 2+ items). With less Quantity, I have to appreciate Quality a lot more. If I only have 1 of an item & use it regularly, then it has to be more Durable, Efficient, Comfortable, & Enjoyable. And also prefer Space-saving, Easy to clean/move, & Beautiful. Beautiful because any item stands out A Lot More when it's surrounded by next to nothing. Gotten extremely picky - most stuff seems like packaged clutter now. So now I do a lot more Research before buying – but when I do find something that passes my QC, it's like finding treasure in a sea of junk.
Also, Upgrading doesn't always cost a lot of money. After decluttering, my last remaining trash can stuck out like a sore blue thumb–it was blue & too big. So I downsized to a new trash can: a cheap, small, pearl, 7-inch plastic wastebasket. Cost $1.30. It's the only trash can in my home, and I really like/appreciate it - first time in my life I can say that about a trash can. With fewer items, some seem to have developed sentimental & decorative power, and some Necessities have now acquired the aura of small Luxuries.
