jonlybonlyfromboldlygo:

amelia-rate:

callmebliss:

Last night in a comment on FB someone said “minimalism is for people with money.” Then, I commented, “I need more plusses for “minimalism is for people with money.

But this morning, I just couldn’t let it go.

Like seriously, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense and applies to my own experience. If you have money, you can afford to not keep things on hand. If the need for the thing comes up, you can just go buy the thing.

But when you’re not someone with money? Oh hell no. You never know when you might need a thing, so you keep that thing. You get it from a family member, a friend, a neighbor, a yard sale, craigslist, facebook market – it doesn’t matter where it comes from, because once you have the thing (regardless of what it is) it represents some kind of cost. Money was spent on it, or time was spent on it, or both – and both those things are difficult to come by, they are distinctly finite resources, and ones that one doesn’t want to have to spend twice if one can help it.

I might not need this thing right now, or even in the foreseeable future. But I might need the thing someday, and if I keep it, well then I already have it. I can give up a little space in order to not have to buy it again. I will already have it. I’m prepared.

I guess this is why we never see rich hoarders, too.

Also the idea behind minimalism where you buy things of super high quality so you only need one or two of them (shoes, clothes in general), but they’re not affordable to the regular person. Plus have you ever watched minimalist house tours on YouTube? They’re a trip.

Vimes’ boots theory of economics

Incidentally, this is why a lot of people who grew up in the Depression have problems with hoarding. When you’re dead ass broke, you get into the habit of never throwing anything away.

For example, I NEVER throw away plastic tubs. Whether it’s sour cream or margarine or sandwich meat, those plastic containers can be reused as tupperware. I have clothes I no longer wear that I will likely never get rid of because I can either alter them into something I’ll wear again or reuse the fabric and make it into something else.

Sure, my 19 year old TV is on its last legs, but it still works. I can’t just go out and buy another one. I’ll keep worn out headphones where only one earbud works, so that if the ones I’m currently using crap out worse than those, then at least I’ll have one working earbud, in case I can’t buy a new pair right away.

I hate the “You can just go out and buy another if you end up needing it” line. Because no, no I can’t.