What I own is what I need. Nothing more.

Back in May 2010, I listed all the things I owned at the time, which came out to be 84 things in total. I had just moved into a house with 2 other roommates (strangers beforehand) and the fact that it took me literally less than 15 minutes to unload and put “everything” away was astonishing, fun, and emphasizes how much I enjoy the minimalist life.

Now, about 4 months later, I’ve looked at my possessions and have now gotten it to 70 things. Which means I somehow got rid of 14 things over the course of the summer (some of the old things were swapped out with new things, and some things were given away completely).

Invariably, I get several questions regarding my things, so to better help others out, it’s best for me to post it on my blog where it can reach many more people versus me just helping out only one person at a time (not like there’s anything wrong with that, though!).

Questions and Answers About A Minimalist’s Things:

Q: How do you determine what constitutes a “thing”? Is one folder or one sheet of paper a thing? Or is the stack of folders or stack of papers a thing?

A: Yes, it may sound a little funny or ridiculous if you start counting each sheet of paper (and not a good use of one’s time for that matter). Ultimately, it’s up to you.

For me, I count like items, such as pairs of socks, underwear, and art supplies, as 1 thing. So socks would be 1 thing, though I may have 5 pairs in actuality.

To be more extreme, yes, you can indeed count each pair (or each sock?! whoa!) but I find it works best for me to categorize like items. The key is to not go overboard and have a lot of things in that category. So, 4 cars would be considered a lot! Be mindful of what is actually in that category when you clump it all together.

Q: Are there any rules to counting your things or making your own list?

A: There are no real or set rules to counting your things while making your own list. Just like there are no set rules when living your own life. And that’s a great thing!

However, if you are new to this concept of counting your things as a beginning or novice minimalist and just want a certain standard to measure yourself by, myself as well as other minimalist bloggers out there (Leo Babauta, Everett Bogue, Colin Wright, Francine Jay, and Tammy Strobel are just some prime examples) typically do not count shared items (that which you share with your spouse or family members), kitchenware, and furniture. Nor are consumables counted (toiletries, food, things that will be used up or are perishable).

Q: Do you count bedroom, furniture, or kitchenware on your list?

A: You can if you want to, but typically, we do not.

Yes, you can then come back and argue we are not being truly minimalist if we don’t even count those items as “things” but this just defeats the purpose and we’ll just end up going in circles. There are so many angles and ways to look at this “counting” business and you just have to be satisfied with making it your own.

In the end, everything is perishable, including us. We all have to go at some point. Not counting something as a thing versus counting something else as a thing is just pointless.

Make your own list, create your own rules you want to follow when making your list (or do away with rules altogether), and then just do it!

The whole premise behind your own list is that you start evaluating what is actually considered essential to you in your life right now, versus what is just there, due to sheer laziness, emotional attachments, overwhelming clutter, and a consumerist mentality. Whatever you consider as clearly vital to your living right now (and that makes you feel good, has good memories or feelings associated with it), you keep. Whatever has negative emotions, drama, and baggage, or that’s simply useless or broken, you get rid of through 1 of 4 means:

1. Donate.
2. Recycle.
3. Sell.
4. Trash.

Q: Why aim for 100 things or under?

A: The number 100 is a nice, even number and a good rule of thumb to aim for if one is trying to live minimally. It is, of course, not the end-all-be-all. If you have 102 items, no worries! You’ll still be far more minimalist than the majority of our consumerist friends, family, and colleagues out there.

Really, the number is arbitrary. It’s the concept that is much more meaningful.

The whole point of a minimalist life is to rid yourself of the non-essentials. What you have left should be what is deemed as indispensable to you as a person, in your life right now.

Q (not really a question): You’re insane.

A: Just living my life the way I want to!

So with that, here is my list of things, as of September 6, 2010:

1. Netbook, Acer Aspire One 10.1″
2. Backpack, Patagonia
3. Journal, Moleskine
4. Art supplies (grouped as 1 item)
5. Books (grouped as 1 item)
6. Karate gis
7. Karate gear
8. Cell phone, Samsung
9. USB Flash Drive, PNY
10. CDs (grouped as 1 item, very few)
11. Headphones
12. Car, Silver, 2007 Honda Fit Sport
13. Mini karate gi (displayed inside car)
14. Sunglasses, Brown, Fossil
15. Gym bag, Pink, Adidas
16. Linen gym bag, Green
17. Wristlet, NY&Co.
18. Belt, Black, Express
19. Trench coat, Black, Banana Republic
20. Track jacket, Black, Adidas
21. Winter coat, The Gap
22. Peacoat, Cream
23. Pencil skirt, Gray, Banana Republic
24. Cardigan, Black, Banana Republic
25. Scarf, White, Liz Claiborne
26. Winter Cap, Black, Urban Outfitters
27. Earmuffs
28. Gloves, White
29. Gloves, Black
30. Heels, Black, Nine West
31. Boots, Black, Aerosoles
32. Sneakers, White, Puma
33. Vibram FiveFingers Classic, Black
34. Sandals, Brown, Abercrombie & Fitch
35. Eyeglasses, Guess
36. Underwear (grouped as 1 item)
37. Bras (grouped as 1 item)
38. Socks (grouped as 1 item)
39. Zip-up hoodie, ISKC
40. Bikini, Purple
41. Blouse, Fuschia, NY&Co.
42. Blouse, Black, H&M
43. Blouse, Blue, NY&Co.
44. Blouse, White, Banana Republic
45. Sweatpants, Gray, Hollister
46. Jeans, Abercrombie & Fitch
47. Khakis, Abercrombie & Fitch
48. Chinos, Gray, NY&Co.
49. Work out capris, Black, Adidas
50. Work out pants, Gray, Victoria’s Secret
51. Shirt, Black, Threads 4 Thought
52. Shirt, Teal, Under Armour
53. T-shirt, Gray, J.Crew
54. T-shirt, Blue, Lollapalooza
55. T-shirt, Natural, Overpacked
56. Shorts, Black
57. Shorts, Blue, Reebok
58. Polo, Turquoise, Roxy
59. Tank top, Green, Urban Outfitters
60. Tank top, Black, Victoria’s Secret
61. Dress, Gray
62. Dress, Gray
63. Dress, Teal, Old Navy
64. Dress, Black, Charlotte Russe
65. Dress pants, Tan, The Limited
66. Dress pants, Black, Banana Republic
67. Sweater, White, Express
68. Sweater, Red, Express
69. Sweater, Blue, The Gap
70. Sweater, Gray, Banana Republic

Owning 70 things in the whole wide world means I can travel with less, move with ease, and pack in a breeze. Just to demonstrate the simplicity of a move, I moved to my new apartment in Bucktown (neighborhood of Chicago) with just the things in my car. And there was still room in my car to fit a passenger in the front! Not to mention it’s a Honda Fit.

I don’t have to put excess things in storage, pay for storage, ship it around or lug it up and down the stairs. What I own is what I need. Nothing more.

If you’ve tried counting the things you own and started creating your own list, tell me, how many things do you own? Or if it’s too much to count now, what’s the ballpark figure? And more importantly, do you want to get it down to a more manageable amount of things? If so, great! I hope this post helps. If not and you think I’m nuts, even better! It just means I’m doing something different, something uncomfortable for most average consumers. By lessening my things, I free myself to simply enjoy life.

If this post has inspired you, please feel free to share with others! You can stay updated by subscribing to the or follow me on  and . Thanks and see you next time! :)