Could you whittle down your personal possessions to just 100 things?
Would you get rid of most of your jeans, sell your shoes or free yourself of furniture in order to live a simpler lifestyle?
It may sound like a steep challenge, especially in this material world, but that’s the personal goal adopted by blogger and former Chicago resident Dave Bruno. After much donating, auctioning and selling, Bruno said he can now fit his personal possessions — other than his car, office desk and items he shares with his wife and young daughters — into a closet.
His ultimate aim: to be down to 100 things by November — and to keep that number intact for at least a year.
After writing about his 100 Thing Challenge on his blog (guynameddave.com), people from across the country are considering joining in, said Bruno, who now lives in San Diego. Think it sounds easy?
The average person might have 100 items under his or her bed, let alone in his or her home, guessed Bruno, who also co-owns a Christian audio book publishing company.
“We live in a society that says it’s OK to over-consume,” Bruno, 36, said. “And I wanted to personally question that.”
Though Bruno’s challenge does not count food, perishable items, underwear or socks as individual items, he said he still has found it tough to get rid of extra dress shirts, shoes, tools and furnishings.
“My wife told me I need to kick it up a notch,” Bruno said, adding that his wife and young daughters are not participating in the purging, but he is encouraged by other Americans joining his initiative.
One convert is 36-year-old Barry Velasquez, who lives in Clovis, Calif.
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“I have too much stuff, and it kind of weighs me down,” Velasquez said. He, like Bruno, plans to give himself about a year to achieve the 100-things goal, having already compiled a list of must-haves including his wedding ring, laptop and bike. “If you go through my house, through the garage and my room, you see things laying around, cluttering the place — not to mention my life.”
Another 100 Thing Challenge supporter, St. Louis resident Janet Riehl, said she has been practicing simplicity her whole life. But Riehl, 59, said she is pleased to see it quantified and reaching the consciousness of mainstream society. Riehl, a writer and artist, has managed to live on $10,000-per-year for most of her adult life and has never been part of what she termed “consumer culture,” she said.
“What I admire about this effort is it forces us to think about our choices in a culture where people are consumer mad,” Riehl said of the challenge, adding that she is encouraged by others online who seem open to the challenge.
Bruno said he has received 50 supportive e-mails and approximately 200 comments on his blog.
“It wasn’t my intention to make this a movement, but it seems to have become that,” Bruno said. “But if what I am doing can make people think a little bit more about what they are buying and how much stuff they have, and maybe don’t need, that’s great.”
A host of TLC’s “Date My House” and former Chicagoan Nadia Geller said Bruno’s blog-based movement is particularly relevant as the economy declines in the U.S.
Geller, a 31-year-old interior decorator, said she has always championed “de-cluttering,” but now finds that more show guests, as well as personal friends, are willing to toss out personal possessions and slow down on buying new ones.
“Times are tough right now, and people feel like they need to downsize and live a little simpler,” Geller said. “We are now realizing that it no longer makes us feel better when we buy something new, especially if we can’t afford it. Gas is higher, food is more expensive and it’s not really a great time for over-consuming and having too many things.”
But for Joliet’s Teana Forrest, having only 100 things is as extreme as owning too many things. “I agree that you should buy in moderation, and I am not like some of my friends that go to the mall and can’t leave without buying something,” Forrest, 29, said when asked by RedEye whether she could pony up to the 100 Thing Challenge. “But there are certain things I like to have a lot of, like bed sheets. Lots of bed sheets.”
And shoes.
“As a woman, I could never limit myself to one pair of pants, one pair of shoes. Never,” Forrest said.
Oak Park’s John Tsakalakis seemed more open to the call to simplify his stuff, even citing the subversive “Fight Club” credo of character Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) not to allow your items to own you. But Tsakalakis, 35, balked at the idea of enumerating the amount.
“That I find ridiculous,” Tsakalakis said. “It’s a waste of time to count out 100 things. The way I see it, you should just have the items you absolutely want and need and actually use. Who’s to say how many things that adds up to?”
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TIPS FOR KICKINGOUT CLUTTER
Relax. Nobody’s asking you to downsize your life to exactly 100 things, but if you do want to de-clutter at least 25 percent of your stuff, a “Date My House” host and former Chicagoan Nadia Geller offers five tips to help you get started:
– Borrow books
Geller, 31, said she loves books, but has to keep the number she keeps at home in check. “You can do a lot of things online and reference things using the Internet,” Geller said. “Take books that you don’t use to the library and donate them. You can always go check them out if you miss them.”
– Ditch CDs
Download and back up music files from physical CDs, Geller advised. “Spend a day copying the files and then, donate the CDs,” Geller said. “You don’t need towers and racks filled with CDs.”
– Tackle tools
Put all the tools you use on a regular basis in a tackle box, Geller said, and then, rent the rest. “A lot of guys, especially, like to hold on to a bunch of power tools they don’t use,” Geller said. “You can usually rent those items at a home-improvement store if that big project comes along.”
– Scrap skinny jeans
“Chances are if you haven’t worn a certain outfit because it no longer fits and it’s been a year to four years, get rid of it,” Geller said, adding that such outfits might even be out of fashion by the time you shape up. “Go have it tailored if you really are dying to wear it,” Geller said. If they still don’t fit, you can donate clothes to shelters or sell them on sites including Craigslist, she suggested.
– Free your furniture
Got old furniture laying around and you don’t feel like having a garage sale? Give it all to the arts, Geller recommended. “Theater companies would love to have furniture for their sets,” Geller said. “For stuff like office supplies, I donate those to schools.”
– Kyra Kyles, redeye
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OUR 100
THINGS
If you are mulling your own 100 Thing Challenge, please note: You’re not exactly keeping it real if you categorize “clothes” and “shoes” as two items. But don’t fret. There are exceptions, according to blogger Dave Bruno’s 100 Thing criteria. He said food and frequently washed or replaced items (think underwear and socks), can count as categories rather than individual items.
“I don’t see those things as necessarily contributing to rampant consumerism,” said Bruno, citing dental floss, toothpaste and toilet tissue as examples of things that also aren’t included.
It’s still not easy to meet the challenge, as RedEye found out the hard way with its own 100 Thing list. We really had to cut back on clothes to get our gadgets in. Check it out.
1. Toothbrush
2. Comb
3. Brush
4. Sweater
5. Dress shoes
6. Gym shoes
7. Boots
8. Sandals
9. Umbrella
10. Windbreaker
11. Winter coat
12. CD
13. DVD
14. TV
15. Cell phone
16. Refrigerator
17. Stove
18. Microwave
19. Comforter
20. Bed sheets
21. Clock
22. Pillow
23. Winter hat
24. Winter gloves
25. Winter scarf
26. Dress pants or skirt
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27. Casual shirt #1
28. Casual shirt #2
29. Casual shirt #3
30. Casual pants #1
31. Casual pants #2
32. Casual pants #3
33. Jeans
34. Tie or shawl
35. Belt
36. Kitchenware
37. Bathroom towels
38. Home office desk
39. Home office chair
40. Liquor stash
41. Kitchen towels
42. Video game console
43. Mop
44. Dresser
45. Iron
46. Ironing board
47. Broom
48. Bucket
49. Glasses/contact lenses
50. Car
51. Washing machine
52. Personal music player
53. Home phone
54. Answering machine
55. Chair #1
56. Chair #2
57. Couch
58. Kitchen table
59. Kitchen chair #1
60. Kitchen chair #2
61. Kitchen chair #3
62. Kitchen chair #4
63. Suitcase
64. Purse or satchel
65. Wallet
66. Bathing suit
67. Tool box
68. Computer
69. Printer
70. Sporting equipment (bowling ball, running shoes, bike or golf clubs)
71. Book #1
72. Book #2
73. Photo album
74. Blender
75. Still camera
76. Video camera
77. Barbecue grill
78. Toaster
79. Shower cap
80. Makeup
81. Shower curtain
82. Underwear
83. Socks
84. Earring(s)
85. Hangers
86. Electric razor
87. Mirror
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88. Ring
89. Watch
90. Newspaper/magazine
91. Keys
92. Nightstand
93. Smoke alarm
94. Coffee-maker
95. Cell phone charger
96. DVD player
97. Blow dryer
98. Vacuum cleaner
99. Stereo
100. Coffee table