How Much Do We Really Need?

“What we really need to realize is how little we really need.”

That was a “Thought for Today” I posted this week.

How true is that?

When I was younger I was pretty much like every other human I knew: I wanted stuff. Then I wanted more stuff. And when I got tired of my stuff, I wanted new stuff.

Yes, I’m channeling my inner George Carlin here.

As I get older, I’m realizing that I really don’t need all this stuff. Do you need all of your stuff?

My wife and I were talking recently about how gift-giving has changed for us. Whenever I was trying to decide what I should buy for a birthday present or Christmas present I would usually try to think of what that person needed or wanted. However, as we get older, I’m noticing that when we need or want something…we go and buy it for ourselves. 

It’s never been easier. You need new socks? Just pull out your phone, open the Amazon app (or Walmart, Target or whatever you use), and you’ve got your socks! Sometimes the next day! You want a countertop ice machine? Bingo! Order placed. Here it comes! And since you’ve ordered that, you might also be interested in the home cotton candy maker! Who wouldn’t?

Seriously though, how much do we really need?

One morning I was staring at my closet trying to decide what to wear. I realized I’ve got a lot of shirts. I have t-shirts, polos, casual shirts, dress shirts, sweaters, and hoodies. Then I thought about how I hadn’t worn some of those shirts in a long time. That’s when I realized there must be a reason I pass by certain shirts every day. Maybe that reason is…I don’t really like it. Annndddd maybe it doesn’t fit me anymore. That’s a distinct possibility. 

Why do I still have it?

Well the short answer is, “It’s a perfectly good shirt! I can’t get rid of it.” That’s when I realized there might be someone else that would love this shirt.

My church has a thrift shop and it does really well. I’m learning that many young people are getting into thrifting as a way to save money. So I donated some of the clothes I don’t wear anymore. I try to do that every few months now.

How many shirts do you need? How many pairs of jeans? I’m not going to talk about shoes because some women (and men!) LOVE shoes. This coming from a guy who has three pairs of sneakers. Not one good pair and my lawn mowing sneakers. Three good pairs that I rotate.

Is your cellar, attic, garage or shed full of stuff? When was the last time you used some of it?

My wife and I have friends who have had their parents pass on recently. They are discovering their mom or dad had way too much stuff. A lifetime of things collected and stored away. It can turn into a nightmare for the family, especially if you’re only given so much time to clean everything out.

My wife is determined that we will not do that to our children. Every six months or so she goes into the attic and downsizes our stuff. We either give it away to someone that can use it, donate it or throw it away. And do you realize that in all the years she’s been doing this, I have never said, “I wish I still had that!” I used to have two big storage boxes of “stuff.” Now I’m down to one Rubbermade container.

In our kitchen we have a bread maker, a pasta maker, an ice cream maker and let’s not forget the fondue set. Are we ever going to use these things?

Yes, I realize this might be a difficult assignment for some people. 

My brother was a packrat who saved EVERYTHING. He had the bottle cap off the first beer he ever drank. He had every Sporting News newspaper from, I don’t know, 1971 maybe. I can understand saving a special paper. I still have the front page of the Boston Globe and Boston Herald from when the Red Sox FINALLY won a World Series. But every issue?

When my brother passed away, his daughters (my nieces),  were tasked with clearing everything out. One niece asked if I could help and look through some of the stuff. I agreed but I told her, “It ends with me. If I don’t want it, it gets tossed.” They were so overwhelmed they had no problem with that.

So if you’re entering the third or fourth quarter of the game of life, maybe think about the people that are going to have to clean out your “stuff” when you’re gone. Is it time to think about:

“What we really need to realize is how little we really need.”

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