A day in the life - What do you need?

Forums: How Many Items, Reality Check
Email this Topic • Print this Page

A part of a short story I was reading talked about how the main character moved into her new place, and she unpacked a plate, a spoon, her parka, and so forth.

In the story, it was meant to be amusing, and it was.

It did make me wonder what I need to make it comfortably, but minimalistically through the day/night for a longish period of time. Looking at it as if I was the only one in the household (which I'm not alone).

Not to the point like I felt like I was making some politcal statement. More as in "It's just me, so who am I trying to impress?"

For this thought experiment, I set the following parameters.

The list would NOT include:
Medications
Utilities and other services like Netflix that are monthly expenditures
Car expenses, like gas, insurance
Health insurance
Phone service, cell or otherwise
Internet

Those are things you need, regardless, or are an ongoing source of news/entertainment etc. Sure, not technically need, but lets not be odd.

I also decided a typical day would involve going out into the world, for whatever reason, so would include all daily hygiene.

If for fun you'd like to make your list before reading on, to compare/contrast/comment on, stop reading here, and scroll down once you have your list.....

Very Happy

Ok.

I came up with 27 items.

It was both smaller and larger than I expected, in some strange way. I think I would have liked it if it was under 20.

What did you come up with?

1. Underpants
2. Bra
3. Some kind of top clothing
4. Some kind of bottom clothing
5. Pair of footwear (no socks for me thanks)
6. Shampoo (would also be used for body wash, and below, washing dishes)
7. Conditioner (not necessary, but one of the couple items I decided was desirable enough to include)
8. Comb (or brush, not both)
9. Antibacterial wipes (Not a necessity, but I like to use them before putting on deodorant)
10. Deodorant
11. Toilet paper
12. Tooth brush (manual or electric)
13. Toothpaste
14. Rubbing alcohol to clean toothbrush (yes, a necessity for me)
15. Artificial tears (didn't include in meds as it's not perscription, but I have dry eyes)
16. One towel for shower
17. One cup for all drinking
18. One bowl for all eating
19. One spoon for all eating
20. One knife for food prep and eating
21. Cutting board (not technically a necessity, but I decided it's worth it)
22. One washrag for cleaning dishes (using shampoo) or select a size paper towels, more sanitary.
23. Spatula for turning, stirring food while cooking
24. One pot OR one pan, can't decide which. Probably large dutch oven pot.
25. Paper coffee filter
26. Reading glasses
27. Clothes detergent.

Of course one would own more than one towel, or underwear of other clothes, but this is for the day.

Looking over the list, although mentally I like thinking I could do life under 20, I really can't see where I would cut anything out without lessening quality of life, and making it weird.

Did I leave something out?

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Discussion • Score: 5 • Views: 1,069 • Replies: 13

No top replies

@chai2,

you could replace a lot of your cleaning products (including personal) with combos of baking powder/vinegar/essential oil of your choice

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

Oh. I forgot about cleaning products.

Yeah, vinegar in a spray bottle is in big use at my house.
Also, I do use a bit of bleach in the toilet, along with comet. So I need to add to the list...

Spray bottle
toilet brush
vinegar
bleach
comet

That makes 32 items. Yikes, I'm a regular epitome of excess!

Not into essential oils. And baking soda for teeth is gross to me. I'll stick to my Colgate.

What about your list Beth? I'm curious.

1 Reply

I guess I’m the only weirdo that thinks about stuff like this.

0 Replies

Window curtains/blinds.

0 Replies

@chai2,

My big issue would be having enough warm weather gear. You need different boots for different kinds of snow so I'm pooched right away.

Actually weather gear all round is my issue. Raingear plus wintergear.

2 Replies

@ehBeth,

I was thinking (at first) that I could pick rain or snowgear, but there are days we need both.

0 Replies

@ehBeth,

Yeah it does depend on your climate. Plus most people have to account for clothes to work in, for most women makeup, if you need umbrellas and rain gear, etc.

When I totally stopped working in a professional capacity, for a good while there was a lot of closet space and drawers with a lot of work type clothes and shoes. I hadn’t thought that much about it, and didn’t ever even look at it. Then when my life settled into not needing clothes to “go out” in, I suddenly realized those things, even though I didn’t look at them, had some amount of power over me. The purge didn’t happen in one day, but it didn’t take that long. Maybe things I was able to toss into either a discard or donate pile. But there were certain items I couldn’t bring myself to deal with immediately. I like to be rational, but it really took some thinking to come to grips with the fact I had no need for some things.

Even now, I have 2 dress winter coats in my closet that I need to just give away. I bought and wore one for a February trip to New York ages ago. I’m not sure at all why I bought the other one. I seem to remember thinking I needed a nice winter coat to either wear to work or going out to a restaurant on a cold winter night.

I wore the first coat during the trip and maybe a couple of times afterwards, and I think I have worn the other one at the most 3 times. They both gotta go to someone who needs them.

I wouldn’t want to live with one spoon, or feel the need to wash dishes with shampoo. That was just a mind exercise. However, it does reinforce my overall desire to have less, and use what you’ve got. Having things on a shelf for the sake of filling space doesn’t appeal to me.

1 Reply

@chai2,

gotta have my Cuisinart and a rifle with a scope. Also LOTS of drawing supplis. THAT is not negotiable

1 Reply

@farmerman,

Deawing supplies for like plans and stuff? Yes you do need them. Plus the other items you mentioned.

Now we’re going past the game of what do you need to get by for the day, into what one personally needs to live a satisfying but not object filled life.

For me, the house in Mexico is my magnum opus. It would have been coming out so completely different if a actually lived there. I’m glad I don’t because every time I go/come back I get to step back and say “Enough, perfecto” or “now a need for this has opened up” and I can fill it without having to, or being able to rush out and mindlessly fill a void that isn’t even there.

1 Reply

@chai2,

I suppose I’m meaning, if right now, you could start fresh, a clean slate, what would you Allow into your life, rather than what would you fill it with?

I’m not talking bare walls and completely empty shelves.

I heard someone say about some sentimental item he couldn’t give up, but knew it would would be a bother to someone else if he was to suddenly die, and just get thrown out, that he just took a picture of it, and gave the object away.

I thought that was an elegant solution. I mean, it seems that purely sentimental items people have are many times just looked at, not picked up or touched. But in reality are just creating clutter. Getting in the way of what we do need or want there. Are we really enjoying having the physical thing there, or is it just out of guilt that “I can’t get rid of Aunt Edna’s whatsis. I really loved her. Would it deminish our love if we had some great pictures of it on our phone, and in the cloud, and gave the item to someone else, or god forbid, just plain got rid of it?

The ties are strong, and it can be painful to examine them and realize those ties don’t have to be strictly so tight.

1 Reply

@chai2,

I'm all about swapping lately. I knit. I knit a lot. The tools I use have changed over the years. I don't use straights anymore. Posted in a Bunz swap group asking if anyone wanted straights for teaching. Got a pile of responses. Swapped out 6 sets of giant straights plus about 40 patterns for one set of small dpns. Score. The other person got about $200 of gear. I got space and 1 set small needles I use. I'm getting ready to prepare the next swap package - more big straights and patterns for either small dpns or a jar of peanut butter. Going to a clothing swap again next weekend. Taking in things I don't use anymore but that are in great shape - hoping to find more tunics and wraps. I tend to take in about 20 pieces and bring home 5 or 6. At a swap two years ago, I got a lot of pink yarn as part of my pick-up stash - just in time to knit a stack of pussy hats to sell/donate for the marches. Another Bunz group - I swapped 14 pairs of shorts/capris that were too big for me for 14 transit tokens. Superwin on that. I love the swapping life.

A day in the life - What do you need?

Quick Links

My Account

able2know