Decluttering, downsizing, affluenza – words that most of us had never heard of, even a decade ago, are suddenly the catchcry of much of the Western world.
Why?? Because we have more ‘stuff’ than is good for us. Yet still we keep consuming. We need it………..or do we?
Think about what you really need.
organised castle 
Your photo should be enough to make people think. I agree, I never heard the terms decluttering or affluenza, As for downsizing, the word wasn’t used, but my grandparents sold their larger home for a small 900 sq ft home when their children were gone. They didn’t want to maintain a larger home when it was only them and me.
Wow, that’s a stunning and wrenching picture. It’s a great reminder to me of why I need to live more simply. I know this, and yet I still sometimes get caught up in spending so that my home is set up “just right” with everything I need (and plenty that I want as well). I have a lot less than others, but in terms of the developing world, I still have far, far too much.
It is a stark reminder that whilst inequalities will not be solved overnight, we can all do our bit by considering whether we really need something.
most people just want to get more stuff , why ? because they can ? because they feel they need it ? because they get pleasure from purchasing ? because it makes them feel better about themselves? to impress others ? I love this saying , most people spend money they don’t have on things they don’t need to impress people they don’t like. I’ve come across some of those people. I really work hard on purchasing just things we need now. come on how many clothes do we need, the list goes on and on …when we travelled around Australia for 6 months in a camper trailer, (darling partner, darling son and myself) we had only what we needed, because we didn’t have the space for nonessential’s and we did just fine didn’t even wear all the clothes I took with me … I wish more people would really ask them selves before purchasing more stuff, why am I buying this? do I really need this?
I think that saying sums up a lot of people.
Thank you for posting such a thought-inducing photo. A picture really can be worth a thousand words. Many people think they need so many things, but what they really “need” is to learn the difference between a need and a want. I get very frustrated sometimes with one of my DIL’s. Her and our son have two children 5 y/o L and 1 y/o A. We give homemade gifts for holidays and never once have I seen her use anything we’ve given, either for herself or the children. For her, if it doesn’t come from Old Navy, Porteous, etc it isn’t good enough.
I always think of one year in particular when their oldest (L) was very young, around 6 months old. I made him a quilt out of bright fabrics geared toward boys and I added countless hours of hand embroidery on it (his name, birthdate, parents names, etc) on top of hand-quilting the entire quilt. Not once did I ever see it being used and we live in a cold climate. Many times they’d be using a blanket, but it was always a “brand name” one. When L was 2 years old, I finally asked where it was. She said she “thought” it was packed in a box, but wasn’t sure where that box was, since they had just moved – she assured me she’d look for it. Of course, I gave it to L to be used, not to be in a box. I asked again about a year later and was told that it wasn’t really L’s style. Hmm, didn’t know that children that young had a “style”, nor that a quilt made by a loving grandmother could be out of style. When he was 3, I was babysitting him and he watched me knit mittens. He said he wanted some mittens and then picked out the yarn he wanted and was very excited and I figured it was good that he picked a color of wool that would match his jacket. By the time they picked him up that night, I had finished them and he was so proud to wear them home, showing all of us how they fit him. Over the next few visits, I noticed he never wore them back, so I asked him if he lost them and he said “Momma said no”. I said “Oh, mom said no you can’t wear them?” he shook his head yes. I asked her when she got here to pick him up, why he couldn’t wear his mittens and she said she preferred the ones he got from the store – that way he didn’t “look poor”!!!!!! I was flabbergasted! I’ve written all this out to get to my point. This same mother feeds her children a constant diet of ramen noodles, macaroni & cheese and fast food, never veggies, whole grains, etc. They need nutrition… but I guess that as they are eating their junk food, they look stylish and “cool”. 😦
It all comes down to priorities in people’s lives and what they deem to be important. We can’t change people, but we can make our own choices. I’d rather have less material things and more love and family around me. Other people might not choose the same. It’s a sad world that is looking more and more materialistically as time passes by.
I watch people shop for the holidays every year, worried about what they can’t find, the one item that their child/spouse, etc desperately wants… what about all the people who only want basic necessities? I always wonder how people think. Ok, sorry I’ve gone on so long about this, it just really touched me.
~Marie~