Edited Lives

May 2, 2016May 2, 2016

The Unbearable Lightness of Tiny Living

Each week we are profiling real people who are editing their lives for more freedom and happiness. This week we hear from Jan, who lives in 98 sq ft tiny house. He shares his experience about the freedom of tiny, lightweight living as well as the difficulties of meshing different attitudes about stuff and space in relationships.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Jan. I am 45 and work as a photographer and videographer. I am separated with a 3-year-old boy.

My parents, both children in Germany during the WWII, instilled a non-consumptive, credit free life-style. They modeled buying quality over quantity and only paying cash for what you can afford.

Later, I backpacked for several years, and all through my twenties and early thirties never paid more than $100 rent per month. I learned to build and built my own shelter, or did work-trade for rent. For years I kept my possessions down to what would fit in the back of a small pick-up truck.

In my late thirties I fell in love with a beautiful woman who lived an unedited life. Stuff gave her a sense of security. Clutter was her art form. For six years and through the birth of our son, we tried to blend our lives, but could not. Accepting neither of us would change, I built a 6×9 foot shack in the backyard and moved out. We get on much better now.

What makes your life an ‘edited’ one?

I’ve always been self-employed, so I’m very aware how much effort it takes to earn each dollar. Not believing in credit, each purchase I make is a conscious decision. How much of my life does it take to afford this thing? I’m also aware how much effort is required to own stuff. Where to store it? How to store it? How to care for it? Unnecessary stuff and clutter simply makes my anxious. But that’s not to say I’m non-materialistic. I would argue that I’m hyper-materialistic. I love the look, feel and function of something well made that fits my life perfectly. A pair of shoes I wear every day. Two sharp kitchen knives. A bicycle. A camera. All these things, carefully chosen gives me great pleasure to buy and use daily.

How long have you been living this way, and do see yourself continuing to live this way?

I have always had a minimalist bent, but lately have been refining it with far more awareness. It merges many divergent interests, from macro and micro-economics, environmentalism, self-sufficiency, spirituality, design, art, parenting, and how we will make it as a species in a shrinking world. Presently, how I live is a personal choice. In the future that choice may be forced upon us.

What are the biggest advantages of living this way?

A profound sense of lightness in the world. Every time I discover a way to live more essentially, I feel a surge of freedom. When I refine an elegant solution to a vexing problem, I gain great pleasure each time I engage with that solution. Something as basic as placing a hook into a wall so I can hang my bag and not trip over it on the floor. Or building a composting toilet for a few dollars and taking personal responsibility for my own waste. Or lying in bed at night in a loft that fits me just so. Watching the moon rise and stars turn because I deliberately placed the windows in these precise locations. Or each month doing my bookkeeping and seeing my savings increase to a point where I could live comfortably without working for a few years. And not because I earn a lot of money, but because I have learned how to spend wisely.

What are the biggest challenges?

Trying to meld a minimalist lifestyle with someone who does not share the same interest. It is an exercise in futility and frustration. I had to learn to accept that I can neither change someone else’s life nor repress my own nature.

For families, how has this lifestyle affected the other members of your family?

Thankfully I have a young son who stops me from getting too anal. He helped build the shack and feels it is his as much as mine. He comes and goes as he pleases with his toys, muddy shoes and dirty fingers. I let him climb up ladders, on counters, light stoves, play with tools and knives, and in doing he learns respect, consequence and body awareness. He teaches me to let go and lighten up. If he breaks something we fix it together. If he gets something dirty, we clean together. After all, it’s just stuff. What’s essential is the respect between us.

In terms of partnerships, I think a minimalist lifestyle only works both partners already live this way. I also strongly believe in a shack of ones own. My home only cost me $5000 and three months of work. I’d rather help build a partner their own home than try to blend two incompatible lifestyles together.

What is the number one suggestion you’d give to someone looking edit their lives?

Read the book “Your Money or Your Life” by Vicki Robins.

What item(s) have made your lifestyle easier?

A good bicycle, good tools, a few comfortable clothes that fit well and can be worn in different settings.

Do you have any design or architectural suggestions derived from your lifestyle?

Consider curved rafters. That simple architectural detail made all the difference in turning my loft from a cramped triangle into a spacious cocoon.

This post was originally published November 28, 2012.

June 12, 2015June 11, 2015

Woman Plunges into Deep End of Downsizing

I stood staring at three framed documents: My veterinary school diploma, the certificate that acknowledges the completion of my residency and my board certification in small animal internal medicine. What was I going to do with them? I am nearing the end of a two year process of radical downsizing, starting as a big old house person, and now living in the smallest space of my life.

In the Beginning

The process really started in 2007 when I moved from upstate New York to Seattle. The two homes I had owned were a 1890’s Queen Anne, and a 1920’s colonial. As a lover of old homes I had collected a large amount of antiques, many of which I had restored myself and those countless hours made them feel like a part of me.

I knew I would never be able to afford the same size and style of homes in Seattle, and the cost of the moving truck had to be considered. It was initially a painful process to part with things that I had put so much sweat equity into, but it started to get easier as the moving date arrived and the need to clear the house was immediate. The majority of the antiques were sold, with only a couple of pieces with strong sentimental value retained.

A New Life and a Different Perspective

Despite liquidating rooms of furniture, I filled a rented two bedroom apartment to the brim, with barely any space to move around. Once I found a condo to buy, I purged even more items to lessen the clutter and I had created some space which felt good. I had gone from 2300 sf to 1200 sf, but was starting to realize it was still fairly large for a single person.

Things changed in 2013 when I accepted a job that allowed me to work from home and have more free time. I also now had the freedom to choose to live wherever I wanted, which was closer to the marina. I had learned to sail since coming to Seattle and I was hooked. Moving into the city from the suburbs presented new challenges in affordability, and again a downsize was in order. There were more trips to Goodwill, items gifted to friends, shelves of CDs converted to digital music, and boxes of books donated. Parting with possessions had gotten a little easier, and living without as much clutter felt better. I was down to 1000 square feet.

I never thought that I would be buying my own little sailboat, but within a year of the move, I did. I had been in a sailing club and chartered, which had been perfect for my needs. I loved overnight and multi-day trips, and now that I was so near the water all the time, the need to have my own was intense. The deal I made with myself was that I needed to make room in the budget for moorage, so that moorage and rent were no more than my current rent.

Apparently another downsize was in order and I found a 350 sf studio. I had some tough decisions to make. A family antique radio cabinet and an old barristers bookcase were placed with good friends. Couch, loveseat, patio and dining furniture were given away. Clothing and shoes had become very easy to pare down, but books were always far harder to let go, but I did it.

Unplanned and the Biggest Change Yet

I loved my little studio, and I would have stayed there, but I liked my 32′ boat better. I found myself staying there more and more nights, and working there during the day. I didn’t want to go back to my comfortable studio. I preferred sleeping nestled in my cozy V-berth, even with the inconveniences that come with living on a boat. I was essentially living aboard, but with the safety net of a place on land which contained the last of my “stuff”. It didn’t make sense to pay for an apartment I wasn’t living in–it had to go.

I am now down to less than 200 square feet with a 4′ x 4.5′ rented storage unit for boat related items, off season clothing, and some textbooks. The loss of my safety net is frightening, a little bit like a free fall, but at the same time it is exhilarating.

If I am very straight with myself, the diplomas and yearbooks serve no real purpose. When you live on a small boat, every item needs to have multiple uses and take up minimal space. Diplomas, yearbooks and old photos can be scanned.

I am more mobile and more free than I have ever been, and that is what I need to focus on. Yes, I’m walking into the unknown, but it is definitely not going to be boring.

Dana Brooks is an adventurer, veterinarian, sailor and cat-lover. You can find out more about her, her adventures, her boat and her cat at tinysails.com

May 13, 2015May 13, 2015

Life is Either a Great Adventure or…You Know

When’s the last time you had a good adventure? Seen new places, met new people, encountered new situations? For some, it might be a recent occurrence, but the rest of us are clearing out the cobwebs of our minds to recall an answer. Now imagine a life where adventure was a given–where your life was a succession of new experiences, new people, all punctuated by rewarding work. This latter life is the one William Thomson and his family appear to be living. This last March, the family of three put their lives in a camper van to tour the British coastline, running a business that makes special tidal flow charts for coastlines around the world.

The journey actually began with the charts, which were inspired by the misunderstandings that his parents and many others have about how tides work. Thomson told me, “My parents were paranoid the tide would drag us out to sea. My training with the RNLI [Royal National Lifeboat Institution, where he had previously volunteered] taught me this is not true: instead the tide will take you along the coast.” He wanted to create an alternative to the complicated nautical charts and tidal stream atlases that were the main educational resources available.

An architectural graduate, Thomson set about using his skills in design and the presentation of information to create simple images that convey tidal data, providing sea safety knowledge for swimmers, sailors, kayakers, paddle boarders, wind and kite surfers and scuba-divers.

Thomson had already made about 75 charts for various British locales when the idea occurred to him that he could visits the locations, selling the charts along the way. The remainder of the business he could run off his laptop and a wifi hotspot. The family sold their 1986 Land Rover Defender 90 and picked up a 2006 Vauxhall Movano van, spending a couple months converting its six meter interior into a livable space for his girlfriend, their six month old daughter and their water spaniel Alfie.

Thomson reports that life is not all fun and games–though it is largely fun and games. In one blog post, Thomson goes through a typical day, which involves around three hours of work in the morning. After work, there’s about six hours of hanging out outside–fishing, surfing, paddleboarding and the like–followed by another three hours of family time. Thomson also has a night shift after the baby is asleep.

Life does present some challenges, though none bigger than more conventional living situations. Until a recent addition of a water meter, they kept running out of water. Following the meter, they were better able to track and conserve, allowing the four of them to live on a scant 10 liters of water a day (the average American uses around 300-380 liters/day). They refill their 70 liter tank at their once-a-week paid campground visits.

William also told me their particular situation has a number of logistical considerations: “Finding somewhere to park where I have wifi to work, where we can wild camp without annoying someone, somewhere we can walk the dog, get into town to visit the galleries, and then find time to have some fun (surfing, swimming, paddle boarding). It does feel like a juggling act.” But overall he says he loves living simply in their camping style and consuming very few resources.

Thomson told us that they plan to keep on going until their daughter reaches school age, which isn’t for another four years. They have plans to chart the coasts Scandinavia, the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, and hope to visit/live in some of these places before settling down (at least for the school year. He sees summers spent on the road).

And if you’re wondering, like I was, what they’ll do when the weather turns cold, Thomson said they plan to head to Portugal, where the winters are mild.

Thomson said there are many benefits to their situations, “We’re outdoors all the time, we’re not wasting money on rent, our micro house is light, airy, with everything we need and nothing we don’t, the view from my design studio is always awesome and always changing, we’re visiting new places every day which is very exciting and the business is thriving!”

Check out more at Tidalcompass.com

December 16, 2014

The Most Interesting Minimalist in the World

Last week, one of our regular readers, Tim Domenico, posted a comment to the story about a tiny house made from the ruins of the Christchurch NZ earthquake. He revealed in the comment that he is a 55 year-old retiree who got there by economizing his life in a rigorous fashion and removing any trace of waste from the things he uses and buys. He explained how his extreme energy conservation was a vestige of his time living in a bus that had been converted to an RV. “I had to refill propane tanks on a regular basis and had to haul water to take a shower…[which] taught me how a man with short hair can take a comfortable shower with about 3 gallons of water and I recently learned I can take a thorough sponge bath with less than three quarts of water.”

The specificity of consumption habits piqued my interest and I contacted Tim to find our more. When he replied, I found a master at the art of thrift and living a lightweight, adventure-filled life that trades stuff and luxury for mobility and freedom.

He started to explain his lifestyle in what appears to be one of his common moments of candor. “I’ve lived a minimalist life style to avoid having to pay dishonest women money.” A divorce when he was only 19 forced him to send most of his money to his ex, and he saw little motivation to make a ton of money.

His thrift and subsequent minimalist living allowed him to engage in some incredible adventures. “From skydiving off El Capitan in Yosemite (twice) to spending three weeks in New Zealand working on-camera for a Pepsi project. For three years I traveled around the World paragliding and writing about it (published monthly the entire time)…and many dozens of other adventures too numerous to mention.”

His choice of housing reads like an adventure log as well. He’s lived in a van, a over-the-road bus converted into an RV, a Class C RV (twice), a 28 foot boat, a 32 foot boat, a 22 foot sail boat in a $50 a month slip (during the 90s), a mini van and a full size van (again).

He’s also lived in more conventional settings. He had a “2700 sq ft suburban home with two Mercedes in the driveway (when I opened a software start-up back in the 80s).” However, he does not speak fondly of these times when he was successful in the more conventional sense of the word. “The happiest times of my life is when I had the least and was making my life full by pursuing adventure after adventure.” He said, “I know that when I was at my unhappiest was when I supposedly had it all.”

Tim has settled down in Pueblo, CO, a place he claims “is on more than one list of the cheapest cities to live in.” He said he paid around $14K four years ago for his 900 sq ft home and pays “about $135-$160 a month for utilities including Internet, entertainment, water, power, and gas, even taxes [the latter being a mere $100/year].” He thinks he could probably cover overhead by panhandling if necessary.

He has invested in a number of energy-saving tools to keep things so cheap. “95% of the lights in my home (CFL and LED’s) are either on night/day solar cells or on remote and/or computer controls,” he wrote us. “I can turn nearly every light in my home on (or off) with a single button push in my office. When I push OFF it shuts down all the lights plus my furnace, a cooling fan and my evaporative cooler, everything except the outside security lights.”

Security does appear to be one of the costs of Tim’s lower-than-low overhead lifestyle. “Since I’ve moved in I’ve had to deal with nine (three when I bought it) broken windows. I’ve had one attempted burglary and my van has been vandalized four times with graffiti. Two weeks ago there was a gang killing on the other side of town and two years ago someone was murdered less than three blocks from here.”

Predictably, Tim created a low-cost security system to deal with threats. If tripped, the system sets off flashing lights, sounds a loud horn in his house and dials his cell phone (and up to three more programmable numbers if he doesn’t answer). “No place is perfect but I’ve decided the negatives are worth how cheap it is to live here.”

Tim’s life is relatively quiet nowadays. He claims to spend 95% of his time at home, where there is an 1100 watt stereo system and an eight screen entertainment system, which he claims keeps his “AADD in check without meds.”

“Although it may be a cliché the Internet keeps my life very full,” he wrote us. “From messaging with my best drinking buddy every evening to watching some of my favorite movies like the Rocketeer on Netflix and listening to my favorite music on Pandora. I also use Google Voice Command to search the Internet and Skype to talk to my best friend in China on a regular basis. With all the World at my fingertips and unlimited entertainment I am never bored.”

While Tim’s style–and location–of living might not be everyone’s cup of tea, he can surely teach us all many things. We often buy things that bring very little value to our lives. We often use far more resources than we need. The consequences can be huge: living to work rather than working to live, using valuable natural resources and worst of all, missing out on life.

September 10, 2013September 10, 2013

Compact, Transforming Apartment on a Budget

When many of us see Graham Hill’s LifeEdited apartment, we see expensive custom cabinetry and moving walls and perhaps think, “I can’t afford that?” We at LifeEdited think we have some solid arguments for investing in transforming furniture and custom flourishes; and we’re trying out damnedest to help build larger developments where we can achieve the economies of scale that will make our design technology affordable to large swaths of the population. That said, we understand that many–perhaps most–people don’t have the kinda dough necessary to buy all of that stuff, much less put it in a rental apartment.

The question, “What does a renter on a limited budget do if he or she wants a LifeEdited apartment?” is a fine and vexing one. Southern Californian Nick Gebhardt has one of the better answers to this question that we’ve seen.

Gebhard put together an apartment that has much of the functionality of the LifeEdited apartment at a decidedly more affordable price-point. Moreover, all of his furniture can be transferred to future apartments.

The rental apartment that Gebhard shares with his spouse is actually a one bedroom, but he makes the living room into a second bedroom by using a murphy bed from Murphydeskbeds.com. Because of the high clearance of the bed, he can slip a low profile sofa on the frontside of the bed, making a sorta hacked version of the Resource Furniture Swing. Storage is handled by several IKEA Pax storage units. There is a smattering of other IKEA furniture such as the Laver chairs, which stow away when not in use.

The proper bedroom contains a trundle bed, which acts as a couch and provides sleeping accommodation for two more. That room also contains a large TV and entertainment system.

Gebhardt says the whole project set him back about $10K…slightly less expensive than the LifeEdited apartment. See his far more colorful description of the project called “Design an Easier Life” at his website Thastruggle.com.

Major props to Gebhardt for taking on an edited life with such commitment and proving that a smart, compact home is accessible to anyone. And many thanks for sharing it with our readers.

September 5, 2013September 5, 2013

5 Tips for Breaking Up With Your Stuff

My wife and I are in the final phase of purchasing a home in Brooklyn, NY. In true LifeEdited spirit, the apartment is on the cozy side. The realtors call it 675 sq ft, but our tape measure says something quite smaller. In this space will live two work-from-home adults and one plays-from-home one-year-old boy. We chose the place for a number of reasons. It has a flexible square floor-plan (we’ll keep you posted on designs). It’s in a charming building filled with other young families. It’s near many of our friends. But the main reason is its location: it’s directly across the street from Prospect Park and in a very good school district.

Our little space requires all fat be trimmed from our lives–there is no room for backups or also-ran stuff. Our current place has ample closets and room for unused phones, computers, vases, photos, purses, etc. Our new place will have storage for what we love, need and use and not much more. In preparation for this new, leaner life, my wife and I spent the weekend editing our lives.

We always knew that our current home would be more pitstop than final destination, so we never fully unpacked, and many of the items considered this weekend were things that had been boxed up for the last year. Similar to Graham Hill’s 2011 TED talk, the question that kept creeping up was, “What’s in the box?” Not “what’s in the box” literally–we labeled them pretty well–but “what’s in the box” that’s so important that we can live a year (and often longer) without?

You’d think that things we hadn’t used in a year or more would be easy to get rid of–particularly for a guy who’s job is to promote the “luxury of less” and his wife who has strong minimalist leanings. You’d think we would edit with abandon. You’d be mistaken.

Weaving through years of accumulated objects brought up fond memories and appreciation for objects we once cared enough to bring into our lives. Gifts from loved ones. Pieces of art that we were either given, bought or made. Cherished books. Framed photos we no longer had the wall space to hang. Objects that were sure to be collectible one day like my first generation iPhone. Sports equipment I’d been holding onto for years, sure that I would eventually use it. But would I really? When? Most of these things made the chopping block and it wasn’t easy.

There were also tinges of regret–all of the things we now realize were far from necessary: that second water pitcher, that $1K watch–expensive things that we will attempt to sell on eBay or Craigslist for a fraction of their purchase price. We wondered if maybe we shouldn’t have got them in the first place?

Whether conscious of it or not, I wondered if this emotional process was the reason many people don’t downsize? Might the prospect of getting rid of stuff be enough to stay in a too large home or live in a less-than-ideal neighborhood?

If you are considering downsizing or just editing your life, here are several valuable lessons–both practical and emotional–I learned this weekend editing our stuff:

Ebay is great for smaller, commodity items. I actually sold $600 worth of stuff this weekend, but it was name brand stuff (old phones, bike components, watches, etc.). No-name stuff hasn’t really moved.
Etsy is best for selling curios, handmade art and other non-commodity stuff. My wife sold a miniature dollhouse couch on Etsy, which she never thought would move. If you have weird stuff, Etsy might have a weird buyer.
Craigslist is good for the big stuff like furniture, but our experience is that people want deals. Also, the bigger stuff might take more time, so you need to stay on top of it. More tips here.
Editing might be a little painful, but that’s okay. Comfort is not needed. As Graham Hill says, “edit ruthlessly.” In many ways, getting rid of stuff is like breaking off a relationship. If it’s a horrible relationship, ending it can be easy. But most relationships, like most stuff, have some elements that work and others that don’t, and the prospect of letting go of the things that do work can overshadow the preponderance of things that don’t. If you’ve made a decision to let go of something, stay firm in your decision, despite discomfort, and edit away.
Focus on the other side. Many of the intellectual arguments for editing your life–less to deal with, store, clean, etc.–get lost when presented with a potential emotional loss. Try to create a stronger emotional connection to the other side. We are editing our lives because it allows us to move into a clean, amazing, albeit small, apartment in a neighborhood we couldn’t have otherwise afforded. We visualized a life where our son could hop over to the park on a moment’s notice; where we could walk to our friend’s houses; where we could reunite with our beloved Park Slope Coop (don’t believe the slander–it’s the best); where we would be living within our financial means and not have to stress out about high mortgage payments. Connecting emotionally to this vision proved far more powerful than a pro/con balance sheet of why we should hold onto the cheese knives.

August 1, 2013August 1, 2013

Real World Micro Living

We are design wonks here at LifeEdited. We swoon at Parisian micro flats with experimental lighting schemes, lust over obtuse Japanese rental properties and dig all–well, “many”–varieties of experimental architecture and design. But we also know these things cost money to build; in fact, several of the most innovative small space designs we’ve seen are a rich client’s pied-à-terre. Concocting and consummating many of these designs also take time and attention some of us would rather direct elsewhere.

While furnishing, renovating and improving small spaces does take less money and attention because of their sizes, the fact is that for many of us, living in a simple unadorned, straightforward, un-renovated, inexpensive home is the essence of living an edited life.

To illustrate, we wanted to share reader Marya’s small Florida home. Here’s how she describes her it:

I live in one large room which serves as office, sleeping area, kitchen, and small sitting space. There’s a divider to separate off my bed from the rest of the room; it has bookshelves on one side and clothes closets on the other. My bathroom has a stall shower and a stacked washer/dryer. The kitchen area has under-counter fridge and freezer, 2-plate stove top, and a few built-in cupboards. I have a minimum of pots, pans, dishes but can entertain 4 people comfortably for dinner.

Marya’s home features virtually no architectural distinction excepting a screened-in porch. Most of the furniture was purchased at K Mart, she reports. Yet this is an edited home.

She occupies as much room as she, her two cats and one dog use. She lives with what she needs (the boxes and books are related to her work as a writer/publisher). She owns the place outright, paying only $350/month in condo fees, which include water, lawn, pool maintenance and any exterior structural maintenance. She describes this low financial and logistic overhead life as being “much simpler than when [she] had a ‘proper’ house,'” and that her current setup “gives [her] time to read and write and think.” As we read yesterday, isn’t that what most of us are striving for anyway?

The reason we say this is an edited home is because she lives an edited life–in other words, architecture and design didn’t strike her life simple.

It’s true that we appreciate high design. And we do believe design can solve some technical and–let’s face it–aesthetic challenges. But to suppose that design is the end of the story misses the mark. Doing more with less is something anyone can do, in any financial circumstance, with any furniture or aesthetic, in most any space (we’re not sure about this one). Thank you Marya for the reminder.

December 19, 2012August 23, 2013

Last Minute Gift Idea: Pooling Resources for Getaway

Today’s guest post is from Christine Hsu, a San Francisco-based organizational consultant (more info at Organized by Christine). She gives a great last-minute (or future) gift-giving idea for families who feel overwhelmed by the idea of finding the right gift. By focusing on experiences, not stuff, Christine shows how families can save time, stress and money while forging deeper connections with one another.

In years past, I dreaded buying Christmas gifts for my husband’s parents and his brother and sister-in-law, all of whom live nearby.

Getting gifts for my niece and nephews was a no brainer. It was the adults that posed the challenge. My husband and I never knew what to get them. They already had everything they needed!

We didn’t want anything from them either. All three households were forever trying to get rid of STUFF, not accumulate it. We all felt like we had too much stuff as it was.

Worse yet, the time we spent trying to find that perfect gift was stressful and agonizing.

Last year, I wanted to do something different, but I was hesitant. Who was I, the newest member of their family, to suggest that we stop what had been a long time family tradition?

Then I read a NY Times article entitled “But Will It Make You Happy?” which stated:

Current research suggests that, unlike consumption of material goods, spending on leisure and services typically strengthens social bonds, which in turn helps amplify happiness.

And that got me thinking…

Rather than six adults spending up to $100 on each person, why not pool our money together and go away during the holidays on a family retreat? We would be giving each other the gift of quality time together and great memories that will last forever. What could be better?

Not knowing how the family would react, I ran the idea by my husband first. His initial response, “I’m not sure…”, wasn’t too promising. So I decided against sending out a group email to avoid giving anyone an opportunity to shoot me down too soon. Instead, I reached out to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law first and included the link to the NY Times article to make my case. With their buy-in, I figured we could persuade the parents should they resist for whatever reason.

As it turns out, my “divide and conquer” strategy wasn’t necessary. Not only did everyone love the idea, they were as relieved as I was at the prospect of not having to look for gifts that none of us needed, thankful at not having to accumulate more stuff in our respective homes, and excited to be going away on a family trip!

We found a beach house rental on VRBO [Vacation Rentals by Owner] within driving distance that had no Internet and no TV (imagine that). We stole away for 3 days and 2 nights over the holidays. We cooked together, cleaned together, played games together, worked on puzzles together and just hung out and spent quality time like we never had before. In fact, we had such a wonderful time that we are doing it again this year and have made it a (new!) family tradition.

The idea of forgoing Christmas gifts with the adults in my husband’s family and spending quality time together on a getaway trip instead–for the rest of our lives–just thrills me to pieces. “No more exchanging gifts, promise?!” I asked last year, in disbelief that this was really happening. “We promise!” they exclaimed. And so it is.

I feel so strongly about life editing that I started a home organization business in the San Francisco Bay Area to help other people lead happier and more productive lives. I’d love to share my story. 🙂

In addition to her home organization business, Christine is also the founder of ORIENTED.COM, the largest network of its kind worldwide for international professionals interested in Asian business and partnerships.

www.ChristineHsu.com

www.OrganizedByChristine.com

December 5, 2012August 23, 2013

Collector of Moments Has Lots of Storage Space

Each week we are profiling real people who are editing their lives for more freedom and happiness. This week we hear from Lucy, a grad student and an active proponent of a new, sharing-based economy and showing how we can all do and live more with less stuff.

Tell us about yourself

I am a 21 year old business school graduate from Toronto, Canada. I work at a Canadian telecom company and for a start-up organization called Unstash, a peer-to-peer platform for collaborative consumption. I am a strong believer in creating social change through sharing and collaborative living.

What makes your life an ‘edited’ one?

I don’t feel the need to be obsessed with stuff anymore. I used to be a mindless shopper, but then I learned about access over ownership, the idea that we don’t need to own everything, in fact, we don’t need stuff, we need the utility it provides. If we can get that utility through sharing, we can also save money, create less waste, deepen our relationships and live happier lives.

Before, I used to dream of having a large library filled with books. But during my editing, I realized that a book sitting idle on a shelf has no purpose. I thought to myself, do I really need to own this book when it’s available to me at any time from the library? This prompted me to donate over 40 books to my local library. I felt great knowing each book could get maximum utilization as more people now had access to them, allowing their content to be constantly shared.

unstash-manifesto — the Unstash Manifesto

Now, before I buy anything, I think to myself, do I really need this? Can I borrow it from someone else? For example, I borrowed a Halloween costume from a friend rather than buying one that I would only use once. And on the flip side, I am always open to lend or give my things to others. Sharing is a part of my life editing. Once I gather all the things that I can go without, I ask friends if they need any of the stuff I no longer need. I have given a dress to a friend who was looking for one to wear for her birthday. I gave away a large stack of post-its to a friend who uses them to organize her files. These actions allow me to share something that’s not useful to me with someone who needs them.

How long have you been living this way, and do see yourself continuing to live this way?

I started living this way in May of this year. I had watched the Ted Talks of Rachel Botsman and Graham Hill, where I began to learn about collaborative consumption and living minimally, namely, less stuff = more happiness. The ideas made a lot of sense to me, and I will definitely continue to live this way. Living an edited life is practical, efficient and a smarter way to live.

What are the biggest advantages of living this way?

The biggest advantage of living this way is being able to focus on experiences rather than things. I’m able to spend money I’ve saved on a night out with friends or on a memorable trip. I feel like I can spend my time on what really matters to me–with friends, family and doing things that make me happy. The less we are consumed with the stuff we own, the more time we have to collect those moments in life that really matter to us.

What are the biggest challenges?

For me, the biggest challenge is trying to explain the concept of sharing and minimal living to friends and family who don’t grasp the idea and label it as hippie, backwards thinking, or just a fad.

Do you think you could maintain this lifestyle with a family?

Definitely. With more stuff, there’s an even greater need for less clutter. There’s also a lot of stuff that can be shared when you have a family, like children’s clothes and toys.

What is the number one suggestion you’d give to someone looking edit their lives?

Start editing right away, even if it’s just a few things. Go through those old filing cabinets, closets and storage boxes. Once you actually get rid of stuff, you will feel amazing. That feeling will prompt you to continue editing and move towards a life edited lifestyle.

What item(s) have made your lifestyle easier?

My laptop and my smartphone, which include lots of easy-to-use apps like Airbnb and Orchestra. Everything is digitized, centralized and customized for my needs. Oh, and my library card 🙂

Do you have any design or architectural suggestions derived from your lifestyle?

Don’t buy a huge bookshelf or lots of storage because you will want to fill it and might end up hoarding or buying stuff just to fill those empty shelves or boxes.

Anything else?

Check out Unstash, a mobile app for life editing. Our belief is that every social circle has a huge overlap in consumer goods that don’t all need to be purchased, owned and maintained by every individual. We enhance the sharing experience, while helping people save money, deepen relationships and create a more sustainable future together.

Check out Unstahs’ blog as well as my personal blog, collaborativeliving.wordpress.com, where I write about anything collaborative that inspires me.

November 22, 2012June 27, 2013

Man Goes Into Deep End in Quest to Edit Life

Each week we are profiling real people who are editing their lives for more freedom and happiness. This week we hear from Mike, who is giving up his spacious Bath, England flat to live out his dream, living aboard a 42 ft “Gentleman Cruiser” motorboat, while creating a simpler, more financially sane life.

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Mike. I’m 52. I work as an IT consultant, part time film extra (you can see me briefly in Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix) and occasional performance artist (Captain Teapot, I took part in a project on the empty plinth in Trafalgar Square in 2009). I’m single and currently living in the UK in the Georgian city of Bath.

What makes your life an ‘edited’ one?

My life is becoming an edited one due to my imminent move from a large apartment in Bath, ceiling heights nearly 12 ft, living room and bedrooms are both 18 ft x 14 ft, built in the late 1700’s. I’m moving to London and I’ll be living on a motorboat that is only 42 ft x 12 ft with a ceiling height of 6 ft. There is no room for freestanding furniture, but there is some built in furniture, a table and 3 bunks and of course a shower and galley kitchen.

living rooms now and later

How long have you been living this way, and do see yourself continuing to live this way?

I’ve been living in houses and apartments all of my life. I’ve never lived on a boat before, but have sailed a little. I see my move to the boat as a long term one, perhaps a permanent one. It was motivated by a long held dream of a life afloat and by the fact that property prices in the UK are too high.

What are the biggest advantages of living this way?

Advantages are more money and time, as most of my work in the past has been in central London I’ll be able commute using public transport and on good days I’ll be able to walk to work.

What are the biggest challenges?

The biggest challenges are the reduced space, plumbing aboard a boat is not as straightforward as it is in an apartment, water has to be pumped aboard. Also I’ll probably have to move the boat on a regular basis, residential moorings in London are difficult to find so I’ll have to relocate every few months for a while until I can find one..

Do you think you could maintain this lifestyle with a family?

It could be done with a family, but I’d need a bigger boat.

What is the number one suggestion you’d give to someone looking edit their lives?

Look carefully at what you think you need. If its been sitting in a box out of sight for years, you don’t need it. I had many items that belonged to my youngest brother who died several years ago, a castle and soldiers I bought him for Christmas when he was 8 years old, and some of his personal items. I was keeping them for sentimental reasons but realised that he wasn’t in them. He’s in my heart, in me and always will be. The things are ultimately not important and now someone else can enjoy them. Items that belonged to him I gave to local charity shops and I had a home sale that enabled me to sell most of the furniture and other items I’ve accumulated over the years and a poster for the film ‘Charade’ has gone to an auction in London.

What item(s) have made your lifestyle easier?

A computer has made a big difference, CD’s, DVD’s and even books are no longer neccessary now that they can be stored on a laptop that fits into a small bag. Also the fact that I’m currently single has helped. I’m the only one that I have to consider, it wouldn’t be quite so easy with a partner or family.

Do you have any design or architectural suggestions derived from your lifestyle?

A boat is made for a purpose, size is limited and there’s a purity to it that I like, also there is a little romance about life on a boat. I intend to do a little work to her and will have good quality fabrics etc on board and I can do that because the boat is small. I’ve lived in many different places over the years but could never afford to decorate them properly, corners were cut and the sheer size of the places meant that decorating was almost a never ending task. With the boat I can decorate easily and afford to do it well.

Anything else?

If your looking for boats for sale in the UK www.apolloduck.com. For information about moorings www.bwml.co.uk.