It’s been several years since we eliminated most of our possessions and moved into an RV, and later, a boat. Becoming a minimalist and living with fewer things wasn’t a planned goal — it evolved naturally as our lifestyle changed.
When we sold our house and moved into an RV, we had to part with a large portion of our belongings to fit into a much smaller space. We gave many items to family members, let neighbors take whatever they wanted, and arranged a large pickup with a local charity. We didn’t sell most of our items; instead, we passed them on to others who could use them.
I recognize some people might think it was odd not to sell anything, but that’s not the point here. The takeaway is that living with less is possible. There’s already so much waste in the world — and now that we’re sailing, we see a lot of it in the water, which is disheartening.
Living on a sailboat requires an even more pared-down lifestyle than living in an RV. Our boat is slightly larger than the RV we once owned, yet it offers less storage, so we had to downsize further when we switched homes.
Living on a boat or in an RV might not be typical, but neither is choosing to own fewer things. In a conventional home, it’s easy to accumulate possessions simply because there’s room to store them. Over time, average home sizes have grown significantly — for example, the typical home in the mid-20th century was under 1,000 square feet, while recent averages exceed 2,400 square feet.
We once lived in houses around those sizes — a 2,500-square-foot home in the St. Louis area (including the finished basement) and a slightly over 2,000-square-foot home in Colorado. Still, we decided to go against the grain and downsize our lives drastically.
Here are some telling statistics that show how much stuff people typically accumulate:
- The average American discards roughly 80 pounds of clothing each year.
- A typical home contains an estimated 300,000 items.
- About 10% of people rent a separate storage unit.
- Among those who rent storage, around 65% also have a garage, which suggests they may already have space to store belongings at home.
- Some parents feel pressured to buy new or brand-name items for children for social reasons: a portion of Americans buy new items to avoid appearing poor or to increase perceived popularity.
This isn’t to say we’re perfect. I used to hold on to almost everything, convinced I would eventually use it — but “eventually” never came. All that clutter and the burden of maintaining so many possessions became overwhelming.
We chose to own less for many reasons, primarily because traveling nearly full-time while owning a house added stress. Simplifying made it possible to travel full-time and live with more freedom.
Now, almost all our belongings are inside our boat, except for a few sentimental items and photo albums my father left me. Those are kept at a family member’s home, and we’re grateful they’re willing to store them.
Living with less has been a positive experience, and I’ve learned a lot from giving away nearly everything I owned.
What I’ve learned from living with less
I haven’t rebought the things I gave away.
One of my early fears was that after donating or giving things away, I would later need to repurchase them, effectively wasting money twice. That’s a common excuse people use to avoid decluttering. In hindsight, I can’t think of anything I’ve needed and had to repurchase after getting rid of it.
I didn’t lose my memories.
I once kept items because I worried I would lose the memory of people or events if I disposed of them — for example, clothing I wore during emotionally significant times after my dad passed away. Letting go of many of those items proved to be freeing; constantly seeing them wasn’t healthy. I realized memories don’t require physical objects to be preserved. I can carry those experiences with me without the clutter.
I could have handled disposal more responsibly.
Over the years I’ve received many messages suggesting we should have sold everything or simply thrown it all away. Today, I’m glad we gave many items to people who wanted them — it felt good to give our possessions a second life. What I regret is the volume of items we discarded. At the time, I didn’t fully appreciate the environmental consequences of trash. If I had to do it again, I would make more of an effort to find sustainable ways to discard or repurpose items.
I wasted money, but I learned from it.
Had I been more mindful, I wouldn’t have bought so many things that ultimately went unused. Acknowledging the money I wasted has helped me become more intentional with purchases. Now I can enter a store and buy only what I need, and I’m much better at saying “no” to impulse buys. That control has saved me a considerable amount.
I don’t need much to be happy.
Before downsizing, I probably used only around 25% of the items in my home — possibly even less. Many people hang on to things “just in case.” A useful guideline is to set a one-year timeframe: if you don’t use an item within a year, you’ll likely never need it. When I reflect on the possessions we gave away, I can’t even remember half of them — and I don’t miss them. Owning more doesn’t make you happier. I have fewer possessions now and I’m happier than ever.
Less stuff means less stress.
One of the greatest benefits of minimalism is reduced stress. Removing excess possessions brought peace and clarity to my life. With fewer things to maintain, I can save money, avoid unnecessary waste, and concentrate on what truly matters. I still buy things, but I do so much more intentionally.
Starting is easier than you think.
Adopting a minimalist lifestyle offers many benefits and the initial steps are simpler than most assume. We began by assessing everything we owned and deciding what truly mattered. Some irreplaceable items — like family photo albums and certain heirlooms — found a safe home with relatives. Downsizing was hard work and often emotionally taxing, but ultimately it helped us live the life we wanted. We don’t regret it for a second.
Is owning less better? Why live with less?
Yes — for us it has been better. Decluttering and owning fewer things reduced stress and made daily life clearer and more focused.
How to begin living with less
The first step is to take stock of what you own and commit to buying less in the future. If you’re downsizing a home, go through your possessions room by room and decide what you truly need. Find safe storage for items you can’t part with right away, and donate or give away what others can use. It’s a challenging process, but it’s a step toward a more intentional, less cluttered life.
We downsized, moved into an RV, then a boat, and we haven’t looked back. We own less and appreciate life more because of it.
Are you interested in living minimally? Why or why not?