| I have a few photos, though the place is still VERY sparse. There are still huge chunks of empty space (we're talking 60 to 100 square feet per chunk). The place has 4 closets and an alcove -- I only use 1 1/2 now. The others are completely empty. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30258487&l=cf3ff03...
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30632001&l=aeeaed7... Right now I'm trying to make the mundane pleasing. You know, arrange pots and pans, or bath towels, so it looks nice. Hard to beat $0 interior design ideas. I guess it stems from growing up as the son of a garbage man with a stay-at-home mom, and despite that, they always seemed to be buying things. When I was 20, I found myself having to send home an awful amount of money to save them from their debt when his job situation took a serious turn for the worse. Everything had seemed fine, until one thing happened - then it unraveled into hell. I thought about it. We were always out buying something. Sometimes the same thing... again, after a year or two. Before I helped them out I demanded to know their financial situation, and found out how they were sort of skating buy and passing off that things were grand. It never was. We went from a family of clipping coupons and picking change off the ground, to grousing circulars. When I had to help them out again at 25 I told them it was the last time. I also was determined I never suffered the same fate and became trapped by my stuff. "You don't own your things, they end up owning you." ----- I wanted to live in the city with lots of natural light (Boston, currently). Without a lot of stuff, it was completely reasonable. I then got a job in the city. My commute is trivial. I could also move to NYC in a week if I needed to - packing would only take an afternoon, and a 400sqft apartment would fit everything very comfortably. Everyone buys cars larger than they need "just in case". I have my two-seat roadster. I couldn't spend car money on an object that brings me no pleasure. I commute on foot now, so I guess I'll keep the car until the chassis needs re-freshening -- another 18 years I figure. I didn't want debt. I have none. I do use a credit card, but just to abuse the reward points program and spend that on boring stuff like trash bags and detergent. I hate cleaning. With few things, the place can be obsessively spotless in under 30 minutes a week. No real cleaning + no real commute = a lot more free time. Compared to coworkers, we're talking 10 to 12 hours a week. I want to plan for the worst. I save 35-40% of my gross pay a year, though that's increasing as non-food/shelter expenses have basically dropped to 0. My salary could be cut in half and I my lifestyle doesn't have to change. I have a hell of a "screw you" fund, or a lot of money I can burn trying to turn an idea into reality. |
Funny how so much of what we have is "just in case": not just space in our cars, but extra clothes, extra linens, extra plates...
The photos of your apartment are great. It looks amazing, not at all like someone trying to "opt out", but something out of a style mag. Though I shouldn't be so surprised as simplicity is an important element to good style, or what I see as that.