5 ms·

One thing I've noticed over the years reading old wills and probate records (16th -18th century) is just how few physical possessions even fairly well-off peopl

by xefer 9y ago

One thing I've noticed over the years reading old wills and probate records (16th -18th century) is just how few physical possessions even fairly well-off people owned. Estate inventories often list individual coats, shirts, bedding, bowls, tools, etc. I think the material wealth we have today is so incredible we don't even realize how much we've accumulated and could probably do without.

sbinthree 9y ago
Based on a phase I went through involving getting rid of almost all my possessions, you can get rid of ~50% of your stuff and barely notice. But that last 10-20% is so amazingly critical, you come to appreciate it and the work that must have gone into it more. That said, having things that are useful and last never gets old, just make donating something you do as often as shopping. Also that is a pretty strange but interesting hobby.
- sporkenfang 9y ago
  I've had a thing ever since grad school (I lived in a 400 sq. ft. apartment, so it was necessity then) that if I buy a thing, I have to donate something else -- particularly for clothes. It's amazing how much less crap I've accumulated than friends and family of a similar age.
- hathawsh 9y ago
  I'm think the hobby you're referring to is genealogy. It's actually a very common and useful hobby. :-) https://blogs.ancestry.com/cm/genealogy-second-most-popular-hobby-us/ https://blogs.ancestry.com/cm/genealogy-second-most-popular-...
- fegu 9y ago
  A lot of divorced people know this from experience. I certainly do. Don't miss any of it.
michaelbuckbee 9y ago
Modern manufacturing is sufficiently weird that it messes with my sense of thriftiness. That it really is possible to manufacture new items less expensively than it is to repair them (especially counting my own time to do so). Like I can remember my grandmother knitting and darning socks. But she wished she had one of these sock knitting machines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N7hsho4Sjg&feature=youtu.be&t=822 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N7hsho4Sjg&feature=youtu.be... And now you can buy a 10 pack of decent socks for $1/pair (and they may objectively be of higher quality). I'm trying to think how I'd even explain this to someone from another time: "10% of your net worth is this pair of socks? And they took you a day each to make? I just threw away a pair because my toe poked through the top."
- doomlaser 9y ago
  I was shocked and pleasantly surprised recently at $3 high quality plain tshirts (in multiple colors) that you can order online: http://www.michaels.com/apparel-crafts/t-shirts/876004921 http://www.michaels.com/apparel-crafts/t-shirts/876004921 I'm wearing a magenta one now.. Then I found out there are tons of online outfits doing this. https://www.jiffyshirts.com/ https://www.jiffyshirts.com/ I've always shopped at Salvation Army and other thrift stores, with occasional trips to malls to pick up Levi's Slim Straight jeans, but the last pair of those I bought from Amazon since I know my size. It's kind of been a revelation, and the big box stores are going to have to get creative to stay around I think. I used to be picky about favoring American Apparel shirts as well, in their heydey, but the ones I got from Michaels are surprisingly good.
  - Cyph0n 9y ago
    I only realized how big this market really is when I found out that Berkshire Hathaway owns Fruit of the Loom, a Gildan competitor.
  - chiefalchemist 9y ago
    Funny enough, I think I've seen them on sale for less than $3.
- dustycowboy 9y ago
klenwell 9y ago
Reminds me of the proverbial "Great Depression Mindset" that I noticed in my grandparents. Also this comment I came across on Reddit's Bestof recently that made me see the world and myself a little differently: > Minimalism often focuses on a few high quality pieces that serve many purposes. When you're poor, you often can't afford higher quality or multipurpose... https://np.reddit.com/r/minimalism/comments/86pkeu/meta_can_everyone_be_minimalist/dw6vo9n/ https://np.reddit.com/r/minimalism/comments/86pkeu/meta_can_...
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- rokhayakebe 9y ago
  When you're poor, you often can't afford higher quality or multipurpose Interesting, I have heard "Cheap is expensive, because you have to keep buying it" as well "We are not so rich we can afford cheap stuff."
Antimachides 9y ago
Any examples? I'd like to see one.
- xefer 9y ago
  Original documents are harder to reference directly but lots of old probate records have been transcribed; e.g.: "The Probate records of Essex County, Massachusetts" https://archive.org/details/probaterecordsof01dowg https://archive.org/details/probaterecordsof01dowg
  - Antimachides 9y ago
    This is fascinating.

by xefer 9y ago

sbinthree 9y ago

Based on a phase I went through involving getting rid of almost all my possessions, you can get rid of ~50% of your stuff and barely notice. But that last 10-20% is so amazingly critical, you come to appreciate it and the work that must have gone into it more. That said, having things that are useful and last never gets old, just make donating something you do as often as shopping. Also that is a pretty strange but interesting hobby.

sporkenfang 9y ago
I've had a thing ever since grad school (I lived in a 400 sq. ft. apartment, so it was necessity then) that if I buy a thing, I have to donate something else -- particularly for clothes. It's amazing how much less crap I've accumulated than friends and family of a similar age.
hathawsh 9y ago
I'm think the hobby you're referring to is genealogy. It's actually a very common and useful hobby. :-) https://blogs.ancestry.com/cm/genealogy-second-most-popular-hobby-us/ https://blogs.ancestry.com/cm/genealogy-second-most-popular-...
fegu 9y ago
A lot of divorced people know this from experience. I certainly do. Don't miss any of it.

michaelbuckbee 9y ago

Modern manufacturing is sufficiently weird that it messes with my sense of thriftiness. That it really is possible to manufacture new items less expensively than it is to repair them (especially counting my own time to do so). Like I can remember my grandmother knitting and darning socks. But she wished she had one of these sock knitting machines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N7hsho4Sjg&feature=youtu.be&t=822 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N7hsho4Sjg&feature=youtu.be... And now you can buy a 10 pack of decent socks for $1/pair (and they may objectively be of higher quality). I'm trying to think how I'd even explain this to someone from another time: "10% of your net worth is this pair of socks? And they took you a day each to make? I just threw away a pair because my toe poked through the top."

doomlaser 9y ago
I was shocked and pleasantly surprised recently at $3 high quality plain tshirts (in multiple colors) that you can order online: http://www.michaels.com/apparel-crafts/t-shirts/876004921 http://www.michaels.com/apparel-crafts/t-shirts/876004921 I'm wearing a magenta one now.. Then I found out there are tons of online outfits doing this. https://www.jiffyshirts.com/ https://www.jiffyshirts.com/ I've always shopped at Salvation Army and other thrift stores, with occasional trips to malls to pick up Levi's Slim Straight jeans, but the last pair of those I bought from Amazon since I know my size. It's kind of been a revelation, and the big box stores are going to have to get creative to stay around I think. I used to be picky about favoring American Apparel shirts as well, in their heydey, but the ones I got from Michaels are surprisingly good.
- Cyph0n 9y ago
  I only realized how big this market really is when I found out that Berkshire Hathaway owns Fruit of the Loom, a Gildan competitor.
- chiefalchemist 9y ago
  Funny enough, I think I've seen them on sale for less than $3.
dustycowboy 9y ago

klenwell 9y ago

Reminds me of the proverbial "Great Depression Mindset" that I noticed in my grandparents. Also this comment I came across on Reddit's Bestof recently that made me see the world and myself a little differently: > Minimalism often focuses on a few high quality pieces that serve many purposes. When you're poor, you often can't afford higher quality or multipurpose... https://np.reddit.com/r/minimalism/comments/86pkeu/meta_can_everyone_be_minimalist/dw6vo9n/ https://np.reddit.com/r/minimalism/comments/86pkeu/meta_can_...

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
rokhayakebe 9y ago
When you're poor, you often can't afford higher quality or multipurpose Interesting, I have heard "Cheap is expensive, because you have to keep buying it" as well "We are not so rich we can afford cheap stuff."

Antimachides 9y ago

Any examples? I'd like to see one.

xefer 9y ago
Original documents are harder to reference directly but lots of old probate records have been transcribed; e.g.: "The Probate records of Essex County, Massachusetts" https://archive.org/details/probaterecordsof01dowg https://archive.org/details/probaterecordsof01dowg
- Antimachides 9y ago
  This is fascinating.