{Photo of our garage the day we moved in}
My no-spending year {except on actual needs} has been a real eye-opener. In fact, I think it’s just kind of sealed the deal on a complete shift in thinking that has been happening for awhile now. I’ve kind of come to realize that “stuff” was taking up a lot of my precious time. It takes time to maintain, clean, fix, and replace stuff. Time, that could otherwise be spent doing awesome-sauce stuff, like gardening, traveling, or spending quality time with the HH. Now that I can’t buy whatever I think I want or or think I need, without trying to make what I already have work, I have realized just how much stuff I was buying that was totally unnecessary. It’s been a real personal awakening, I tell ya.
So, when I stumbled on an article on treehugger about the sheer volume of stuff we Americans buy and consume, I thought it might be fun to share some of the statistics with my peeps {that’s you}:
- The average American home has nearly tripled in size over the past 50 years. We need more space to contain our nearly “300,000 items” in the average home. So, just how big is the average American home these days? Right around 2,600 square feet, according to CNN Money.
- One out of ten Americans have off-site storage. Which means, they have more stuff than they can store at their home. {I am sure the numbers are slightly skewed by Americans that are “in transition,” meaning they are in-between houses, living abroad, etc.} According to Bloomberg Business {in an article they appropriately titled: Hoarder Nation}, the storage industry generated 24 BILLION dollars last year alone.
- 3.1% of the world’s children live in America, but they have 40 percent of the world’s toys.
- Okay, this one blew.my.mind, so brace yourself: “Americans spend $1.3 trillion anually on nonessential goods.” Yikes.
- There are more shopping malls than high school in the U.S.
- The average American women owns 30 outfits, as compared to 9 in 1930.
There are a couple more that I didn’t include, so make sure to pop over to the article and check them out. All in all, though, I think the previous little tidbits are pretty dang eye-opening, don’t you?
~Mavis
Courtney says
I read that article on vacation and felt so sick and suffocated! We have an 8 month old and the amount of stuff he has acquired in his short life is eye opening. We are in the process of prepping for a move. I am determined to get rid of everything we don’t truly need and start out our new home clutter free! It will be a fresh start and promising myself to keep it that way.
Lisa says
Our house was built in 1910. It’s about 1200 sq ft. I live there with my husband, 9yo son, two dogs and a fish. I am in the process of purging. My husband insists we need a bigger house. I say we need less stuff. My husband’s slowly getting on board. Very slowly.
My neighbor moved from Texas to marry her husband. All her stuff had been in storage until recently. I’ve offered repeatedly to help her go through stuff (I’m pretty ruthless about getting rid of stuff), but she’s been pretty gun shy. Her husband is also a bit of a hoarder. Sometimes when I go into their house I’m amazed at the stuff that’s laying around. Paper, for one. Why, why so much paper? I think it’s one of the easier things to manage. Ideally, I’d like to get less than we do, but way easy to toss into recycling.
Jeanie says
I have a love/hate attitude about the “simplify movement” because I think it is a craze that people have jumped on and are making money and creating more consumerism from. Years ago there was an author, Elaine St James”, who put out a very helpful book on this. I loved it and embraced it for years. Then life and work took over and we became gluttons of goods again. Now I am yet again in the process of getting rid of the abundance. It is very sobering.
Thankfully, I have been able to help my grown daughter furnish a kitchen and set aside a kitchens worth of stuff for my college son whenever he moves out.
Jenn in Indiana says
I am only 38 but the older I get, I just can not stand looking at all this crap. It drives me nuts. We live in a 4,000 sq ft house and I so miss my one story 1200 sq ft one. I proclaim moving to this house one of the worst mistakes of my life. But I am married to a man that has complete opposite thinking of me. If one hammer is good, 6 is even better. But he can never find a single one of them when he needs one! He is into every hobby under the sun too. And don’t get me started about his flashlight hoarding. I think being raised by grandparents who lived through the depression has made him like this. He is getting better though. I think he started taking me seriously when I started looking at houses I could move into!!! And just throwing crap away nonstop. But other than that he is perfect!!! LOL
Holly says
I think this point is very interesting: ”
The average American women owns 30 outfits, as compared to 9 in 1930.” When I see pictures of women from the 1930s they look very regal and put-together to me – with less than a third of the clothing! As with anything, it’s quality over quantity. I’m on a mission to simplify as well and love reading about your methods of simplifying. They inspire me to get rid of stuff I don’t need so I can focus on what’s important to me. Keep up the great work!
Holly says
I’d also like to add that I am in Texas and here the houses are BIG; real estate in the Houston area is cheap compared to other large cities. Many of my friends & family keep buying bigger and bigger houses, but so far I’m resisting! 2300 sf is plenty big for a family of four, IMO.
Colleen says
I grew up in a family of 8 – 2 adults, 6 kids. We lived in a house that was like 1500-1600 sqft,
2300 sqft sounds ENORMOUS to my mind.
I currently live with 2 people in 1000 sqft and it seems just right though.
Maritza says
Its so funny when i hear people say “small spaces” for hoes like 1200sqft. I live with my husband and 7 children in a 825sqft. house to me 1200 sqft wold be huge lol. I can relate!
Maritza says
*would
re says
My husband grew up one of six in a small home built in 1930’s Seattle. ONE BATHROOM. Let that sink in…OMG
They moved to Mercer Island in the early 60’s into what I called ‘the hotel’. The whole upstairs was one long hallway with bedrooms and bathrooms on either side. The kids loved it!
Marcia says
I grew up in a family with 7 children, so 9 people. Usually only about 6-7 in the house at any given time, because the the spacing (21 years between oldest and youngest kids). ONE bathroom.
And it never seemed an issue. We have 4 people and one bath, and it’s a problem. Mostly because of my husband. He spends a long time in there. And he gets mad when we complain. He grew up with 2 bathrooms though. So I occasionally need to remind him that if he going going in there for anything other than just to pee, he needs to ask everyone else if they need to go FIRST.
Because even 15 minutes is too long to wait for little kids.
Marcia says
That’s pretty fascinating, but I wonder how they define outfits? I don’t have many “outfits” – mostly pants and shirts for work (jeans and cotton shirts or sweaters). But I also have “casual” wear (shorts and t-shirts) and workout gear.
I imagine that the typical 30’s woman didn’t engage in special workouts, didn’t work outside the home either.
Ashley says
I love it! This article is a great contrast to the one you posted earlier in the week about folks not being able to save for retirement. Shopping as a pass time is getting in the way of saving for tomorrow.
Elizabeth Vega says
Amen! I particularly enjoy reading about what people did decades ago, or how they live in other countries, because it is proof that it can be done!
We live in 800 sq ft, and it only starts to feel “too small” when we have too much stuff or when things are not put away properly.
Nine quality outfits sounds like a formula for class to me… Although I confess, that would be more than I currently have!
Sue V says
It’s ironic that a major portion of your blog space is taken up with trying to get your followers to buy more items. Hmm…I guess that equates to income for you which allows you to make multiple mortgage payments per month. I love your recipes and gardening activities, keep them coming!
polly says
I was thinking the same thing. Every day there’s at least one post with links to buy stuff. Just sayin….
Judy says
Funny – I have noticed that, too!
Samantha Surovec says
I think that the items Mavis puts on the site are good deals if you need that kind of thing. No one is saying buy it all or buy it at all. I like the ebook deals of which I only ever get the free ones. ( But I want to thank her for recommending them to me anyway, as I may want to invest in them sometime. ) Also the majority of these things could be considered useful. I feel the theme of things here is thoughtful buying and when you need a thing get it for as little as possible, to which I heartily agree! Thanks Mavis, I love your site and talk about you to everyone! 🙂
Nancy D says
Great points Samantha! I agree with your viewpoint that Mavis is encouraging “thoughtful buying” knowing that many of us are looking for good quality as well as thrifty purchases if and when we choose to do so. Her many encouraging and insightful writings are a highlight to my day! She covers an amazing array of topics with exuberance while encouraging her readers to explore new horizons…
Mavis Butterfield says
Thank you Nancy D!! 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
Thank you for your kind words Samantha. I don’t think most people realize I have talked about bargains and my favorite deals since I started my blog in 2009. Just because I am attempting to have a no spend year doesn’t mean I am going to stop doing my best to find great deals to share with everyone as well as offer helpful tips on a wide range of topics that are important to me.
Monica says
Mavis, I just want you to know that I appreciate your daily deals, website and you. I have been able to get a few items very cheap and had you not posted it – I would have paid a lot more. Sometimes, I do not think people really know how they are coming accross online or really understand that this website is yours….for you to do as you wish and if people do not like it then they do not have to read it (or leave judgemental e-mails). I think you are awesome!
Mavis Butterfield says
Thank you Monica. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Mel says
I agree with Samantha. I have found useful things at good prices using Mavis’ links. I found some quality toys for Christmas presents that I wouldn’t have found on my own, like the Ravensberger games on Amazon. Also, I don’t begrudge her earning money from the blog. Hosting a quality blog is a lot of work and there are costs involved. Would you criticize a friend who earned a salary working in advertising? I doubt it. I really appreciate that she doesn’t use those annoying pop-ups that get in your way when you’re trying to read the articles.
Marcia says
Yes, that is a little funny, but you know her “no buying” is a new thing this year.
I generally ignore the “deals” post each day these days because I don’t shop much. But I have to say that they are really good. I have used them in the past for the kindle book deals – I find that she and I share an interest in the same types of books. So I’ve gotten a LOT of good book recommendations from them.
Also, I got a set of crochet hooks from her list that were great. I keep losing mine, and say would only have B D, H, when I needed the others.
I think they are a great source of things if there is something specific that you need. If I ever need something, I tend to browse them first.
Ashley says
I agree. They’re easy to scroll past if I know I shouldn’t be buying anything, but if I have someone’s birthday or a holiday coming up I always scan them because they are food deals.
Ashley says
‘Good’ not ‘food’. Although sometimes they are actually deals on food…
Wynne says
Mavis, you’re an inspiration. I wasn’t going to copy your no-spend year, but now I’m getting tempted.
(BTW, are you interested in permaculture? You seem headed in that direction … lots of interesting and practical projects waiting there.)
Jean says
Everyday I try to engage my 12 year old (homeschooled) son in a thoughtful discussion. Thank you for the content today. I asked him to estimate how many items the average american family owns. He thought about 2000. Then I had him begin to count the number of items in about a 1/4 of our kitchen cabinets. He still maintained it was about 2K or maybe more. He was blown away when I told him 300K. We have 8 people that still live at home in our family. We might own upwards of 600K items! No wonder I feel like I’m always managing our stuff. It’s exhausting. His assignment is to come up with 100 of his items that he can’t live without.
Karin says
I love this idea! Maybe I will have my 13 year old homeschooled son do that tomorrow. 🙂
Tricia@OurProvidentHome says
I find it interesting that as home sizes are getting larger family sizes and the number of people living in those homes are getting smaller. We have eight people in my little 1400 sf home and most days it is enough. My oldest are becoming teenagers so we are finishing the basement to allow some extra private space. Bigger family definitely qualifies as a good reason to have a bigger home, not “we need something bigger to fit all our stuff”.
Katie says
My dad always tells me “You don’t own your stuff, it owns you.” I feel like I’ve been purging for the past three years, but there is still a lot of stuff in our house. My kid’s toy collection is ridiculous. My husband is very reluctant to throw out paperwork or books. I’m going to keep plugging away at getting rid of it all. I’m so sick of spending at least an hour a day managing our things – just moving everything back to where it belongs is 30 minutes of my day, easily. I’d much rather spend that time drinking coffee with a friend.
polly says
Shortly after my husband and I got married, the bottom fell out financially for us.
For a while we recovered, paid off all debt, saved a little. But really, we haven’t completely recovered.
So for the past 10 years we have had to scrimp and save. During that time I’ve learned to cook almost completely from scratch, make due with used, or repurposed items or do without. And you know what? We’re good, really good.
My kids are clothed in the best that money can buy at Salvation Army and Target sales racks and hand-me-downs. I have too many clothes, that 9 outfit idea sounds really good.
We buy most of our food from Winco’s bulk bins and Kroger sales to feed our mostly vegan family. I coupon as much as possible, but sometimes it’s not possible if you don’t want to eat junk.
I’m going to try AGAIN for a really productive garden this year.
We only have one car, it’s paid for and oldish, so the insurance is cheap.
We utilized Kroger gas points to pay for our gas. Hello! .85 per gallon? Yes please!
When we have to make a major purchase like a washer/dryer or furniture, we try to buy used, but sometimes that’s not really a savings. So we buy gift cards at Kroger, get the gas points and get a nice item that we really need that leads to $1 off per gallon of gas.
Doing without is not a hardship. I’ve learned to be resourceful and be appreciative for what I have.
Jessica says
My husband and I are recovering hoarders. I’m more recovered than my husband. However, a few weeks ago my husband announced that he is getting to the age where he is tired of stuff. I about fell out. So now that we are on our debt reduction year, I guess it will be our declutter year too!
Gloria says
Hubby and I live in a home built in the late 1930’s. It’s about 950 square feet and the original owners raised 14 children here. I can’t even imagine. Our elderly neighbor told us that he helped pour the concrete for the foundation as his uncle was the builder. The downpayment on the house was one cow!
Renay says
the barter system at its best!
Mavis Butterfield says
Oh.My.Word.
JC says
Since we bought a house everyone in our family has been telling us we need this, that or the other thing, and giving us EVERYTHING. we went from 700 SF to 1300 SF and it’s packed already. My husband thinks we need a bigger place so we can have children. It’s insane and disgusting to me! I’m trying to get rid of it all, but man oh man.
Miriam says
It is good to simplify, but there is a limit. Personally, I do a lot of crafting and art, but when the inspiration strikes, I need to create or I just get stuck in a rut. If I didn’t have the yarn, paint, etc, I wouldn’t create. I just don’t to splurge on art supplies (they are expensive!) and instead stock up little at a time on sales. That said, I don’t buy ribbons, glitter or pipe cleaners. Why? Because I know that I don’t use those for my art. Keeping it organized is key though. If you don’t have space, there are alternatives and even digital medium to use, so to each their own.
I do see balance good in other areas, too. With dinner plates, too many and you’ll never do dishes because they pile up almost immediately, but too little and you can never have guests over because there simply are not enough place settings or even pots to cook in. The same with clothing. If you don’t want to fold a mountain, don’t own a mountain.