The Two-Suitcases Test
Hello! I’m back. I took a blogging break to take writing classes and read. Thank you for sticking around and waiting. Welcome to new subscribers.
I have been playing this game for the last few months: If I could only keep two suitcases' worth of stuff, what would I choose?
I did this exercise ten years ago when I moved to a different country. I parted with at least 80% of my stuff, stored boxes at my Dad’s, and took off. I didn’t miss my stuff at all. Then I settled down again, bought back the boxes from Dad’s, and accumulated more stuff, though not as much.
Here I am moving again.
This second downsizing is not as harsh or dire as the first one. My relationship with stuff had changed since then, when I took bags and bags of books to nearby libraries, hoping they would take them. It broke my heart.
I learned that one doesn’t have to declutter if one doesn’t collect clutter. Also, one needs very little to live life relative to how much we consume nowadays. I tried to align my impulsive wants with my true needs.
In 2023, my New Year resolved to cut out cloth shopping. I experimented and logged my clothing purchases, including shoes and purses. It turned out that only two purchases were needed. Only about half of those pleasure purchases still felt good after a few weeks. The act of tracking made me say no more often when the monthly itch to buy something surfaced. This year, so far, I have purchased only two things. So, it seems I’m trending further down and have made less than monthly purchases.
I can reduce my need to buy things because I already have everything I need, and I believe it. I have a full closet of clothing for work, weekends, dating, casual wear, shoes for sunny vs. rainy, gym vs. hiking days, various hang bags, and more. When I stopped buying new things, I looked in my closet instead and more closely.
Because of this shift, I can redirect my brainpower and money to things I value more, like writing, eating out, personal care, exercise training, etc. I still believe in pleasure and pampering myself. So, whatever floats your boat is where you should spend time, energy, and money.
Back to the two suitcases exercise.
So far, I can’t part with old printed photos, hand-written letters with actual stamps, my writing books, paintings from my trips, and travel magnet collections. None of these will be in the suitcase but in boxes that will be shipped, i.e., stuff that I prepare to spend money to ship but am prepared that that could lost at sea.
As for shoes, who knew? I have so many. Clothes and shoes are tough. Most of them are between can’t-live-without and don’t-care. I want to keep enough good ones, so I don’t have to buy a new wardrobe after the move.
Moving is the best way to test my relationship with stuff. This second move will likely sharpen my buying habits even further. I’m narrowing my stuff down, but I have a long way to go before I end up with two suitcases. However, when I begin my second half of life in a new city, I hope to live by the two-suitcase idea and keep to essentials as much as realistic and reasonable.
I wish you a very happy and safe Memorial Day weekend. Thank you to those who protect our people and country.
Excellent idea! 👍
Where are you heading?