100 things

I chanced upon the '100-thing-challenge' on David Michael Bruno's blog. I was wondering if I could manage to live life with no more than 100 possessions. Turns out, it might not be all that difficult.

Of course, I am going to take some liberty with some of the rules. I will not count items that the government or companies mandate, like a Passport, or driving licence or ID cards or access cards for the office. And I am not counting consumables like soap and toothpaste and food.

So let's see. What are the 100 things I would find it difficult to live without? Here they are listed in the order I encounter them in the course of a normal day.

1 toothbrush
1 razor
1 comb
1 wallet
1 pen

55 pieces of clothing (7 pairs of trousers, 14 T shirts, 10 Formal shirts, 5 shorts, 7 boxers, 2 belts, 10 pairs of socks)

1 backpack
2 pairs of formal shoes for office wear
2 pairs of sneakers
1 cabin size bag for business trips
1 large suitcase for holidays
2 mobile phones (I could get rid of one really, and I have pretty much stopped using the landline phone)
1 laptop
2 cars (I don't think I want to get rid of either)
1 motorcycle (currently my son uses this)
2 air-conditioners (one in the bedroom and one in the living room)

That makes 75 items that I would personally not want to be without.
Now let me add the shared items in the family.

1 house
1 TV set
1 DVD player
2 sound systems
1 projector
1 sofa set
1 dining table set
2 dining sets (crockery + cutlery)
1 desk in my study at home
1 office chair in the study
1 comfy chair in the bedroom
1 bed
2 night stands
2 wardrobes
2 chests of drawers

The count stands at 94 now.

Add the stuff we don't use every day - but need to have at home
1 first-aid kit
1 clinical thermometer
1 digital sphygmomanometer
1 toolkit with screwdrivers and socket set

That makes it 98.

So why is there so much stuff in our homes? Mostly it is stuff that got purchased along the way because it seemed like a good idea at the time, souvenirs from our travels, fridge magnets, that cute vase and other kitsch.

Time to spring clean the home then.