The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Minimalism in 90 Days Update – What I Unpacked During Week 2

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    Ruth Carter

    Minimalism Boxes - October 26, 2014
    Minimalism Boxes – October 26, 2014

    I’m a little over two weeks into my new minimalism project where I only unpack what I need as I need it – inspired by the “packing party” Ryan Nicodemus of The Minimalists did. His process lasted 21 days. I’m giving myself three months for mine.

    I looked up Ryan’s packing party story in Everything That Remains and noted that his first day when he didn’t have to unpack anything was Day 10. I’m still unpacking things every day, but the number of things I need is dropping – still mostly clothes, kitchware, and now that I have a TV, DVDs.

    I realized that before when I needed something, I would look at everything I have and make a decision. Now that most of my stuff is still in boxes, when I need something – like deciding what I’m going to wear that day, I envision how I want to look and feel that day and decide accordingly. I don’t rely on the visual stimulation of looking at my stuff to inspire me but try to tap into what I really want instead.

    One of the challenges I face on a daily basis is paper. No matter how much I minimize my life, I will always have to deal with paper in form of mail, business cards from networking events, receipts, etc. I’m toying with the idea of letting it pile up and deal with it once a week instead of daily.  That might be a more effective use of my time. Given that “freedom” is something I value greatly, conserving my time for things that matter to me is important.

    For those who are interested, here’s what I unpacked during Week 2.

    My T-shirt Drawer - October 26, 2014
    My T-shirt Drawer – October 26, 2014

    Day 8

    • Spoon
    • Sundress and cardigan
    • DVD
    • Highlighter
    • Coupons and store club cards
    • Laundry soap, dust cloth, duster, dryer sheets, and dishwasher soap

    Day 9

    • Contact lenses, contact solution, lotion, and marker
    • Eyeglasses case
    • Bike pump
    • T-shirt and socks
    • Big soup pot, food storage containers, measuring spoons, medium pot, chopper, cooking spoon, colander, and onion goggles
    • 2 DVDs

    Day 10

    • 2 T-shirts, tank top, bra, and cardigan
    • Salad container and measuring cup

    Day 11

    • Tank top
    • Lids for food storage containers and mug
    • Extra razor blades and 2 types of mouthwash
    • Vase I use for spare change

    Day 12

    • Skirt, blouse, and Mary Jane heels
    • Remote mouse aka “clicker”
    • Makeup brushes, eyelash curler, compact, powder, and nose hair trimmer
    • Crochet project

    Day 13

    • Reflective belt for early morning running, t-shirt, underwear, Legal Rebel Converse high tops, and blazer
    • Extra business cards
    • Measuring cups

    Day 14

    • T-shirt
    • Home inspection binder
    • Q-tips and tampons
    • Small pot, wooden spoon, and new knives

    I wouldn’t be surprised if my first day where I don’t unpack anything comes within the next week. I think I’ll need about a month to get through the majority of the activities I do on a regular basis and then it will be easier to start going through my boxes and get rid of things on a more frequent basis.

    In case you missed it: What I Unpacked During Week 1

  • I Minimized My Star Trek Collection

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    Ruth Carter

    It took over a year to fully go through with it, but I finally minimized my Star Trek collection.  I’ve been a Star Trek fan since I saw my first episode of The Next Generation in 1992. Throughout high school and college I bought a ton of Star Trek memorabilia. I got so much Trek stuff from the Star Trek online store and eBay. One of my goals was to get an autographed 8×10 from every regular cast member.

    And then I became a minimalist, or at least an aspiring one.

    Part of my Star Trek collection - I only own 1 of the items now.
    Part of my Star Trek collection – I only own 1 of these items now.

    As I started my minimalism project last year, I realized that most of my Star Trek collection was collecting dust, sitting on shelves, or worse, sitting in boxes where I didn’t even see it.  I slowly started getting rid of my Star Trek collection, but I didn’t want it to go to a thrift store. It was important to me that these items would end up in the hands of fans who will enjoy them as much as I did. I also didn’t want to put a ton of energy into getting rid of my collection, which would have been required had I put each item up on eBay.

    My Star Trek Pez dispenser set and Uno game went to a local charity auction and were sold – hopefully to a fan. But the rest of the items I was thinking of parting with just sat for about a year. It just wasn’t a priority to find a local shop that buys sci-fi memorabilia and I wasn’t sure if I was going to get rid of my Star Trek autograph collection. I wasn’t a fan who put their autographs on the wall – at least I haven’t for years. They were in protective sleeves in a binder where I almost never looked at them.

    Reading Everything That Remains by The Minimalists reminded me that my autograph collection does not add any value to my life sitting in a binder on a shelf. So a few weeks ago, in a fit of minimalist motivation, I got rid of most of my collection at the Collectors Marketplace. They took my Star Trek autograph collection, Klingon dagger, Star Trek mini lunch box, assorted pins, my Captain’s uniform that is too big for me, my Star Trek Encyclopedia, and a few other things. Why did I even have the Star Trek Encyclopedia? I am a walking Star Trek encyclopedia!

    Some of my Favorite Photos in my Star Trek Autograph Collection - that I Don't Own Anymore
    Some of my Favorite Photos in my Star Trek Autograph Collection – that I Don’t Own Anymore

    The shop got a smoking deal on my collection. I didn’t put that much effort into the negotiation because I cared more about getting rid of this stuff than the price. When I told the shopkeeper that I was becoming a minimalist, he told me not to say that too loudly in the store because “We want people to be hoarders.” When he asked me if I’m still a Star Trek fan, and I told him I still love Star Trek, but I don’t need all this stuff to tell me that I love it. More stuff does not equal more love.

    Will I ever by Star Trek gear again? Probably. But I will be very selective about it and get things that are high quality and do something to improve my life. This is the first time in a long time that I don’t have a Starfleet uniform in my closet (yes, it’s a uniform, not a costume) so I can foresee myself getting a high-end uniform someday.