photo credit: Elsie esq.

The first batch of auctions for my book collection ended. The entire library is in stacks on the table in front of me. Books I’ve been carrying around for decades and read only once when new. Even the rare and autographed versions are going.

Books have always been important to me. A lot of effort went into dealing with them, whether moving them or paying to store them. I am not attached to them anymore, though they used to be my most prized possessions. After moving boxes of books over the years, I have come to despise the keeping of any “stuff” I don’t need. With books I havn’t read in 20 years, and have no desire to read again, it just seems silly to have so many here. I know I’ll just have to do something with them again.

The longest period I have ever held the same address is 4 years, and only that long on 2 occasions in 40 years. I have always thought of myself pretty Spartan with my possessions. I have never owned a huge amount of stuff, though each time I move I am amazed at what I have collected in such a short time. Reading blogs for several years from truly minimalist people like Leo Babauta and Tammy Strobel have really opened my eyes up to the realization that I was nowhere near living the spartan life.

Countless times, I have looked at a book, had fond memories of it, and put it back on the shelf. Planning to someday read it again and mine the valuable information out of it that I know is in there. I don’t remember ever reading two books more than once. I realized with some books, I had moved 7 or 8 times since reading them. I had dragged them around from California to Florida. What a waste of energy.

Books should be in a place where they can be used and appreciated, so they will all go. Whether I can sell them or donate them, I’ll be free of them soon. From now on, a book moves along after I read it, so someone else can enjoy it.

I enjoy reading ebooks, both on the laptop and even on my iPod Touch. Laying in bed unable to sleep is an occasional problem. Being able to read with the light out has been fantastic, but not having to store and deal with a pile of books will be even better. There is too much of the world out there to see, and the load needs to be lightened. I still travel out of a home base where I can store things, but I’m working to spend less time here, and book storage is an issue for most Location Independent People.

After starting with tips I found at Organize IT I already digitized my small CD collection. My movie collection is either getting digitized and sold/donated. As soon as I can digitize my old photos, many of those will get recycled or given to interested parties. A few weeks ago, I shredded all old paperwork I had also been dragging around with me for years. I didn’t go as far as Colin Wright with his shred party.

There are a few exceptions for items I’m still attached to or have to keep for records, but most of my stuff is going. I feel lighter already.

What are some of the ways you have dealt with clutter or minimizing your life?

How to Minimize Your Life for Travel: Books is a post from: Live Collar Free

The popular Chris Farley skit on Saturday Night Live had him play a “motivational speaker” who lived in a van down by the river. It was his way of telling his audience that they would become failures and also end up living in a van down by the river. Most people would probably be surprised to know that there are thousands of people who live in vans all around the world. They do this not because they have failed. They live in vans willingly and are doing well.

We’ve featured interviews with Adventure Photographer and vandweller Trevor Clark here before (Part 1 & Part 2), and we have more features in the queue. Readers have told us they love his 4×4 Sportsmobile Van, as it is one of the best vehicles you can buy for a camper-type van.

Several people have asked us how to live like this. They have told us they would like to do what Trevor and so many others do, but usually follow it with a long list of reasons why they can’t. Why would someone want to live in a van instead of a house? How would they go about doing so? Most of the questions are asked in the “yeah but…” format, as it does seem like such an odd thing to much of the population. A lot of people have a lot of questions.

VanAbode

Jason Odom has spent years on the road, living out of a van. His approach is slightly different, using a nondescript van that blends in anywhere, rather than an RV or trailer. He and his wife have spent years on the road, living wherever they feel like being at any given time. They have gone from coast to coast, exploring the country.

Jason also got constant questions about how to create such a different lifestyle. He wrote a book of his experiences as a how-to for anyone considering living this way, called Vanabode™ – how to happily camp, travel and live forever on $20 a day.  He sent me a copy to read since I was getting so many questions, and he knew it would be of interest to me.

Some of the topics covered include:

• Vehicle choice and outfitting.
• Parking and camping considerations in every type of area.
• Safety and Security (which seems to be the most popular worry among readers).
• Money, savings and budget breakdowns.

The self-published book is 113 pages, and filled with tips and techniques for making the most of your time, money, and enjoyment while living in a van. The book covers a variety of tips and techniques to overcome the most common objections, as well as a tremendous amount of options. Everyone wants something a little different, and it covers a range of ideas for living in a van no matter what your situation.

As Jason says, “Vanaboding is about spending time living a fun life rather than spending money trying to buy a fun life.” They aren’t homeless, they are home wherever they park their vehicle, sleeping in their own bed every night. They aren’t starving, they eat at some of the nicest restaurants in cities all over the country.

They do more, spend less and have more freedom than the average person working too many hours a week to keep up their mortgage and toy payments. Whether you are ready to sell off your house and live full-time in a van or RV, or you just want a way to get more time and money out of family vacations, I think you’ll find Vanabode will answer any lingering questions or doubts.

Go check out his site and grab the book. If you think people living in their vehicles are just down on their luck, you may come to realize that the people living in a van down by the river might very well be living better than the rest of us.

Vanabode™ – how to happily camp, travel and live forever on $20 a day

Do you know anyone who lives in their vehicle? Have you ever lived in a van? Would you ever try it? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

Vanabode: Home is Where the Van is Parked is a post from: Live Collar Free

I’ve said before on this site that LiveCollarFree.com is not exclusive to one “system” or style of Lifestyle Design. There are so many ways to live outside of the default life we learn we should fit into, and they all fascinate me.

Much of what I’ve done with my life has been to downsize. Toys are fun, but the stuff we accumulate takes a toll: moving it, storing it, insuring it, cleaning it, maintaining it, ad nauseum. We learn in the U.S. that we need to own a house and that all adults need a car. We are a car culture, and have been since they came about. Cars are one of the biggest purchases and expenses in most families. But do we really need a car to work and live today?

I have followed Tammy Strobel’s Rowdy Kittens blog for a bit over a year, now. She and her partner Logan decided to downsize their life, cut down their needless belongings, and even go so far as to sell their cars. Now they get around on bicycles almost exclusively and it works better for them. They calculated that their cars cost them nearly $8,000 a year to keep! And they had economy cars! How many hours of work does that total each year just to own a car? It makes me sick to think about how much I’ve spent over the years.

Tammy & Logan have improved their health, saved a tremendous amount of money, and lived a simpler, more fulfilling green lifestyle since their decision to scale down.

Simply Car-Free

Today, Tammy released her first book: Simply Car-Free: How to Pedal Toward Financial Freedom and a Healthier Life. I read an advance copy and can tell you it is a fantastic resource for planning and living in today’s world without the need to own a car.

It seems like such a foreign concept in most areas of modern America, but life without a car is not only quite possible but is very liberating. Tammy lays out a solid plan to make the car-free lifestyle simple to achieve. The Book goes through the process they went through, as well as how to make it even easier (they made their transition slowly and now wonder why they took so long).

She does an excellent job of covering all the “what-if…?” scenarios that come up when we talk about life without a car. Across America or even the world, not everyone’s lifestyle and community allows as simple a transition into a Car-Free life, but there are ways around most objections. Alternatives to going completely car-free are also covered, and how to handle situations that come up that all but require cars, such as long trips or moving.

The section on bicycling is also very in-depth. Whether you are a cyclist or just starting out, there are many valuable resources inside to cover what you need to know about bikes, as well as dealing with everyday issues like weather and getting groceries.

If you already live without a car or have never considered such a thing, Simply Car-Free is a good tool that collects resources from a variety of people already living this way all over the country. I am not just writing this review because I am a blogger buddy of Tammy’s. In March 2008, I got rid of my truck, and haven’t had a car or other vehicle since. I’ll do more about my situation in another post and link it here, but I know this topic very well as I have had probably close to 20 cars in my life (and 16 motorcycles that I can remember).

Simply Car-Free is a great resource for anyone considering life without a motor vehicle.

Simply Car-Free: Living Without a Car is a post from: Live Collar Free