I use time dollars from the time bank to mow my lawn, ironically earned by gardening for others.
Win/win.

I don’t understand why some people seem to think disagreeing is the same as attacking.

And I’m disagreeing with his universal you and, more importantly, the statements he’s applying to it.

“In fact, the opposite is true – the richness of experience comes from having as little as possible in your life that keeps you from the experience. Having thirty tools to take on a job that only needs one actually keeps you from enjoying that activity because you’ve got to work to earn money for the items and you’ve got to spend time maintaining and caring for those items.”

does NOT mean the same thing as

“In fact, the opposite is true – the richness of experience comes from having as little as possible in my life that keeps me from the experience. Having thirty tools to take on a job that only needs one actually keeps me from enjoying that activity because I’ve got to work to earn money for the items and I’ve got to spend time maintaining and caring for those items.”

Had Trent done that, not a single person would have criticized him. But he didn’t. He used the universal you – on statements that many people to whom that you applies disagree with.

Nobody’s criticizing Trent’s ‘for me’ parts.

A lot of people are criticizing the last few paragraphs, none of which has the ‘me’ you are referring to and all of which have the ‘you’ combined with statements we disagree with.

Then he falls back into his anti-possession ideology again.

Kesey had it right: “All I know is this: nobody’s very big in the first place, and it looks to me like everybody spends their whole life tearing everybody else down.”

It would have been a decent article without that, but with it, it’s just thoughtless ideology.

This site is a guide and inspiration. It’s not judging you. And when you have something you’re passionate about, yes, you’ll probably enjoy buying all the tools to get the most out of it.

But (and totally not picking on the writer above, but using an example)

If you love photography, and you buy a new camera, that’s great. Buy an SLR. Buy some lenses, if you love it. But the thrift lesson is not worrying that you have the 2010 model vs the 2012 that just came out.

I love video gaming. I have an Xbox that I love, but they came out with the new one that’s slim, comes often bundled with a bigger harddrive, and costs “less”, but it’s still money out of pocket for me to upgrade. So I’ll keep using mine until the next generation comes out, because I love gaming. I bought a wireless headset to talk with my friends while playing, but certainly not the most expensive one.

I used to love having the latest and greatest parts on my mountain and road bikes. Then I realized I enjoyed the tinkering part of each purchase. So I maintain instead of upgrading.

It’s not about judging you, it’s about offering ways to reflect on what makes you happy with the background of a financial theme.

People who have what they want are very fond of telling people who haven’t what they want that they really don’t want it,
And I wish I could afford to gather all such people into a gloomy castle on the Danube and hire half a dozen capable Draculas to haunt it.
I dont’ mind their having a lot of money, and I don’t care how they employ it,
But I do think that they damn well ought to admit they enjoy it.
But no, they insist on being stealthy
About the pleasures of being wealthy,
And the possession of a handsome annuity
Makes them think that to say how hard it is to make both ends meet is their bounden duity.
You cannot conceive of an occasion
Which will find them without some suitable evasion.
Yes indeed, with arguments they are very fecund:
Their first point is that money isn’t everything, and that they have no money anyhow is their second.
Some people’s money is merited,
And other people’s is inherited,
But wherever it comes from,
They talk about it as if it were something you got pink gums from.
Perhaps indeed the possession of wealth is constantly distressing,
But I should be quite willing to assume every curse of wealth if I could at the same time assume every blessing.
The only incurable troubles of the rich are the troubles that money can’t cure,
Which is a kind of trouble that is even more troublesome if you are poor.
Certainly there are lots of things in life that money won’t buy, but it’s very funny -
Have you ever tried to buy them without money?

I have to disagree- Extra stuff doesn’t always keep you from the experience. There are a lot of hobbies where better equipment will make for a better experience- at least to a point.
If you have to give up significant leisure time to get the better equipment then your overall happiness would be lower. However, in many cases giving up a small amount of leisure time to get a better experience for the remaining leisure time makes sense. Especially if the equipment can last for a long period of time thus improving your enjoyment over a long time.
For example, I like photography: I initially got a cheap point & shoot digital camera. I enjoyed using it but found that its limitations were frustrating: It was too slow to get shots of the kids, it didn’t have the controls I wanted, it only got good pictures in bright light.
Upgrading to an intro level DSLR with a good lens was really worthwhile for me. I enjoy photography much more with the more capable equipment. I wouldn’t trade my current camera for a point and shoot and a week of vacation to do photography. Extra time with extra frustration isn’t a good trade.
I’m satisfied enough that I don’t feel the need to upgrade further, but I might have been a bit happier overall if I had spent a bit more for a mid level camera. When this camera wears out I might go for the upgrade. However, I’m sure I won’t be getting a top of the line professional model: The cost would be a burden and the improvement over a mid-level camera wouldn’t be worth it for me. However, if I was trying to make a living from photography, then that would be a good buy.
-Rick Francis

The passage Tracy quoted only really makes sense if you have a real choice between working more hours for more money and working fewer hours for less money. For those of us with salaried, full-time jobs, we’re making a fixed amount of money, so we might as well spend some of it on things we enjoy.

And who knows – maybe maintaining and caring for their thirty tools is part of the enjoyment someone gets out of their hobby.

As for the post, I agree with everyone else. I need to buy high quality supplies to do my job properly (and enjoyably!), and it’s not wasteful to do so! Trent, you really need to get over that uber-minimalist mentality.

And every single piece gets used. I am actually a pretty skilled photographer but I never would have improved it I didn’t allow my equipment grow with me.

I actually took some time to think about what it would mean if I followed Trent’s advice — honestly, I probably wouldn’t be as interested in photography. It wasn’t until I got the equipment that matched what I wanted to produce that I really started learning. And believe me, I am NOT a gear-head. There are lots of people who collect cameras and lenses as though they will eliminate the hard work and practice that it takes to become a good photographer. I really believe in getting the gear you need but then putting in the effort to learn how to use it well. My rule is to upgrade only when my current gear is limiting me in some way.

Here’s a shameless plug — click on my name to see my flickr page.

All of which is to say, I’m very pleased with the entirely unnecessary pair of shoes I bought last week.

I own four full Martial Arts outfits, including undies (sportsbra). I realize that one would be perfectly fine. But, you see, I do not wish to subject other people on an out-of-town seminar to a smelly outfit worn yet again. Or myself to crawling into a half-wet gi in the afternoon. I don’t want to try to find a laundromat in a city I don’t know anything about just so I can clean my stuff over night.

And trust me, I don’t lose a moment of sleep worrying about the money I spent on those outfits or how I maintain the three I’m not able to wear at a given training.

Minimalistic does not mean “nothing at all”. It means (and here I’m with Riki #4) to spend money and time on things that bring you joy.

Stuff as such is NOT evil. Neither is money. You may relax, Trent.

I think the point is to have just the gear that you need for the usage level you want (or maybe just a bit more to stretch your skill set). While it’s fun to see what you can do with minimal tools (I’ve spun with said stick and stone spindle and prepped wool with a dog comb), it’s not much fun when the tools (or the lack thereof) get in the way of what you want to create.

After all, gardeners today have more tools than just a digging stick and a rawhide bucket. Do we really need to go back to the neolithic to have an authentic life – I sure hope not. I rather like my computer LOL.