"Less But Better" Entertainment

Ever wanted to just sell all your stuff and go backpack around Australia?

...this guy too:

 

Adam Baker's talk at TEDxAsheville is about freedom. Adam was living a life that followed the standard narrative, but he didn't feel free. He too felt overwhelmed by stuff. And debt. And stress. The fact is that all people have limited time, and most people have limited funds. So, if you had to choose (and to a great extent you do) would you rather have movie tickets or plane tickets? CDs or live performances? Would you rather stand in line for Black Friday shopping or stand in line to ride that big awesome roller coaster? Fancy new vehicle or gas for road trip in your old, beat-up car? Whether we realize it or not, we face very real monetary and time trade-offs everyday when we choose to buy, use, organize, and otherwise maintain our stuff. For me, this project is partly about learning to follow Adam's advice and "collect experiences, not stuff." A good overall rule for my "Less But Better" life :)

This week, I'm rethinking the purchases I've made for entertainment. Mostly, these purchases are DVDs, craft supplies, books, and CDs. (That's right, CDs. I still love them mostly for the memory of my father's huge, beautiful collection that they evoke, but maybe my collection doesn't need to be as huge.) Do I really need/want all these things? Decidedly not. Here's what's got to go:

Rent, Borrow, or Sample First

Oh, that bin in Walmart -- you know the one. It's got a bunch DVDs containing movies you've never seen but that your one friend told you were "pretty good" that one time. The bin has an undeniable draw when your evening is free and each disc only costs $5. However, the honest truth is that Netflix has plenty of "pretty good" movies, and these have no associated material burden. Furthermore, I have plenty of friends with movies I'm sure they'd be happy to let me borrow. This rule also very directly applies to books and CDs as well.

My biggest challenge in following the rule above will be every time I visit one of my favorite places in the world. "McKay Used Books, CDs, Movies, and More" is heaven on Earth. Seriously, check this place out next time you are in Tennessee (there are three locations in the state)...it's amazing:

Imagine any book you an dream of for an average $6.00, DVDs starting at $1.25, and CDs starting at $0.78. Plus, they actually give you a fair amount of money when you bring stuff in for trade! In fact, this is where I'll be bringing most of this stuff back to at the end of the semester. Though re-using/re-selling/re-distributing used entertainment items is inherently pretty sustainable, I need to cut back if I want to live "less but better." What I can do is go into McKay's with a list of items I know I like and would like to own (ie. I think I'll read/watch/listen to them over and over), and buy nothing else. No impulse buys just because something is cheap. This also ties into my past rule from week one, even if it's used ALL rules still apply.

One more rule on entertainment:
No more than 5 projects at a time

Basically, I have a crafting problem. I tend to save total garbage that I think I could Martha-Stewart (v.) into something beautifully handmade! Unfortunately, though, I'm not Martha Stewart. I can knit, make jewelry, and sew, but I need to get rid of things that fall outside my domain of abilities. Furthermore, if I limit the number of projects I see myself doing in the future to five, hopefully the materials won't pile up too much. I don't have a ton of time for making things, anyway, so five projects could actually last me a while.

Lastly, there's a HUGE pile of magazine clippings I'll be recycling. Until this week, I had three binders full of random ideas from magazines (think of three archaic Pinterest boards). Thank you, Pinterest, for being so fun and for negating the need for these binders.

Has anyone else done some recent entertainment simplifying? There are all kinds of internet-things to keep us entertained these days, but do you find this to be equally satisfying? What else should I try? Cheers for now, everyone!