2 Dec 2020

Having a list of all of our belongings makes us more aware of the things we own.

Somehow being able to look at a list and say “yup, that’s pretty much it”, is an interesting feeling. You can somehow visualise your stuff in lines of plain text. I made this list initially to be more conscious of the things I own, but realised it might be valuable to share publicly as I’m always interested in what other essentialists own and how they live simple lives.

Before we start, one caveat: I haven’t included things that I co-own, for example kitchen utensils I share with my girlfriend or flatmate. I’ve also not counted consumables such as food, cleaning and hygiene products. With that out of the way, here we go!

Clothes

I go for neutral colours that go with most other items of clothing. Therefore, 99% of my clothing is either black, white or a shade of grey.

• everyday shoes
• sports shoes
• winter boots
• dress shoes
• suit
• tie
• dress shirt
• short sleeve shirts x2
• white t-shirts x10
• thick white t-shirts x3
• black t-shirt
• grey t-shirt
• black jeans
• blue jeans
• sweater x3
• hoodie
• autumn jacket
• winter jacket
• scarf
• winter hat
• gloves
• shorts x2
• swim-shorts
• sweat shorts x2
• sports t-shirts x2
• cycling shorts
• cycling jersey
• sweatpants
• underwear x10
• socks x10
• handkerchiefs x10
• belt x2

Total: 77

Electronics

I currently don’t technically “own” a laptop. I use a company-provided one for personal stuff too.

• iPhone (+ charger)
• laptop stand
• Kindle (+ charger)
• earphones
• Nokia brick phone (+ charger)
• USB drive
• portable charger (+ cable)
• plug adapter x2

Total: 9

Hygiene

Here I go for reusable and durable tools as much as possible. For example, my steel razor is “buy it for life”.

• steel safety razor (+ blades)
• dental night guard (+ case)
• towels x2
• hair clippers (+ charger and guards)
• toothbrush
• lip balm
• hair product
• dental floss
• scissors

Total: 9

Stationery

I send friends and family birthday cards and “thank you” cards when they’ve done something nice for me, so I bought cards in bulk. I’m counting each set of cards as one.

• Moleskine pro notebook
• Moleskine pocket notebook
• birthday cards
• thank you cards
• pen x2

Total: 6

Sentimental

• photo album
• letters from loved ones

Total: 2

Miscellaneous

• wristwatch
• wallet
• keys
• Swiss army knife
• backpack
• sports bag
• suitcase
• water bottle
• important documents (passport, ID, etc)
• padlock
• cable organiser pouch
• travel pillow

Total: 11

Books

I’ve recently bought a Kindle. It makes so much sense: it’s lighter than most books, e-books are cheaper and better for the environment, and it doesn’t take as much space as physical books. But I’ve kept a few books I like. Everything else was donated or sold.

• The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
• Deep Work
• How to Win Friends and Influence People
• The Daily Stoic
• Radical Candor
• The World Coffee Atlas

Total: 6

Board games

We don’t have a TV, so these are a big form of entertainment for my girlfriend and I or when we have guests.

• backgammon board
• chess board
• poker set
• Scrawl
• Monopoly

Total: 5

Kitchen

Most things in our kitchen are shared, so here I only list my personal belongings (i.e. mainly coffee gear).

• Aeropress
• Hario scales
• Wilfa coffee grinder
• mugs x2

Total: 5

Outdoors

• road bike
• bike lights x2
• bike D-lock
• bike cable lock
• tennis racket
• table tennis bats

Total: 7

I think that’s it. 138 things. I’ve most likely missed some items, and this list will invariably change, but as it stands it’s a good snapshot of my belongings in the current time and situation.

If you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you.