Does your house look like Atlanta Hartsfield or Cape Cod Gateway? Packed to the gills or plenty of breathing room? If more Atlanta-like than Hyannis-like, you’ve got a dependence problem. The story accompanying this photo offered a measured way of determining how much wiggle room you should allow before a flight. It struck me that similar additions and subtractions from a baseline could be applied to managing how much stuff we own. And so much of stuff is about the math. Will it fit? Can I afford it?
You do the math. Begin with…
EVERYTHING I OWN. Subtract Everything I Like And Use. This leaves Problem Possessions. You might ask yourself why you bought so much trouble and what’s to be done about it. PROBLEM POSSESSIONS minus My Entirely Regrettable Mistakes which should be immediate goners, and you’re left with Thornier Problems. More math. THORNIER PROBLEMS minus The Things That Are Serving A Purpose That Is Fluid Or Short Lived (maybe a new puppy, a new baby, a new figure, a planned move or home renovation). These too will be goners as soon as practical and you’re left with Stuff Worth Further Consideration. Alas, more math. STUFF WORTH FURTHER CONSIDERATION less On Second Thought, I Don't Need Or Want To Replace This. Gone! What remains is STUFF I’VE CONSIDERED AND WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE. BUT CAN I AFFORD TO? Yep…math.
What’s your replacement budget? Be brutally honest. Now it’s time for addition. What’s The Cost Of The Stuff I Want To Replace? Replacement budget greater than than replacement costs…Happy. Replacement costs greater than replacement budget… Heartache.
Even if you’ve got a Happy Budget, remember, a few hours in the Atlanta airport is tolerable but you probably wouldn’t want to live there. If your pocketbook screams Heartache, sort your wishlist. First Class, Coach, and Standby. Replace accordingly.
Independence declared!