Andrew Hyde owns only 15 things. And he knows what you’re thinking right now:
The first question is always “Do you do laundry? How many pairs of underwear?” I’ll never get a stranger’s obsession with my knickers, but that is *always* question #1. Question #2 is the “What do you own?” countdown, which is both fun and annoying to answer.
Here’s the secret. He doesn’t count underwear or socks, because he could “easily replace [them] and could not resell for any value.” (Also, how much stuff do you own, buddy? Yeah, that’s what I thought.) Hyde told author Scott Berkum what he’s learned from living minimally:
This whole experience has taught me something very simple: debt kills dreams. Debt is cash, things and fear … I don’t have much right now. 3 shirts, a pair of pants and shorts. Some odds and ends. I do some pretty interesting and amazing things everyday, and not once in the last month did I really want anything more … It has turned by life from stuff centric to relationship centric.
Oh, you want the list, right? Here’s one that Hyde posted back in May:
1. Arc’teryx Miura 30 backpack
2. NAU shirt
3. Mammut rain jacket
4. Arc’teryx tshirt
5. Patagonia running shorts
6. Quick Dry towel
7. NAU wool jacket
8. Toiletry kit
9. Smith sunglasses
10. Wallet
11. MacBook Air
12. iPhone 3GS
13. NAU dress shirt
14. Patagonia jeans
15. Running shoes
Hey, he said he was living light, he didn’t say he was cheap. If you only owned 15 things you’d probably want two of them to be a laptop and an iPhone, too.
