My get-poor-quick scheme
August 2nd, 2008As part of the wealth reduction plan I began by quitting my job, I spent the day giving things away: A futon from Isetan Tokyo; a magnetic whiteboard I had custom-made according to the golden ratio; a new leather Tumi computer briefcase; five large bookcases; cookbooks, a double boiler, an ice cream scoop, and other kitchen equipment; several “50 best” editions of Time Out I had collected (best websites, best breakfasts, best pubs and clubs, etc.). I decided to get rid of anything I could easily replace.
Homo economicus would reason that it’s cheaper to replace commodity items than to ship and store them. But the main motivation was irrational: I’ve had some of this stuff since university, and much of it since I moved to Tokyo over eight years ago. I believe (am hoping) that after this time off I’ll have a different perspective on the world, and perhaps even different ideals and goals. Do I want to come back to the same furniture?
I may have less cruft than some people since I’ve moved long distances often and have had correspondingly many opportunities to purge my possessions. But most of those moves were made quickly, and I never considered giving away items that still had substantial utility. Now that I have a few weeks to go through everything carefully, I’m testing things not according to their usefulness, but their replaceability.
Why give things away? I was not really tempted to sell my stuff on eBay largely because I don’t want to spend the last two weeks here taking and uploading photos and arranging to meet sometimes flaky potential buyers. But I am tempted to haul everything down to Brick Lane or Old Bethnal Green Road where my neighbors sell each other stolen bikes, used combs, half-complete Hogwarts Express train sets, and other inconsequential things from blankets on the sidewalk. The pre-internet eBay. I probably don’t really want to spend a day doing that either, though, so giving things away is a good option. My friends (or the local charity shops) benefit, and it turns out that I benefit too: Manny traded me a new backpack just the right size (and color!) for my trip.