The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Selling everything and living out of a suitcase
Nibble
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Recently, I've decided to get rid of pretty much everything I don't absolutely need by selling it, digitizing it, or throwing it out; and I want to be able to fit most or all of the remaining items into a backpack and a big suitcase, with maybe an extra box if I keep lots of books. I'm doing this for a number of reasons:
However, I don't have the first clue about what to do or where to start. How do I decide what I really need? I figure I need about a week's worth of clothes with enough for variety (three pairs of pants, five sets of underwear, one pair of shorts, three regular t-shirts, two polo shirts, two overshirts, two pairs of shoes, and a winter jacket), my laptop, my external hard drive, my DS, a toiletry kit, and some textbooks. Is that too much clothes? Am I missing anything? I really want to live entirely out of my suitcase, with the exception of a bed, and some pots and pans if I end up staying somewhere with a kitchen. I suppose I should look up recommended packing lists for long-term travellers or campers.
The other part is selling off all the other stuff. First, I need to be able to pick out what can be sold and what should be thrown out or given away, and then I need to decide how to sell it. I really do need the money, so I'd like to maximize my profit. I figure my GameCube and games can be sold for a fair bit on Ebay (~$80), but what about books? Is it really worth it to sell them one-by-one online, or should I just take them to a used book store? What about a garage sale? Pawn shop? Flea market? The same goes for CDs, DVDs, PC video games, clothing, electronics (including my desktop), textbooks (some can be sold at school, but many are old editions -- is there any way I can still get back 50 of the $120 I spent?) and miscellaneous souvenirs. It's been a long time since I've really looked at all the stuff I have, so I'm not even sure what kinds of things I'll have to sell; but I'd like to be able to get decent money for them, and relatively quickly.
Has anyone else done anything like this? Care to share your experience, or some tips?
- I have way too much shit that I've barely ever used taking up space in my parents' house, my house at school, and an apartment in Taiwan that I don't even live in anymore
- I want to learn how to decide what I really need or even want (I'm a pack rat, and I'm terrible at making these kinds of decisions)
- I want to make a relatively small step towards taking charge of my life
- I plan to spend the next few years either travelling or living in a very small dorm room on the other side of the world
- I could really use the money
However, I don't have the first clue about what to do or where to start. How do I decide what I really need? I figure I need about a week's worth of clothes with enough for variety (three pairs of pants, five sets of underwear, one pair of shorts, three regular t-shirts, two polo shirts, two overshirts, two pairs of shoes, and a winter jacket), my laptop, my external hard drive, my DS, a toiletry kit, and some textbooks. Is that too much clothes? Am I missing anything? I really want to live entirely out of my suitcase, with the exception of a bed, and some pots and pans if I end up staying somewhere with a kitchen. I suppose I should look up recommended packing lists for long-term travellers or campers.
The other part is selling off all the other stuff. First, I need to be able to pick out what can be sold and what should be thrown out or given away, and then I need to decide how to sell it. I really do need the money, so I'd like to maximize my profit. I figure my GameCube and games can be sold for a fair bit on Ebay (~$80), but what about books? Is it really worth it to sell them one-by-one online, or should I just take them to a used book store? What about a garage sale? Pawn shop? Flea market? The same goes for CDs, DVDs, PC video games, clothing, electronics (including my desktop), textbooks (some can be sold at school, but many are old editions -- is there any way I can still get back 50 of the $120 I spent?) and miscellaneous souvenirs. It's been a long time since I've really looked at all the stuff I have, so I'm not even sure what kinds of things I'll have to sell; but I'd like to be able to get decent money for them, and relatively quickly.
Has anyone else done anything like this? Care to share your experience, or some tips?
Nibble on
0
Posts
Put all your files together in one box, such as college loan paperwork, bank account/credit card/SS/Birth certificate info. You can find those portable file organizer at any store, they're about 12" x 12" x 12"
As for the books, half.com usually does pretty well for textbooks - it's run by ebay so you can use the same account. It tells you the range of prices for the particular book you're selling - i'd put it near the low end of the range, otherwise your book will just sit around forever not selling.
Check around ebay if you've got sets of books - i just sold off a passle of old Redwall, Dragonlance, and other fantasy books by selling them as big lots.
http://zenhabits.net/2008/01/the-four-laws-of-simplicity-and-how-to-apply-them-to-life/
Electronic composer for hire.
The list of clothes looks pretty good, but you'll probably want some socks, a light rain jacket and some sort of sweater/hoodie. Carrying a winter jacket is no fun, and if you can avoid it that'd be a load off your back, but that's largely dependent on the climate I guess.
Another good point is don't bring stuff with you that you won't need for a while, in almost all cases it's a lot easier to buy it when you get there.
Also, are you staying primarily in cities? What sort of climate are we looking at? If you're doing travel along a coast you might want to look into getting a waterproof shell or buy a winter jacket that has a zip-out lining so you can wear the shell in warmer/wet climates.
Buy things that are meant for utility, not for fashion. Multitools are pretty great and really come in handy and a good set of boots is going to do you much more good than a set of flip-flops.
But, seriously, are we talking urban or are we talking wilderness or somewhere in between?
Ryan M Long Photography
Buy my Prints!
As for getting down to basics, I would suggest picking clothes that are comfortable and durable; jeans, thick-ish shirts, underwear, etc. Make sure you won't mind wearing these a couple times, it will happen. I would suggest keeping a MINIMUM of books; books are EXTREMELY heavy and cumbersome; get a sony e-reader if you really need a healthy supply near you.
Electronics will need power; keep that in mind as you move around; perhaps a suitcase + backpack is the ideal setup for you. That way the toiletry bag can go in the backpack with your commonly used items (and electronics). It will also offer multiple pockets and areas to store things; I recommend a good Victorinox bag; they're durable and very comfortable - you can get them for about $125.
If you're going to be stationary for most of the time, but want to make life easy moving around, 2 suitcases would suffice; just make sure they're Tumi; you won't regret it.
I'm planning on staying stationary (ie, living in an apartment or dorm room) for short periods of time, then moving to another country far away. I anticipate at least three such moves within the next year. I'm also hoping to do a lot of travelling, and I'd like to try the whole "backpack around Europe" thing one day, so advice for either is good.
For the next month you need to do a dry run. Only use these clothes and live your life as though you only owned what you have access to in your important pile and your clothes pile. If there's something you NEED that you didn't account for, put it into your pile and make sure you can't take something out to account for it. For example, if you're getting cold, you likely don't need a hoodie and a zip-up sweater. Pick one. Once you figure out what you need for a month, you can pretty much get rid of anything else. I'll add a note here about laziness: never accept laziness as a reason. If you think 'if I take this sweater and an extra two pairs of underwear I don't have to do laundry for another couple of days' you won't be able to cut down as much as you want. Look forward to extra work; it means you're doing a good job.
If you really want to live out of a bag only carry things that have multiple uses. A shirt should be something you can wear, something you can wear as a layer under something else, and something to wipe your face with as you hike a mountain. A sweater should keep you warm and also work as a pillow if you can't find a hostel that night. You don't want a single bulky item, you want many items that you can wear in layers to achieve the warmth or protection you need. Layers are key, and this helps you avoid carrying a hoodie around when you could instead just use your normal daily shirts.
Remember that fashion is for people you see everyday. Strangers don't care. This means if you only have one 'nice' outfit and you're travelling around, noone will know that's the only thing you own and they'll still be impressed. You only need variety for people you're seeing everyday.
I don't really have much advice on how to sell your belongings to get money, but I'll say this. Do not do this for money (assuming no pressing debts), and make sure you think of ANY money that you get as 'bonus'. You are going to make a lot of concessions and sacrifices for a lifestyle like this. You need to be able to say 'I'm happy with how things are and I love my life' and not 'I like how much money I got for doing this so I guess it was worth it'.