Downsizing Life

Technological is pretty awesome. I really like how it affords me the opportunity to save space, time and money in so many ways.

Years ago I had a big collection of records. It took up a lot of space, not to mention the turntable, stereo, speakers, and shelfs that had to go along with it in order to enjoy my music. Now, it all fits into an MP3 player the size of a Zippo lighter and I never have to flip a record over! I can just hit the play button and enjoy hours of music.

Do I really need a row of shelves to store my DVD collection the way I did with VHS tapes? Wouldn't I be better off with a sort of book thing to keep them in? Just make sure they stay alphabetized for easy access and I've cleared up more living space. For that matter, maybe I'm behind the times and there's already some kind of movie gadget that'll hold my mobster film collection in a matchbox.

I used to hang all my clothes in a closet. Now, I fold most them and put them on a shelf. I was shocked at how many clothes could be stored in a small space by doing this. The only thing still hanging in my closet are a few dress shirts and a suit and some jackets. I now have enough room in there for a small computer desk if I wanted.

I really don't need a refrigerator as large as the one I have. I never have leftovers and I buy just enough food to last a me week. I think I'd be better off with something like an electric cooler.

And what about that four burner range? I've never used more than one burner at a time. As a single man, I have no need for a large oven and could get by just fine with a small convection oven. I pretty much think microwave ovens are useless. I don't use them at all.

So, what am I going to do with all that extra space?

Why not just eliminate it? After all, I didn't feel the least bit claustrophobic with all that stuff there. Why would I feel closed in if I just lived in a smaller space?

Living in a smaller space means lower heating and cooling costs and who couldn't use more money in these tough times?

That's what I've been thinking about lately. How to conserve space and make the most of it. The smaller I can make my living space, the less it'll cost me in both money and time to maintain it. When My lease is up, I'm looking for the smallest apartment I can find.

So, if anyone reading this has ideas about saving time, space or energy, let me know about it.