Toughest to give up when going FT?

[HCR]

I just smile when people exclaim "You live full time in that small trailer?"

Yep, and enjoying it more than any house I ever lived in. But...there are some things I miss, mostly momentos from my career and family life and framed art prints and photos.

What about you? What did you give up when deciding to FT that you miss most?

[DKAir]

I'm curious to see what others will say. My wife and I plan to go full time at some point next year. As I'll be taking my job with me, I imagine I'll miss my well equipped home office, but am looking forward to getting a setup for working outside. I am sure there will be other things, but all well worth the trade. We traveled for weeks (up to 7) at a time in our VW Westfalia and while space was often tight with our 75 lbs labrador and we gave up some comforts, we were never happier.

-DK

[Crusty]

I do miss having the storage space to be able to pack-rat things which could be useful (I was raised by Great Depression survivors so this is a life long habit for me) and I especially miss being able to have all of my tools handy to fix stuff. On the other hand I especially enjoy being able to sleep soundly at night with no urban commotions to wake me up.

[Aage]

I'm with you on the tools, Crusty. It always seems that when I go over to my son's or daughter's place to do some Joe Handyman work, that I left the ONE tool at home that I absolutely need to complete the task.

But for me, it would be the stuff I collect: old radios (~150), old audio, old catalogues; these are things I've spent years pulling together, and will not sell until I am too old to enjoy them any more.

So, I won't be FTing any time soon, as you might have guessed..

Not only that, I am too tall for FTing in and AS, and would leave too many bloodstains on the bulkheads and AC units.

[VIKING]

A friend of mine has taken photos of all of his favorite things from his home and made a slide show for his laptop. He can leave his favorite for the day on the screen or have it cycle through them at random. Not a bad idea for those collectors of stuff.

Aage, you need to do the Tim Burton Airstream mod: Add a foot of height!

Rich the Viking

[dkottum]

Shop and tools, gardens, boat, old friends stopping by, a decent-sized car to run about with, interior space (all Airstreams are tiny), storage, rent-free parking, security, to name a few.

We are not full-time but do spend up to six months on the road each year. Probably not potential full-timers.

Doug

[Foiled Again]

I've been fulltiming for almost five years now.

I watch "Hoarders" with horrified fascination - and the sure knowledge that I have a bit of those tendencies. One of the real benefits of fulltiming is that it is physically HARD to carry all the stuff you're afraid to throw out, so you become better at choosing as time goes on. You also learn to look for good multipurpose tools whenever possible.

I have just downsized my storage unit - unloading about 1/2 of the stuff for less than I could have gotten 5 years ago before the economy tanked. I'll now hold on for spring before I do more, but brrrrrrr... I do so want to get rid of it all. I may keep my depression glass, but if I do, it'll be for ordinary daily USE in the Airstream. If it breaks, oh well.

What do I miss? Not a lot. I have 4 excellent knives. I bought the best and gave the starvation army about 2 dozen misc. pieces of crap. As God is my witness I never bought a Ginzu knife, but I found one in a kitchen drawer when I moved out of the house. I think a paring knife and a bread knife mated and produced the Ginzu. When I moved in, I brought my standard kitchen utinsels, egg beater, pancake flipper, cake icing spatula, meat fork, soup ladle, slotted spoon - I keep them in a clear plastic bag in my second drawer and have used the meat fork once in the last couple of years. Seems like it's time for someone to get a present soon. I do everything in the kitchen with ordinary silverware, a few silicone scrapers, and a can opener!

Tools: ditto, a few good ones instead of piles of medicore ones.

Clothing - first I no longer keep everything until it turns into a rag. If I don't wear it, I get rid of it.

Gadgets = my personal weakness. I just don't buy them any more.

I saw the thread where there was an inflatable Airstream with Santa in it for a Christmas yard art display... I looked at it, but passed.

Paula

[FC7039]

Those fulltiming, please answer questions such as,

1. are you employed where a dress code (uniform, scubs, suit, etc) is required?
2. what are your hobbies?
3. do you live/stay where it is cold and cold weather clothing is needed
4. Christmas decorations, how many
5. any other questions you want to answer about things that take up space

[joelreh]

I have to leave most of my books in storage...not much library space squeezed in between bumper and hitch

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by FC7039

Those fulltiming, please answer questions such as,

1. are you employed where a dress code (uniform, scubs, suit, etc) is required?
2. what are your hobbies?
3. do you live/stay where it is cold and cold weather clothing is needed
4. Christmas decorations, how many
5. any other questions you want to answer about things that take up space

Own my own business - keep 8 "business outfits" at work.
Sew - have a machine on board, two at work (use the conference room table for cutting patterns)
Eastern VA. Temp was 22 degrees this morning. This weather usually lasts six weeks at most. Refill the propane tanks twice at most!

Christmas decor - electric candles for the windows, Airstream lights for the awning, and a roll of silver garland draped around the dinette windows.

Library - KINDLE.

Paula

[FC7039]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

Own my own business - keep 8 "business outfits" at work.
Sew - have a machine on board, two at work (use the conference room table for cutting patterns)
Eastern VA. Temp was 22 degrees this morning. This weather usually lasts six weeks at most. Refill the propane tanks twice at most!

Christmas decor - electric candles for the windows, Airstream lights for the awning, and a roll of silver garland draped around the dinette windows.

Library - KINDLE.

Paula

Is it fair to say then that you augment your space needs by using your place of work? What about those that full time but travel from place to place/

[rebelstand]

Originally Posted by joelreh

I have to leave most of my books in storage...not much library space squeezed in between bumper and hitch

Ouch... you mean I wouldn't be able to take my 150 books.....that just might make me cry...

[HCR]

Originally Posted by FC7039

Those fulltiming, please answer questions such as,

1. are you employed where a dress code (uniform, scubs, suit, etc) is required?
2. what are your hobbies?
3. do you live/stay where it is cold and cold weather clothing is needed
4. Christmas decorations, how many
5. any other questions you want to answer about things that take up space

1.Not employed on regular basis, but keep suit/tie/dress shoes available.
2.Hobbies are fly fishing, fly tying, hiking, reading fiction and local history, beer and canoeing.
3.Move with the seasons--to Rockies in May and back to S. Central TX. in October.
4.Have a little 18 inch Xmas tree and sm. Yule log w/candles which I've lighted every year since 1957--a present to my mom that year.

5. I had to LOL about a recent post from a person who owned a 25 ft. Safari, and whom I presume just used it for short-term camping, and lamented the "lack of storage space." I havent used up ALL the storage and I'm carying EVERYthing I own and pulling it with an F150 5.4L.

As for books, I've given away two complete libraries of books and these days give away/sell a book as soon as I have read it. And, I simply don't buy many books and borrow from libraries instead. The only book I've kept since I first bought it way back in 1975 is Carl Franz' "People's Guide to Mexico."

Finally, I have a tonneau cover for my pickup and carry stuff,e.g., fishing tackle and bulky items, in the truck bed in water/dust tight plastic storage containers.

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from Ga. . . probably the wife was toughest

[HCR]

Ramblinman--priceless!

[FC7039]

Originally Posted by RamblinManGa

Hi from Ga. . . probably the wife was toughest

Probably = not sure, still thinking about it, was it really that tough? Good luck.

[FC7039]

I just read the article in Airstream Life about technomads. People who via technology are able to fulltime, travel, and still make a living. My job could allow this. Alas, I look at the house we live in and the accumulations we have. I know I can get rid of a lot of life's clutter.

That said, not sure the wife could.

For one, I like to backpack. That means I have more than one tent. More than one sleeping bag. I have a closet full (backpackers know what I am talking about). Depending on the trip I need to vary what I carry.

For hobbies, I play hockey (mucho gear, and it stinks, not trailer freindly). I like to brew beer. Also mucho gear (bottles, pots, small kegs, not quite a closet full).

My questions are, how do others do it? Do they simplify thier lifes to traveling but no extensive hobbies/other activities?

I own a canoe, 4 bikes (road, mtn, leasure, wife's), I wood work on the side, fish, hunt, and backpack. All these hobbies accumulate gear. This is just my stuff, not the wife's.

I like the idea of getting out and not being in one spot too long. I just cannot reconcile it in my head.

I ask others to try to reconcile it. Explain how they were to let go of things they were doing.

[HCR]

The choice about "giving up all your stuff" is really quite simple. Either you own it, and hence you can dump it whenever you choose, or, it owns you and you're stuck with it until you die. And, if the latter, upon your demise, someone gives it to Goodwill, sells it, or just puts it in the trash. That puts "stuff" in perspective for me.

[rebelstand]

although we haven't completely simplified our lives, we have done quite a bit. Frankly, a good purge of stuff can be liberating. I can honestly say that there are exactly 3 things in my house I would not want to get rid of should I full time...however, we've moved 4 times since 2007 and moving makes simplifying easier.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

Gadgets = my personal weakness. I just don't buy them any more.


Paula

Hi, Paula. Didn't you just buy another sewing machine off E-bay?