So much stuff: the American predilection to accumulate things

As Americans we seem to have an innate desire to accumulate possessions. I recently moved into a new office. Part of the move involved going through all the things that I had accumulated in the six plus years that I have been in Mongolia. I found things that I had brought over from America with me but have not used in the years that I have been here. I hold onto those things thinking that someday I will use them ... someday.

We live in an apartment that is about 1000 square feet and have to resist the "let's save it, we might need it someday" mentality. A constant source of friction has been the need for more storage space. As soon as we have a new cabinet or bookshelf, it seems to fill with "things," and there never seems to be enough room for the next item. Kristie and I have been discussing whether we really need more storage space or whether we really need less things.

With four children and widely varying weather, it seems that we have lots of clothes, shoes, boots, and coats. We have the heavy winter boots that are not quite warm enough when it is below zero outside, but that are too heavy for springtime wear. Then we have sandals for the summer and slippers to wear about the house. (Mongolians do not wear shoes inside the house.) There are dress shoes for formal events and work shoes for working outside. Multiply all these pairs of shoes by four children and two adults - not to mention the shoes that are not anyone's size but will eventually fit the next child - and the house seems to be overflowing with shoes.

Just within the last two years we were finally able to get everyone their own closet. Each closet seems packed with clothes yet the children sometimes complain, "I can't find anything to wear." I myself probably have enough sweaters to last for the rest of my lifetime, and I've probably given away about a third of the sweaters that I once had.

Mongolians will often wear the same outfit two or three times in a week. If they have three pairs of shoes besides their slippers than they are doing well. Why do Americans need a pair of shoes for every occasion?

Most of the American families that we know in the States have nearly two times the space in their homes that we do (and half the kids). They have a two car garage but cannot even park one car in it because of all the stuff that they have. Still, they are so proud of themselves when they find a bargain at a garage sale. Something else to stick in their garage among the other once useful items, I suppose.

Meanwhile, many Mongolian families that I know can fit the family's entire wardrobe in a small closet and a single chest (that also doubles as a table). If it were true that American families were much happier than Mongolian families perhaps this accumulation of things would be a worthy endeavor. But it seems to me that our ability to amass things only makes us eager for more.

Perhaps the next time that you are tempted to buy a pair of shoes, another sweater, or snap up that really good deal at a garage sale, you can ask yourself: "What if I just did not spend the money this time?"