Has anyone ever gotten rid of everything that they own, and literally started from scratch?

Question

How did it go? Did you miss your stuff? Regret it? Did it feel good? Tell me about it, please.

Answer 1

From late in 1979 to late in 1980, my husband and I spent about 11 months in a "Walden Pond" setting. I never got rid of family photos, and I did have possessions like a tent, sleeping bags, cookware. We lived in a tent about 4 miles from the pavement and 2 miles from the closest power pole. I pulled water from the well with a skinny bucket until we installed a hand pump, and I could pump it up to a cistern for a gravity feed system. We cooked on a wood fire until we came up with an old cast iron cook stove. We got up when it got light, and went to bed when it got dark. We cut the wood for a log pump-house, and built a poured concrete earth-bermed solar tempered cabin. Every board that got cut got cut with an old-fashioned saw. Every nail went in with a hammer. I had a small, not very productive garden, but we were able to buy groceries every week. We ate very little fresh meat. Did you know you can make Jello in a water well, if you mix it in a jar, screw the lid on, and lower it to the water in a net on a rope? You can. Where else would I have learned that or a million other things? We sold the ten acres and the cabin and went back to "reality." It was a good year.

I didn't miss my "stuff." Stuff has never been important to me. I figure if you are at my home to inspect my furniture rather than to visit me, then I don't need your approval. I spent nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 11 month with my husband. It was a sort of make or break year for our marriage. We didn't have kids yet, and we needed to know one another before we had children. We saved the money to buy the place and pay for supplies for a year. When the money was up, we decided there wasn't enough to keep us there any longer. We had no trouble making what we had in the place back on it. I don't regret going, staying or walking away from it. I met some really unusual and wonderful people there, and had moments with my husband that would have been impossible if we had been in the rat race that year. Honestly, it was a chance for us to recognize how little it takes to make us happy, which has made some of the hard times every marriage goes through less stressful. I don't know that the year made us stay married, but in may have allowed us to be comfortable with who we were as individuals and as a couple, which allowed us to stay together.

Thanks for the question. They are good memories.

Answer 2

Yes, I have traveled, taken some risks, gone through divorce and have had terrible financial setbacks - I have lost everything more than once. I was never very concerned about material possessions and even looked forward to the challenge of having to start over. I have also been wealthy and have lived in a palace.

Some people would cut their own throats if they lost all the things I have left behind. The things I valued most I have never lost - the love of friends and family, appreciation of nature's beauty, spiritual experiences, love of books and ideas, etc... I have never placed a great value on material possessions because they are never permanent and because they can be replaced. If having to start from scratch is your greatest problem, then you are a very fortunate person.

Answer 3

Firstly, if you only want to use the pc for internet access, I wouldn't be wasting my money on Microsoft Windows software. Get yourself a copy of Linux, there are various systems, but I find the most user friendly to be Ubuntu and Mandriva. These very often come free in magazines or you can buy them very cheaply from Ebay or alternatively you can download your own copy and burn to a cd / dvd for nothing from the respective websites. Which ever operating system you use, wether linux or Windows just put in the cd and switch on the pc. It should start up automatically. Follow the on screen instructions and your hard drive will be formatted as part of the install process. If it doesn't start automatically, you need to check the boot priority in the BIOS. Access BIOS by pressing the correct key at the start of boot up (usually F2 or Del. but if you read the first line off the boot up screen, it'll tell you which key you need to enter Setup. Look for a setting that changes the boot priority and follow the instructions to set your cd rom as the first boot option and hard drive as second. Save and exit the Bios and now your cd should start automatically.

Answer 4

Yes I did that once, i gave away and burnt everything I had, it felt grate and i felt free to start a new me, my friends thought I was totally bonkas but I could not care I was happy with my decision.
The only things I miss are my books only 2 books, but hey I can always by them again.
If this is what you want to do go ahead and do it I have never regretted it.
Good luck

Answer 5

Sometimes it is unintended, but it happens.
12 years ago, I went 200 miles on a weekend trip to help someone who called me for help. On my return, my family discovered my secret Diary, felt shocked and revolted, and decided to throw me out of their lives. In one stroke, I lost my home, car, TV, Frig......... PLUS my wife, son, and daughter! I ended up "getting rid"--as you said-- of EVERYTHING! I cried tears for years, in copious waterfalls!! Regret it? Feel good? Hell. No, my Friend. But what's the use?
I have lost everything, FULL and FINAL till todate! No contact with any of them whatsoever.
I thought I won't be able to live. Well, I still am, trying to enjoy what is left of my life!
Shakespeare said:" Laugh, and the world laughs with you!
Cry, and you cry alone."
But why do you want to ask such a question?

Answer 6

Unfortunetly I could never do that. I have found that a top etc. you haven't worn for 2 years, still looks cute If you just add a little sometin'

Answer 7

yeah i got rid of my old blankets i had on my bed, and i bought a new one at the 99 cents store, it felt great.

Answer 8

yeah and it feels really good because now you can buy new stuff and you will love it