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Step 5: Downsizing & Simplifying Life
- jed foster
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
Your "Stuff" Is Slowing You Down
At some point, you’ve gotta ask yourself… Why have we built a life that’s so heavy we can barely move? Big houses, sheds full of gear, drawers we haven’t opened in years—and somehow, we still feel like we need more.
But every bit of that stuff comes at a cost. Not just money… but time, energy, and freedom.
More stuff = more cleaning, more fixing, more stress, more hours at work to pay for it all.
And before you know it, you’re stuck maintaining a life instead of actually living one.
Downsizing isn’t about going without - It’s about cutting the dead weight so you can actually get out there and live.
We talk about it in the video linked below, but honestly, this step was the most rewarding of all the steps for us. We didn't know it at the time, but during and after the culling of pretty much everything we owned, it was an amazing feeling to have almost nothing. We own a 20-foot sea container, which sits on a mate's farm, and houses some tools and extra bits and pieces, but that is it!
Ours is definitely an extreme scenario, and it would not suit most people, but it is a step most of us could apply to our lives to benefit. Check out the video link below, which goes through our journey and thoughts of Owning Less & Living More!
The Reality Check (Most People Won’t Talk About)
The average household is packed with hundreds of thousands of items
Most people only use a small percentage of what they own
Aussies spend huge chunks of their time cleaning, maintaining, and organising stuff
Self-storage is booming - people are literally paying to store things they don’t use
A lot of debt isn’t from essentials; it’s from stuff that loses value the second you buy it
👉 Truth is, a lot of what we own doesn’t make life better… it just makes it busier.
Why This Matters for the Lifestyle You Actually Want
If you’re into fishing, camping, travelling, or just having more freedom:
You don’t need more stuff—you need less tying you down
The less you own, the easier it is to pack up and go
Lower costs = less work = more time outdoors
Less clutter = clearer headspace
This isn’t about minimalism trends…It’s about building a life where you’re not stuck in one place just to keep up with it all.
How to Actually Start Downsizing
1. Get Clear on What You Want More Of
Not what you want to get rid of—what you want more of.
More time off? More trips? More freedom?
Because once you know that, it becomes pretty obvious what’s in the way.
2. Walk Through Your Place With Fresh Eyes
Go room by room and be honest:
When did I last use this?
Do I actually need it—or just feel like I should keep it?
If it hasn’t been touched in a year… chances are it’s just taking up space.
3. Use the No-Nonsense Method
Keep it simple:
Keep – what you actually use
Sell – anything worth money (turn clutter into fuel for your next trip)
Donate – stuff that could help someone else
Bin – the junk
Don’t overthink it—decisions get easier the more you do it.
4. Hit the Big Clutter Zones First
Start where it’s out of control:
The shed
The spare room
The “junk” drawers
The clothes you never wear
You’ll feel the difference straight away—and that momentum matters.
5. Stop the Cycle
This is where most people fail.
They declutter… then slowly fill it all back up again.
Before buying anything, ask:👉 Do I actually need this—or is this just another thing to manage?
6. Cut Back Your Overheads
This is the big one.
Smaller space = less to clean, less to pay
Fewer bills = less pressure to work constantly
Selling unused gear = extra cash + less clutter
This is where downsizing turns into real freedom.
7. Build a Life That’s Easy to Move
You don’t want to feel stuck because your life is too complicated to step away from.
The goal is simple:👉 You should be able to pack up and head off without it being a massive mission.
Final Thought
At the end of the day, no one looks back and thinks…
“Wish I kept more stuff.”
But plenty of people wish they:
Travelled more
Took more time off
Said yes to more experiences
Downsizing isn’t about having less for the sake of it.
It’s about creating space—for the life you actually want.
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