After 9/11, former President Bush urged people in the US to get out and shop. This was doing one’s bit for the US economy; we are too aware of what he regarded as his bits to do.
According to the NY Times, that strategy – the one for ordinary people – is getting seriously rethought. People are actually saving now. The Times article also has some interesting observations from the recent field of happiness studies, which has never seen much in the way of benefits in having a lot of money.
Some people are trying to do with very few clothes or personal possessions. See also here and here (referred to in the NYT article). And no doubt hundreds of other sites. This is a deep strain of thought in the US, and of course many other cultures and countries.
And of course there are these often very attractive tiny houses. If you have a tiny house on wheels, you get a moveable dwelling and freedom from lots of ordinances. 
Books are a problem, but I think one can just decide a category won’t count. Ditto for notebooks, reprints, etc.
This all seems to me very appealing. One attraction is being in control of one’s things by getting them down to a number one can actually hold in one’s mind. At the same time, one has much less need to think about the things.
What do you think? Does your office illustrate the minimalist approach? Would/do you want it to?
Addition: Rob’s comment (#2) reminds me of a facet of the NY Times article that I only just mentioned. It has quite a long discussion of recent research in “happiness studies.” It turns out that in general human beings are not to good as telling what is going to make them happy, at least in the sense of contributing to pleasure and a sense of satisfaction. It’s worth reading. One bit of advice I like is that if there is something you want, waiting for as long as you can to get it will making having it more pleasurable.
I have in the past considered residing in a sailboat. I love beautifully designed small spaces. I also love the very small Toronto house pictured above. But books–until I go for all digital–are a problem. Libraries help.
“Overall, I find little evidence that homeowners are happier by any of the following definitions: life satisfaction, overall mood, overall feeling, general moment-to-moment emotions (i.e., affect) and affect at home. The average homeowner, however, consistently derives more pain (but no more joy) from their house and home.” Source
I love it that you posted this! Downsizing must be in the air… I sold my car yesterday to go car free and have one less big thing to worry about. Now I am looking at all my stuff and wonder what else I can let go of.
A wonderful resource for passing on stuff (and getting some if you need to) is freecycle. It’s an international organization that lets you find new owners for the things you no longer want. It’s a bit more personal than just donating…
I noticed that you linked to the same article twice (the one with the six pieces of clothing). Did you mean to link to this article on consuming less with your first link? It’s called “But Will It Make You Happy?”. (If not, it’s also along the same lines…)
Rachel, thanks so much for the correction; you were right.
I love that you love it. I also agree about freecycle, though I’m thinking of giving stuff to an impoverished friend so she can hold a garage sale. I think that could work.
Frog, I agree about beautiful small spaces; the woods used can also be very beautiful. Unfortunately, I also love beautifully designed medium sized spaces.
Rob, thanks!
I’ve also recently gone car free – I only had an (old) car because I was given it by a family member, and now it has gone to the great scrap heap in the sky… Bike + Train is the way to go… :-)
Some towns in the UK now have a Freegle rather than a Freecycle. One advantage of using these outlets (or giving to friends) rather than giving to charity shops is that at many charity shops an awful lot of what is donated goes in the bin. Oxfam shops usually do particularly well for donations, and end up binning, yes binning, lots of books and other stuff. I have complained to them about it but not got anywhere. So unless your stuff is in excellent condition and in demand, make sure you Freegle/Freecycle it, or look around to see which local charity has the most shabby stock and donate there.
My (rented) home is largely furnished with stuff from Freecycle, family & friends.
Not owning a home is only fun for those who know they will have enough money to pay the rent… And even when you do have enough money, you face getting chucked out of somewhere you like when the landlord wants it back…
Thanks for your comment, Tina. I’ve mended the link to Freegle, which was broken.