Cost of ownership

What is your favorite store? Mine is Home Goods. They have such cute things to make your cozy, neat nook. All these pretty boxes, labels, pillows… I can immediately imagine them in my house. I also imagine that my place starts to look like a design magazine; I already mentally turn the pages…

But then I come back to reality. I have only one medium-sized apartment, and it has just a limited number of walls and “nooks”. I cannot have all these fantastic design ideas implemented.

This thought helps. But what I found more appealing is the concept of Cost of Ownership. Think about it: as soon as you buy a thing, you take responsibility for taking care of it. The responsibility can be small (wipe out dust from a figure) or extensive (purchase insurance for your car), but still, you have it.

Some things already have built-in responsibilities: this cute country-style calendar you need to turn on every day. I am in the store, holding the calendar: it has a section for a month, a section for a day, a section for a year, a section for weather, and even a section for mood. It would be so cute to turn all these sections every day… I am in my apartment in a month, holding the dusty calendar: the sections are already unpleasantly bent. I did turn it… for a week. And since then, it has been standing in the corner of my desk, taking space. I am taking the calendar into the “donation” pile and imagining a $10 bill flying from my wallet to the pile…

What if you own a thing and simply ignore the responsibilities? Then this thing turns into junk and starts to litter your life. Your life itself is turning into a junkyard. All these rows and piles of dusty, broken, pity things, the stuff nobody is looking after… Is it what you are welcoming? Is it what makes you happy? Is it your life? Is it your worth?

What is wrong with taking a small responsibility for all these tiny figures, boxes, and signs? All these minor duties sum up very quickly, and eventually, you find yourself taking care of things most of your free time. What is your life about? Is it about taking care of your stuff? The cost of Ownership is not only about money but also about your time.

Also, things are taking space. They start decently: one corner of the shelf, then they spread out to the whole rack, then you see them on all shelves, and then when it is already not enough space on the shelves, they expand to closets and drawers. Then they try to steal all the space you previously had, and your spacious room looks less spacious than before… You might need a bigger room, a bigger house. It is because it is not you who are living. The things are living in your home.

The Cost of Ownership is also about your energy: physical (taking care of the thing), mental (thinking about the item), and emotional (worrying about the thing). All of these lead to attachment to the thing. As Buddhists know, attachment is the source of suffering in our life, while detachment is the basis for happiness. If you have too many things, you spend all your energy on them, and you have no additional energy to spend on people around you.

I must confess I do not live in a totally minimalist environment. I have nice things; I take care of them and enjoy them. But I found my balance, and it is based on the idea of the Cost of Ownership. Here are the rules I follow:

If I feel that the Cost of Ownership of a thing becomes too big, I get rid of it

 Usually, while I take care of the thing, I catch myself thinking that it is too much, and I do not enjoy it anymore. I analyze the thought further: is it simply by coincidence, or do I not need the thing already.

Cost of Ownership must be in balance with the benefit the thing brings

 In the same way, as the Cost of Ownership is not always material, the benefit can be non-material. If I own a painting that makes me happy each time I look at it, let it be!

Before welcoming a thing to my home, I estimate the Cost of Ownership

 What will it take to take care of the thing (including the energy involved)? Will the thing bring comparable benefits into my life? I close my eyes and visualize the item in my space and actions and emotions from my side. I imagine the thing as soon as I bring it to my house, imagine it in a week, in a month, in a year… Does it still feel good? If so, I go ahead.

I have limited resources: I chose one over another

 Let’s face the truth: I have limited money, time, and energy resources. If I have too many things, I cannot care for people. What is more important in my life? It is also helpful not to add new things. “One in-one out” rule works for me: if I bring in an item, I need to bring at least something out. It helps to keep balance in the long perspective.

I still like Home Goods: to look at new arrivals, to imagine a room with these items. I would take these new curtains and this jewelry box… Wait, what is the Cost of Ownership? Am I ready to take care of the thing and pay with my money, space, time, and energy? Will I get enough benefits in response?
And I’m sitting home looking at my new curtains (the old curtains are sent to Goodwill, “one in-one out”), drinking tea, and feeling happy that I didn’t take that jewelry box: I already own a much better one…