> I do also tend towards minimalism but as a way to increase my freedom, not the opposite.

These things increases my freedom.

You binge on traditional physical possessions deprivation and then you binge on gadgets. This doesn't sound like freedom to me, but like 2 constraints, and not the kind of constraints which frees (and you wouldn't use this possible freedom, because you are eager to live a modern tech life with a modern tech job and all the constraints that go together with those once more). Just listen to the way you speak of it: I need, I cannot do without, etc.

I find a single pair of socks would make my life more complicated.

I wear them every day. I wash them weekly. Not complicated.