I think the message of society (and by this I mean media and advertising) is that more is better. There tends to be a glorification of buying stuff merely for the object of buying stuff. "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" was ahead of its time in this regard. Now we have all kinds of such shows. I fell into the trap of going along with this type of thinking but have since seen the way in which my subconscious was manipulated.
The keeping up with the Jonses mentality is real and it's hard to step back and ask, "Why is this necessary?"
In the end the "stuff" needed for living by two software developers boiled down to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bergie/7662550710/in/set-721576...
(ok, on top of this there were two motorcycles that we rode over when the snows melted)
The weird thing about the move, however, is that thanks to Berlin rental situation, the flat we have there is bigger than what I ever had in Finland. While flats tend to come furnished, the place still seems very, very empty.
Given that we both have about two blocks of commute, the motorcycles are "unnecessary". But they certainly are fun on weekends.
Sometimes I work until midnight, while my partner likes to sleep without hearing me, or seeing the light from my monitor.
It's frustrating to move entirely into a new place, and find that the place looks empty and plain because you simply don't have enough objects to fill the place. In a way, it reminds me of dieting: I hate having to eat like an anorexic American just to look like a healthy Human, and I hate feeling like I need to fill my residence with objects just to feel at home there.
I want to live in a nice ~400 sqft apartment in a city. But those don't seem to exist. I want to pay less than $600 a month for rent, but apparently I earn two times too much to pay so little. So I'm stuck paying too much for a too-big place which feels awkwardly too empty.
I think that stuff might be the single biggest source of stress in my life.
Not acute stress - it's not like I'm underwater on a loan or anything like that. Just a sort of constant low-grade 'micro-stress' that comes from always having to look at a cluttered living space and never being able to find that thing I'm looking for.
Exhibit A: 6-10 year old Jerker desk (no idea of age, bought 4 years ago on CL) is one of the solidest pieces of furniture I've ever purchased.
Screenwriter John August says that Ikea's motto should be, "for now, it'll do".
Non-Ikea furniture often seems horribly overpriced. I think there is a furniture store in Mountain View that sells $1000+ shelves or coffee tables. You'd think there is a middle ground.
My solution has centered around two items; taking advantage of great sales at my preferred high-quality furniture retailer, and only going with the high-quality units for specific pieces of furniture.
I don't own a TV. In fact I doubt I'll ever own a TV again. Nor do I own a big sound system. I do own a table and chairs, a sofa and a desk. All but the desk I regret.
One thing that frustrates me no end is the one-dimensional nature of the housing and construction markets.
It seems that inner cities are (generally) expensive. Places are smaller, typically older and definitely more expensive per square meter. The further you go out, the places don't tend to get much cheaper (until you're really far out). They generally just get bigger.
Take Manhattan. I live downtown in a walkup. I could live across the Hudson in Jersey City. I'd pay slightly less but I'd have a much bigger and nicer place. But what if I just want a small place? Doesn't seem to exist.
Whenever this issue comes up I'm always reminded of the line from Fight Club:
The things you own end up owning you. [1]
It's totally true. I see a lot of posts (on mailing lists) from people moving to NYC. It typically starts out "I/we need a 2 bedroom apartment". Reasons vary. Sometimes it's for their "stuff". Sometimes they "need" an office. Sometimes they've simply never had smaller.
You can have that in the city but you'll be paying a fortune or living further out. The tradeoff is more apparent here than most places and it really forces people to make choices. Some cling to their stuff. Some don't.
[1]: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/quotes