Owning Less Stuff
I met a fellow 3 months ago who really understands Minimalism and Investing. His name is Gabe Bult, and we have become friends on Facebook. Today I want to share two of his recent posts.
David Parham
6/17/20265 min read
OWNING LESS STUFF
I met a fellow 3 months ago who really understands Minimalism and Investing. His name is Gabe Bult, and we have become friends on Facebook. Today I want to share two of his recent posts.
Before we get into Gabe Bult’s articles, I want to reminisce for a few moments. As we travel through life’s journey, we cross many paths. I was reflecting on probably the five most important men who changed my life and direction. I don’t think any of them were by coincidence, but God had them in his master plan for my life. I will briefly speak of the five I feel had the most impact thus far.
Jack Frost – Not the Icey cold guy, but the Computer Programmer who was my boss at my first job after college. He hired me at Wichita General Hospital in 1971 as a junior programmer and taught me that the computer was just junk iron and it only did what you told it to do. A trait that led me to have a successful (and ongoing) programming career for over 55 years.
Jack Rushing – He was the pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, who convinced me to correct my life at age 22 and get back on the road to serving my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I probably would not have lived to be 23 if he had not explained that God’s love was why I was being chastised and my health was failing. 53 years later, I am still healthy and serving God.
Fred (Buddy) Bryant – He was my second pastor at Victory Baptist Church (and later at Grace Baptist Church) and laid the groundwork for my basic understanding of Bible Doctrine which led to us starting up the two websites we currently have on bible studies. InternetBible.net was started in 1997, and our new one started in 2024. KjvBibleStudies.net
Danny Taylor – My third pastor at Grace Baptist Church. He further developed my biblical understanding and helped me to learn about the Meat of the Word. Many of our bible studies on KjvBibleStudies.net were prepared from his outlines.
Dave Ramsey - I had been investing for years, but never gained much traction due to poor money management. Dave Ramsey, in his podcasts and radio shows, got in my face and told me that basically the problem was with the guy in the mirror. (Me). I had to stop using stupid credit cards, eliminate all debt, and live like God planned for us to do in the Bible. In 2022, we finally got 100% debt free, including our home. Using his simple investment techniques, we have acquired several thousand dollars in our Five Roth IRAs, and they are growing and compounding at huge yearly percentages. Read about investing the Dave Ramsey Way here.
While not yet on my list, here is a possible candidate for upcoming 6th place as one of the most important men in my life. Time will tell. His daily insights have so far been great.
Gabe Bult – I have only known this fellow 3 months. I came across him on You Tube and loved his story. By being ultimately conservative and cutting corners, he was able in 10 years to build up a million-dollar portfolio. His down-to-earth teachings really resonate with me. We are friends now on Facebook. This week’s minimalism article is based on two of his Facebook posts. I will probably share more over the next few months.
Pro 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
I'm Begging You to Own Less Stuff
By Gabe Bult
Here's what nobody tells you about everything you own.
1. Every possession has a mental weight.
You have to clean it. Dust around it. Put it away. Find a place for it. Even if you don't notice it — it takes up bandwidth. Every single day.
2. Your house becomes impossible to clean.
Before minimalism my closets were packed. My house was always a mess. Half my Saturday went to cleaning. Now we can clean our entire house in 5 minutes every night. Three kids. Five minutes.
3. You feel embarrassed when people drop by.
When your house is full of stuff you're always one unexpected visitor away from panic. Once everything has a home that feeling disappears completely.
4. You stop enjoying what you have.
When you're constantly buying the next thing nothing feels special. I got rid of 80% of my clothes and kept only what I actually wear. Now I actually like everything I own.
5. You're spending more than you think.
Every $100 you spend isn't really $100. After taxes you had to earn $130 to spend that $100. After all your fixed expenses — housing, car, bills — you might only have $3 to $5 an hour in actual free money. That $100 shirt cost you 20 hours of your life. Not 5.
6. You're trading your life for stuff.
We buy stuff with money. We trade our lives for that money. Therefore our stuff is our life. That trade is almost never worth it.
7. The rules I use to De-clutter:
The 90/90 rule — haven't used it in 90 days and won't use it in the next 90? Get rid of it.
The 20/20 rule — If you can replace it in under 20 minutes for under $20? Let it go without thinking twice.
The 90% rule — if it's not a heck yes, it's a no. Clothes. Commitments. Purchases. All of it.
Start with one corner of one room.
It's addictive. You'll keep going.
Here is article two.
The Simple 1 Million Dollar Difference
By Gabe Bult
I grew up with a kid who had the same skills I did. Actually more than me. I dropped out of high school.
We started working around the same time making similar money.
12 years later I left my job at 24 and became a millionaire in my 20s.
He is still living paycheck to paycheck.
Same starting point. Completely different outcome.
Here's what separated us.
1. I understood that you pay for everything twice. Once when you buy it and once in the opportunity cost of not having that money invested. $1,200 sitting in random stuff you never use could be $5,400 in 20 years. Every time you buy something that doesn't matter you are choosing not to have double or triple that money later.
2. I thought about cost per use not price tag. A $100 cast iron pan you use for 20 years is cheaper than a $20 non-stick pan you replace every year. I sold my hot tub because the energy cost worked out to $25 per use. I would never pay $25 to use a hot tub. So it's gone.
3. I used the one-week rule. I never impulse buy anything. If I want something I wait a week. Most of the time I forget I ever wanted it. This one habit has saved me more money than almost anything else.
4. I stopped buying things for someday. Someday is not a day on your calendar. Just in case is why your house is cluttered and your savings account is empty.
5. I never replaced things that still worked. I don't upgrade my phone until it's completely dead. I drove an old Honda Civic for years because it got me where I needed to go. The average car payment right now is over $700 a month. That's the difference between building wealth and staying stuck.
6. I defined enough. When you know what enough looks like you stop chasing more. When you stop chasing more you build margin. Margin is what buys freedom.
He bought a new car as soon as he started making money. I drove the old one and bought a rental property instead.
That's the whole difference.
Pro 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
Pro 1:6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
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