How to Downsize to Under 100 Things

Have you heard of the 100 Thing Challenge? The challenge was started by Dave Bruno, who calls it "my little way to personalize my efforts to fight American-style consumerism."

"A lot of people around the world feel 'stuck in stuff,' " Bruno explains. "They feel like their closets and garages are too full of things that don't really make their lives much better."

After reading about the 100 Thing Challenge, I decided to commit to living for a full year with only 100 personal items. At that time, we lived in a huge two-bedroom apartment, with two cars, overflowing closets and a kitchen stuffed with two sets of dishes and silverware. The 100 Thing Challenge has helped me streamline and simplify my life.

Whether or not you go to the extreme that I did, the 100 Thing Challenge is a useful exercise. No matter how much stuff you have, the challenge will force you to inventory your possessions and examine your buying patterns. The intent is to figure out what you really need in your life so that you can focus on what matters. Here are some tips for getting started: