What living out of a backpack taught us about “stuff”

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A sudden family emergency got us to pack all out stuff and move to The Netherlands. We organised everything and left Australia 6 days after the shocking phone call. At the time, we didn’t give ANY thought about the possibility of not being back within a few months.

Packing was easy other than we needed to buy winter clothes as it was summer in Australia and winter in Europe! A few comfort items and a couple of books topped up our packing and off we went with a backpack each and carry-on luggage each. Our life for the foreseeable future.

The first few weeks were fine – seeing family and friends. The children enjoyed playing with toys and games at Oma and Opas. We loved visiting museums and sightseeing. And of course we supported our family. Then the pandemic hit and we needed to stay longer than expected.

That is when we realised we were living a life of minimalism without knowing it. We had purchased some stationery and basic games to assist with homeschooling. Other than that, we didn’t seem to need anything else.

So what were some of the changes we made to avoid clutter and too much “stuff”.

1. Use apps and websites as much as possible

Every night I would prepare school work for the children for the next day of learning. We had no printer so I would write out math problems by hand. I would prepare spelling games and write out project tasks. The notebooks were filling up and this meant we were just accumulating stuff. Plus, I hate not being as sustainable as possible.

Homeschooling blogs were a great resource to recommend different websites for different subjects. Two of our favourite were National Geographic Kids for geography, science, and biology, and for everything else ABC Education. Both sites were easy for the children to navigate on their own and made learning fun.

We also began using apps for homework tasks or reminders instead of notebooks and paper. Not only is this better for the environment but it saves money and storage space. We preferred using Google Workspace Apps like Google Keep and Google Drive. These apps allow many collaborators and you can use them on all devices. Best of all, both are easy for the children to use and meant they could see what they needed to do and work at their own pace. This was especially handy when both hubby and I were working.

2. Think outside of the box with kitchen stuff and appliances

Like most other households, we are used to having a kitchen full of single-use gadgets and appliances. We soon had to get used to the fact that holiday parks are not that equipped. The basics are there but that means you need to be inventive if you need something else for a specific meal. Some of our “inventions” were –

• A small fry pan and saucepan lid became our toaster and toasted sandwich maker. We didn’t use oil or butter and we felt it was a quicker way to make these things. So much so we kept it up even when we had those appliances available
• A slotted spatula became a pasta spoon. I mean, do we really need a specific spoon for pasta? Some would say yes, but we aren’t spaghetti or fettuccine people so the slotted spatula did fine.
• A basic fork became a whisk. We may not be spaghetti people but we are pancake people and want to make sure we have lump free pancakes. We usually use a whisk or better yet, a blender. No such luck when you move around like us so a fork it is! This is actually a camping hack of ours so why not apply it to regular bricks and mortar living?

NOTE: What we did miss was having an oven. So we splurged on a Philips XL Air Fryer. Did this mean creating more clutter and stuff”? No – it actually reduces clutter. No oven trays or muffin tins. And many recipes and products on the market allow for you to not need measuring spoons or cups. Plus, it is an added bonus to have found a great way to be healthier too. (As we all know, a lock down has a way of challenging your healthy habits).

3. Recycling stuff can be turned into stylish home decor

During a gorgeous spring day (lock down) walk, daffodils had popped up in every open space we passed. How could we resist picking a few for the bare house we were currently living in! Afterall, flowers a plenty is what The Netherlands is famous for.

With no traditional vase, we scoured the sparse kitchen to see the perfect item in our recycling pile. An empty green beer bottle. This got us thinking about how we could use items, before we threw them out. Some of our recycled creations included:

• A wine bottle became another vase. If it is a gorgeous label, keep it on for some style and interest. Over the summer, we also used fascinating gin and rum bottles to hold flowers, sticks and feathers. (before you get any ideas; we did have a long weekend away with 4 other friends)
• Matching salsa jars became candle holders. The atmosphere that this created was so magical. And all we needed to buy was a bulk bag of long lasting tealight candles. We had several sets over the months; to use inside and out.
• And at Christmas we placed battery operated fairy lights in unusual shaped jars. Our small, naked living space now turned into a cosy home.

4. Switch bathroom products

We don’t have a large house in Australia. Yet, we do have two bathrooms so unless we travel we don’t all share a bathroom with the children. Now having two pre-teens, bathroom products have suddenly tripled. Just before we left Australia we had started using shampoo bars as our aim was to be completely plastic free. We shopped online with a store called Biome. Their product range is vegan and animal cruelty free, so we were hoping to find another store or brand with the same values. Fortunately we discovered a Dutch brand called The Happy Soaps. This was an added bonus as their products were exactly what we were looking for! We were even able to get storage tins for the bars; taking out the guesswork of sizing other storage solutions.

Our ever-growing collection of plastic bottles in the bathroom was now replaced by two bars of soap. Our small bathroom now looked bigger without the clutter. And it smelt fantastic!

Final Thoughts

Everyone has their own reason for wanting to have less “stuff”. For us it wasn’t a discussion or goal for 2020 – it just happened. How does it feel now because of these changes? Lighter? Less stressed? We have no idea! For us it was about packing and unpacking and saving money. But for you it could be a different motivator.

We would love to hear why you want to have less “stuff”. Or what you would do if you were in our situation?

UPDATE September 19 2022: We are about to reduce our lives down to a backpack again and go travelling! Do you want to keep up to date with our adventure as it happens? Subscribe now so you are one of the first to know what we are up to!