There are moments in life when you suddenly realize that all the stuff you’ve collected over the years brings more burden than joy. I had that moment some time ago – and it completely changed how I view ownership and finances.
My passion for collecting: A life full of boxes
I've been a collector my whole life. It started early – with audio tapes and comic books. Later came horror novels, then CDs, a massive film collection, and eventually a big video game library.
Collecting always meant something to me. I enjoyed owning things, organizing them, archiving them.
But then came the moment when joy turned into baggage.
I’ve moved seven or eight times in my life – and every time, the same boxes followed me. Boxes full of DVDs, games, books. Stuff I had carried around so many times that I stopped unpacking them. They just stayed in the basement – a dusty archive of my life.
A final decision: It has to go
At some point, I realized: I don’t want to move anymore. This apartment is my last. I’m staying here.
That also meant: The stuff had to go.
I started selling everything. Bit by bit. Old movies I’d never watch again. Games I’d never play again. Books I’d long forgotten.
At first, it was tough. After all, I had spent a lifetime’s worth of money on these things.
But then I realized: Every item sold made me feel lighter. And not just that – it brought in money.
So far, I’ve made thousands of euros from these sales. And I can put that money to better use.
Minimalism as a financial strategy
I’m far from being a minimalist. Anyone visiting my apartment wouldn’t think so. But I’m on that path. I no longer want to own more than I truly need. I don’t want shelves full of things that just collect dust.
I want my money to work for me – not be tied up in objects that weigh me down.
Instead of sinking money into collections, I now invest it.
Every sale means shedding some weight – and growing my investment portfolio. I’m trading dead objects for dividends, for long-term financial security.
It’s a process. Minimalism doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a mindset shift.
But I can already feel the difference: Owning less makes me calmer. And having more money for my future makes me feel safer.
Conclusion: My new goal
- I only keep what I truly use or love.
- I let go of what weighs me down.
- I turn collections into investments.
- I'm moving step by step toward minimalism.
Minimalism doesn’t mean sitting in an empty room with one chair.
But it does mean not letting things control me anymore.
I decide what stays – and what goes.
And in the end, what remains is more freedom, more clarity, and more financial independence.
Here I explain what financial freedom means to me.