--- title: Why Everything I Own Fits in One Bag description: One-bag living has simplified my life in a way that very few other things have canonical: https://time.com/3758013/why-everything-fits-one-bag/ author: TIME article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-25T19:17:16.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T08:56:52.757Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Why Everything I Own Fits in One Bag og:description: One-bag living has simplified my life in a way that very few other things have og:url: https://time.com/3758013/why-everything-fits-one-bag/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte1ca441efad6308e/69878529524fc0d081ded14d/481535983-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=447&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 447 og:image:height: 251 og:image:alt: man-backpack og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Everything I Own Fits in One Bag twitter:description: One-bag living has simplified my life in a way that very few other things have twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte1ca441efad6308e/69878529524fc0d081ded14d/481535983-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=447&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why Everything I Own Fits in One Bag > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=b5a43737-6f9b-4544-b5cf-ff32b7bfd197&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 430,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 50.7% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=b5a43737-6f9b-4544-b5cf-ff32b7bfd197&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=b5a43737-6f9b-4544-b5cf-ff32b7bfd197&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. It reaches 430,000 subscribers with a 50.7% open rate as of August 2026. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. by [Leo Widrich / Buffer](https://time.com/author/buffer/) ## Leo Widrich / Buffer Mar 25, 2015 7:17 PM UTC  The life of an adventurer... The life of an adventurer... Getty Images by [Leo Widrich / Buffer](https://time.com/author/buffer/) ## Leo Widrich / Buffer Mar 25, 2015 7:17 PM UTC About 2-3 years ago, I decided I wanted to start to declutter my life gradually. I went from one backpack and a carry-on bag to just one backpack. I count the following things as my belongings at this point: * 6 T-shirts * 2 sweaters, 2 hoodies * 1 coat * 2 pairs of dress-pant sweat-pants * 6 pairs of socks and boxer shorts * 1 backpack * An iPhone, a Kindle, 1 notepad and a MacBook Air (+ keyboard and mouse) * Gym shoes and gym shorts * Various toiletries like toothbrush, contact lenses, etc. When I say “things that I count,” it does actually mean that I’m somewhat cheating. I did only live with the above things until I moved into an apartment earlier in 2014. Since then I bought some kitchen utensils as well as a mattress, bed, a couch, some lamps and a desk. I do plan on getting rid of these things in early May again, so I’m putting them on a separate “temporary” list in the meantime. ## Declutter your life, declutter your mind If you have ever [cleared your desk one morning before working](https://blog.bufferapp.com/how-to-optimize-your-environment-for-creativity-with-the-perfect-temperature-lighting-and-noise-levels), you’ll know the feeling of tranquility and peace this can give you. I found that that is exactly what happens when I got rid of most things I owned, apart from the crucial essentials. Here is a list of the amazing benefits I observed from [getting rid of stuff:](https://open.bufferapp.com/month-minimalism-challenge/) * No decision-making about what to wear in the morning, more decision making about stuff that actually matters * I can pack for trips in 5 minutes * I go clothes shopping about once a year (more on that below) and don’t waste any more time on it * There are less things to think about and there is more simplicity in my life * I don’t spend a lot of money on stuff * I indulge the “Is this all you have?” questions at borders after a long-haul flight In order to see things clearly in life, and observe reality as it truly happens, owning less stuff is a super valuable step. Of course, I’d never claim to be at a place where I can truly do that—see things as they are, without attachment or judgement—but I have an intuition that owning less things sets me on the right track towards that. ## Replacement shopping There are of course moments when you have to go shopping and buy new things. I managed to do this while keeping to a minimalist lifestyle with one simple rule: --- > “” --- So if I buy new shoes, I throw out my old pair of shoes. If I buy a new coat, sweater or T-shirt, the old sweater, coat or T-shirt are thrown out or given away. Between my co-founder [Joel](http://twitter.com/joelgascoigne) and myself this lead us to call it “replacement shopping” or “clothes replacement day.” Over the last few years, I also went up in quality gradually every time a new clothes replacement day came around. Recently, I invested in a [MissionWorkshop backpack](http://missionworkshop.com/products/bags/backpacks/roll%5Ftop/medium%5Frambler.php) ($380), ordered a pair of [custom tailored jeans from Gebrueder Stitch](http://www.gebruederstitch.at/) ($535) and bought a coat from Burberry ($2200). The prices for these things may sound expensive at first, but I plan on owning and using them for several years to come, which makes this well worth the cost broken down over that period of time. I’ve also made an effort to prioritize function over form—although at a very high level of quality, luckily often both are included. Dustin Curtis had some great thoughts on this with his post “[The Best](http://dcurt.is/the-best).” ## Getting started with one bag living The thought for many to get started with one bag living is a scary one. Luckily Greg McKeown wrote a terrific book titled “[Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less](http://www.amazon.com/Essentialism-The-Disciplined-Pursuit-Less/dp/0804137382),” where he outlines a very handy technique: --- > “” --- Jessica Dang also wrote [a great getting-started guide on one bag living](http://www.minimalstudent.com/a-beginners-guide-to-one-bag-living/) that you can check out. One-bag living has simplified my life in a way that very few other things have and I can highly recommend giving it a try. _This_ [_article_](https://open.bufferapp.com/living-one-bag/) _originally appeared on_ [_Buffer_](http://open.bufferapp.com/)_._ _More from Buffer:_ * [The 29 Most Common Social Media Rules](https://blog.bufferapp.com/social-media-rules-etiquette) * [My Month of Minimalism: How I Decluttered My Life](https://open.bufferapp.com/month-minimalism-challenge/) * [The Joys and Benefits of Working as a Distributed Team](https://open.bufferapp.com/distributed-team-benefits/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3758013/why-everything-fits-one-bag/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3758013/why-everything-fits-one-bag/"},"headline":"Why Everything I Own Fits in One Bag","datePublished":"2015-03-25T19:17:16.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:56:52.757Z","description":"One-bag living has simplified my life in a way that very few other things have","url":"https://time.com/3758013/why-everything-fits-one-bag/","keywords":["Culture","Living","advice"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte1ca441efad6308e/69878529524fc0d081ded14d/481535983-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Leo Widrich / Buffer"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte1ca441efad6308e/69878529524fc0d081ded14d/481535983-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"man-backpack","caption":"man-backpack","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/culture/","name":"Culture"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3758013/why-everything-fits-one-bag/","name":"Why Everything I Own Fits in One Bag"}}]}] ```