Minimizing?

I want to decrease the amount of stuff that I own.  After reading many blogs and books written by those who embrace the practice of minimalism I have come to the conclusion that I really don't want and certainly don't need all the stuff that I have.  However, while I think it would be great to be able to pack all my belongings in a couple of suitcases I don't think I could do it as I also want to be prepared for emergency situations such as what happened in New York and New Jersey when hurricane Sandy hit the east coast.  In addition, I have a small family plus one dog, one cat, and one horse and each requires their own stuff.  So... how to have it all while not having all that much?

Perhaps I should start with the easiest one; the cat.

Needs: litter, litter box, litter scoop, cat carrier with pad, cat food, water, two bowls - not too bad.

Next, the dog.

Needs: leash, buckle collar, training collar, extendable leash, dog food, water, two bowls, crate with pad, poop bags for walks - hmm, does the dog really need two leashes and two collars?  I guess I could just use the buckle collar if I don't mind being pulled all over the neighborhood - nope, I want the training collar.  As for the two leashes, I could probably make do with one and in actuality I have about four, so if I decreased to two would'nt that be making some progress?

I think I will skip the horse for now...  Too discouraging.  Of course I could sell or give away my animals which would certainly minimize and simplify my life, but I enjoy them too much to do so.

First minimalizing step: give away two leashes - it is a start.

Stress

The women in my neighborhood appear to be under stress and what I call "recession depression." It could be the men feel it as well, and I am sure many do, but the women will talk about it. We had a meeting a day ago with a social worker who defined depression (mental) for us and talked about ways to combat depression, all of it good information, but I felt what we really needed was an opportunity to express ourselves to each other, to talk about how we feel. It would be comforting for me to learn that I was not the only one who felt discouraged and worried. Sometimes my husband will come home and say, "Guess what happened at work today?" I instantly worry that the news will be bad news, that my husband is no longer employed (normally I am an optimist). My 17-year-old daughter told me today that she did not ask boys to girl's-choice dances at school because we were so short on money. Obviously this "recession depression" does not only affect adults.

So what can we do about this? How do we get back to a happier state of mind?