Is there a subsect of the minimalist community that's focused on portable living?

Submitted ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨CorrodedCranium@leminal.space⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

https://leminal.space/pictrs/image/4e1d3ff5-4f69-414c-b2c8-a2f8f703e1da.jpeg

In communities dedicated to everyday carry items like wallets, knives, and electronics you’ll frequently see community favorites that kind of act as the standard.

That and memes like the photo I linked made me think about a community of pseudo minimalist people who focus on living with portability or functionality in mind. Things like sleeping in a sleeping bag on a cot, relying on a docked laptop for gaming, or only using a single bowl for a majority of your meals.

It’s a bit of a long shot and odd question but I’d be interested to see what they’re passionate about.

Before people make Reddit style quips I’m not talking about not being well off or homeless. I’m also not really talking about people who have to move for work like truck drivers or people who stay in hotels. More like easily being able to move

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BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
That’s pretty close to what most people would call Van Life. There are massive communities around that.

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- CorrodedCranium@leminal.space ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Thanks but that’s still kind of on the fringe of what I’m looking for. I feel like that’s more about working within the confines of the van rather than living effectively.
  
  Someone trying that might be stuck using a hotplate but they could still have a decent sized mattress and gaming setup for example if that makes sense. It seems more like living densely
  
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- PrimeMinisterKeyes@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Maybe I’m missing something here, but plenty of folks - blue collar workers, technicians, engineers - have away jobs where they work in different places for weeks or months at a time, and there are landlords who specialize in providing this clientele with bare-bones furnished apartments.
  
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hakunawazo@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Are they on a budget now?
Image

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ryathal@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Id probably slide the TV stand closer to that outlet. You can at least attempt to hide wires.

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- VindictiveJudge@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  At the least, the chair should be properly squared with the TV.
  
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- NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Agree. All these wires make the room look rather messy.
  
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Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
How awful. That cable management makes my eyes hurt.

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- Rolando@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Cable management is for work. In my happy place, I just let my cables run wild.
  
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  - deranger@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Cable management inside my PC case vs cable management behind my desk. The former is close to immaculate, the latter is no fucks given.
    
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captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
So talking about portability, I had a job in another city, I would do some of it from home like CAD work and then drive into town a few days a week to run machine tools etc. I had a system of bags I lived out of. My backpack which contained my laptop and my portable “office,” my tool bag in which I have a wide variety of capability, and a duffel bag with clothing, toiletries and such to keep a man running for 3 days. I could carry all three at once with a free hand and I can be ready for a 4 day, 3 night away mission in minutes.

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- Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  
  my tool bag in which I have a wide variety of capability
  
  Somehow that sounds a bit threatening, like Liam Neeson in hat one oft-memed scene.
  
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  - captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    fear a man that carries a framing hammer and a gas powered soldering iron in the same bag.
    
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- Rolando@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Side-zip duffel bags are awesome. I had to live across town for a couple days, and 90% of my clothes fit in two largeish bags.
  
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dharmacurious@slrpnk.net ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Have you looked into vanlife groups? It’s not the same exactly, but most of the items they use should translate pretty well to nomadicish apartment life

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- Preflight_Tomato@lemm.ee ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Second this. Vanlife stuff is focused on size, mass, durability, efficiency, replaceability, repairability, modularity, price. There is nothing better than vanlife videos for learning how to live minimally within an apartment.
  
  Some additional tips,
  
  folding furniture.
  
  Human baseline happiness returns to set points. Remove something non-essential and you may be sad at first, but will eventually stop caring.
  
  No couch or TV: if it cant fit on/in my car or is fragile, I’m not buying it.
  
  if you don’t mind appearing “poor”, you may realize that the products that best fit all the above criteria are just basic things from walmart, target, etc. Those folding plastic tables and metal bed frames, plastic tubs and drawers, actually solve their problems 90% as well as traditional products at 10% the price, while being readily available everywhere. You don’t worry about damaging them either.
  
  take or leave advice. Maybe you want a nice desk. I have a nice office chair. It will be hard to move, but it’s worth it. The point is you can be minimal in unimportant areas.
  
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- reallyzen@lemmy.ml ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Prius Dwellers are probably the most hardcore at that
  
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  - dharmacurious@slrpnk.net ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    I had an ex boyfriend who lived for about a year in a geo metro with his boyfriend and two dogs. They didn’t sleep in it, though
    
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ApollosArrow@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
You’ll want to maybe start looking into some Asian cultures. There is a lot of minimalism there, like this guy m.youtube.com/watch?v=XBQBKseozuY

There are also some people who try their best to make it look like there is nothing in their apartment, but it’s really a full on transformer m.youtube.com/watch?v=XBQBKseozuY m.youtube.com/watch?v=XBQBKseozuY

There is also a youtube channel called Never Too Small m.youtube.com/watch?v=XBQBKseozuY

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- clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  That first link… Mr. Sibu is so cool! It’s a very different way of living than any I’ve seen before. I don’t think it’s as doable in the suburbs of the U.S. as it is in a proper city.
  
  Does make me think just how much junk I have cluttering the place up. Hmm.
  
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  - ApollosArrow@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Damn phone! Thank you for letting me know. I’ve updated my post.
    
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  - corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    
    I don’t think it’s as doable in the suburbs of the U.S. as it is in a proper city.
    
    I’ve read a few times that suburbs are horribly wasteful and inefficient to live, work, commute, or support for infrastructure. I’m not saying we should get rid of the suburbs so everyone can live sensibly, but I will tell you to get rid of the suburbs to save the planet (and live sensibly) :-D
    
    30-floor mixed-use towers clustered around the subway entrance, with parks around that, and agri/nature space around that. No bungalow burbs.
    
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- Bonsoir@lemmy.ca ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  This is actually inspiring. Not sure I could afford installations like in the second video though.
  
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mayo@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I’m portable because I like the idea of being able to move without it being a big project. I think most people are utilitarian in that they buy things that address a specific problem they have, though maybe people who like minimalist ideas would have a different threshhold for what constitutes a ‘problem’ and favour products that address multiple problems in the simplest way.

When I moved I did sleep in a sleeping bag for a bit, but practically it’s much easier to wash a duvet cover than a sleeping bag. Same goes for hammock vs. bed. My bowl situation started at 1, but I ended up washing this one bowl all the time and it felt wasteful and effortful. I still do eat breakfast out of the pot, but I would argue it’s the best solution and others should copy me :)

I think over a long period of time I’ll still be minimal, but have more specific things. It is genuinely more pleasant to eat salad from a salad size bowl/plate, pasta from a pasta bowl, soup or cereal from a cereal bowl, a latte from a latte mug, etc. Minimalism to me will always be about min/maxing items to squeeze the most joy out of life because I need that lift.

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Alpha71@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Lets be honest. Most people buy stuff to impress other people. At this stage in my life I have no fucks to give about that any more.

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- yoevli@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Speak for yourself. I buy stuff for my apartment because I want it to feel homey; I don’t really care what other people think of it as long as it looks presentable.
  
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  - CorrodedCranium@leminal.space ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    What would be something homey but not presentable?
    
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  - Alpha71@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Beg pardon, but are you male or female?
    
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- CorrodedCranium@leminal.space ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I get you. I rarely have other people over. I feel like if I had to start over, like if my place burnt down, I would live more like that
  
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Blaze@sopuli.xyz ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
You can probably crosspost on !minimalism@lemmy.world. It’s pretty quiet, but you might get additional answers

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compostgoblin@slrpnk.net ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
There was (is?) a subreddit called /r/onebag that might be like this. It was sort of minimalism taken to the extreme of condensing your possessions to a single bag. Definitely some overlap with the digital nomad community too

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AA5B@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I was going to post a Reddit style quip of bachelor stereotypes. I furnished my apartment like this when I was freshly graduated and again when I moved cities. But the difference there is it’s not really intentional, but other priorities. When you’re just starting out, where do you spend your money and time, and what do you care about?

I got a bed when the carpeted floor was uncomfortable. I got a second bowl when I was annoyed having to wash the first one so frequently. Hell, I didn’t graduate from a duffle to a suitcase until my gf at the time made me. It’s not about being minimalist but not having the need or the money

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- CorrodedCranium@leminal.space ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  It’s more the need aspect you mentioned that I’m talking about. People living with what works or is good enough. I feel like it can be totally be intentional. I imagine a lot of people just sleep with a mattress on the floor because they don’t feel like a bed frame is necessary for example.
  
  Where people draw the line is one of the things I’d find interesting if that makes sense
  
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WoahWoah@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
That carpet has too many… uh, “colors.”

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elvith@feddit.org ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
The issue is, that you can’t easily reach the fridge so you can’t get a new can of beer without getting up

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muntedcrocodile@lemm.ee ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I think that image annoys women as they are angry that men require so little to be happy.

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- Nawor3565@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  That’s a pretty sexist outlook. I don’t think the image makes an entire 51% of the population angry. And I think people like Jeff Bezos show that not all men require “so little to be happy”. It’s almost like genders are not hive-minds, and generalizing anything that broadly is only going to result in looking like a boomer who complains about how terrible their spouse is.
  
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  - muntedcrocodile@lemm.ee ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Wow look at you rushing to nobodies defence in the name of calling a joke sexist. Generally u can generalise most things.
    
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bighatchester@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
You need a sofa for when you have girls over but other than that I see nothing wrong .

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southsamurai@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I’m not seeing a question in there. What are you actually asking?

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- mayo@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  They’re wondering if there is a subset of the minimalist community whose goals are specifically nomadic.
  
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  - southsamurai@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Ahhhh, that makes sense now. Thanks
    
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  - RangerJosie@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    I’m not a member of any such community. But I keep things light. I don’t collect a lot of stuff.
    
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- KittenBiscuits@lemm.ee ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  What kind of work do they get into?
  
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  - southsamurai@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    When they were here, it was mostly farm work. My uncle had them cleaning stuff up around his place, and they did some picking at a strawberry farm that I know of.
    
    In bigger towns and cities, they tend to try and busk if they can, but don’t mind doing stuff like waiting tables, dishwashing, etc in restaurants. One of the guys has done a good amount of construction over the years. I’m pretty sure they’ve also done some weed dealing here and there.
    
    They also do craft work and sell the stuff. Kinda junk imo, but it sells okay.
    
    But, when they’re in the right cities, what they really focus on is session work. Mostly bluegrass and folk, plus some standard country. From what they’ve said, a few weeks in Nashville can set them up quite well, assuming there’s enough going on that their contacts can get them working on. It isn’t necessarily something they can just roll up and be in a studio, though. They have to plan the stay ahead of time, based on there being work.
    
    One of the guys used to strip lol.
    
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Fluffy_Ruffs@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
…what’s the issue?

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- CorrodedCranium@leminal.space ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  It’s not an issue. Just a meme that’s common and demonstrates kind of what I’m after
  
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zante@lemmy.wtf ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Something like malesapces or male living space in Reddit.

It’s pretty tragic

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- yokonzo@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  What’s the issue? If I move I have to move like 4 things
  
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  - zante@lemmy.wtf ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    You might enjoy prison
    
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- CorrodedCranium@leminal.space ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  I feel like that’s 3/4 well furnished full spaces and the last quarter is people posting after getting divorced
  
  It did help me find MaleSurvivingSpace which seems a bit more like what I was describing with people having more of just the essentials without clutter
  
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  - zante@lemmy.wtf ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Good for you. I’m very supportive of living more simply, but sometimes it descends in to “competitive minimalism “ which i think is a bit weird .
    
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andros_rex@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Yes. I have very limited/cheap furniture. Almost everything I own comes from discount stores or thrifts. I don’t have an attachment to any of it. I’m debating going the Peace Corps so I don’t really want to own anything that I’ll have to pay to store.

Something that I’ve found works well for sleeping is a tatami mat and futon mattress. It’s best if you can air out the mattress and mat outside occasionally. But you can fold and roll both. You can also stack up layers of those $4 Walmart fleece blankets to adjust coverage.

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Nuke_the_whales@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I have two kids and a clutter bug wife in an apartment with me. I wish I could keep me living room this clear and simple

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toynbee@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Whenever I see an image with this caption, it usually looks mostly fine but seems like something about it would cause neck pain. Usually it’s because the TV is on the floor, but this time it’s because it looks to me like sitting comfortably in that chair and leaning back would require craning your neck to view the TV.

Also, I can’t tell for sure, but the chair looks like it’s a recliner. If so, it seems like reclining would bump into the bar area. Might be misjudging that, though.

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lurch@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
i have a table

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Etterra@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I have a bunch of bookshelves, and all that empty wall space hurts to look at.

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mycodesucks@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Just move the whole setup towards the camera by about 2 feet and you’ll not only hide that power outlet, you’ll get the recliner out of what looks likely to be a VERY poorly insulated front door. I can feel the cold radiating off of it in the winter already.

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- CorrodedCranium@leminal.space ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  Like the post says this isn’t my place it’s a really common meme and meme template. I’m looking for communities of people who live like this.
  
  It’s kind of minimalist but without the stressed cleanliness and lack of all clutter
  
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  - mycodesucks@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    Oh, I know. I’m not specifically talking to YOU. Just making a general comment in the second person.
    
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Anticorp@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
The issue is that the TV is too low for an optimal viewing angle.

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mayo@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I think of minimalism as an aesthetic or study in aesthetics that helps people live in gratitude for the things they do have. Minimalism has a core rooted in calm and pleasantness and I feel like if this ‘nomadic’ minimalism you’re describing fits into that then it could be a branch of minimalism. But the picture here is kind of depressing, haphazard, and I can’t imagine the person whose place that is would like to live that way for a long time. They did take a picture of it… I did that when I moved into my place but it was like ‘look how I’m living in squalor’.

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PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
I could fit 90% of my survival-related stuff into a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket in the trunk of my car. I know this for a fact, because I literally have a 5 gallon bucket full of survival gear in the trunk of my car right now, (because I’m going camping this weekend, not because I’m a crazy prepper…) It holds everything I need, except for my sleeping stuff and clothes, which just get thrown into a duffle.

It wouldn’t cover consumables like food or water, but it would at least be enough to survive in relative comfort. It’s really just a matter of how off-the-grid you want to be. I have a small saw and hatchet for making firewood. A wood burning stove for cooking and heat. The 5 gallon bucket actually doubles as a camp toilet, (I use compostable bags

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JTskulk@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Somebody build my idea: wall-mounted sock and underwear dispensers

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JTskulk@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Somebody build my idea: wall-mounted sock and underwear dispensers

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