Simple Minimalist Lifestyle/Living With Less Stuff
Simple Minimalist Lifestyle
The minimalist lifestyle is getting rid of excess. For the hard-core minimalist, that may mean getting a tiny house, selling the car, or having only seven outfits, one chair, one plate, and one spoon, which is excellent if you genuinely want to. It will undoubtedly save you money and allow you to invest in experiences instead of material possessions.
However, what I want to offer here is more of a minimalist approach to your current lifestyle. Minimalism is more of an exercise in decluttering, so you can live with less stuff. So ahead and keep your house and the car, and let’s take a look at simplifying your lifestyle. Here are ideas to simplify your lifestyle with minimalist ideas without going to the extreme.
Living with less stuff
The first step is to stop and take inventory of what you currently have. Go to the garage and look at the boxes, broken tools, decorations, supplies, and all of the stuff you have in that one space in your home. After the initial shock and horror wear off, move on to the other rooms and make a note of all the stuff you have throughout the house.
Make a note of the junk drawers, closets, cabinets, and spaces full of this. Pull out a pen and paper, go through all those spaces again, and make a list of what you indeed use, need, and want to keep.
This exercise should help you identify some obvious stuff you must throw out right away! You should also notice some things you can donate because they are in good condition, and someone could benefit from items you no longer need.
Make a plan and get organized.
Start separating items and make three separate piles in every room in your home.
- Stuff you will throw away!
- Stuff you will donate.
- Stuff you will keep and put back where it belongs.
Only Store what you need
Now let’s clarify. If you look at something that you have not used in years, you probably do not need to keep it. For example, I have not looked at our wedding pictures for some time, and I will keep that until the day I die. You need to apply a healthy dose of common sense! If you are unsure, put the item aside and give yourself time to consider it.
Organizing is unique to every person. For example, If you enjoy reading books, having books in the home, and find joy in having a well-stocked bookcase, you should keep books in your home!
A minimalist lifestyle does not need to deprive you of anything. Having something in your home that you genuinely love falls into the essential category, and you should keep this!
Only buy what you need.
Buy what you will eat and eat everything you buy. A minimalist mindset eliminates excess, which could benefit your space and waist. Limited buying will also help you financially since a high percentage of our money goes towards food.
If you are buying club-size crackers and not eating them all before they go stale, you are probably not saving money and would be better off buying the standard size package at your local market.
Common sense is critical here because club items are of great value. This approach is about simplifying your lifestyle and should not stress you out. If you value it a enjoy it; then you should buy it.
We buy big bags of lettuce for salads, and we do not always finish it before it wilts. The better solution is to buy small packs of lettuce.
Only Keep what you will wear.
I have clothes in my closet that I have not worn in years. Why do I keep them? Why do I complain that I do not have enough space in my closet? Why don’t I donate some clothes and take the tax write-off?
There are probably 8-9 shirts that I wear most often, with a few more that I wear occasionally. There are probably 12-13 shirts I could get rid of and never miss. The same applies to my pants, shorts, and other clothes in my closet and dresser drawers.
It is time to donate and enjoy the newfound space I have in my closet with extra hangers.
Decorate with less clutter.
Decorate your home with items you enjoy but avoid the clutter. A wall only looks good with so many pictures, and an end table only looks good with so many things on it.
If a room looks cluttered, it is time to get rid of some stuff. The same approach applies. Keep what you love and discard the rest.
Only buy what you need.
You do want your bank account cluttered with money! Only buy what you need and save some money. The more you minimize your lifestyle, the fatter your bank account.
Fat wallets are terrific and to be enjoyed. When you start to live this way, you will begin to enjoy seeing the excess in your wallet. A minimalist mindset can help you become a money saver.
Only buy what you need and enjoy the simplicity of having less stuff.
The other side of this coin is buying quality instead of quantity. I remember buying a quality pair of shoes, and I spent like $130. Buying this is not something I would typically do, but I had those shoes for 10+ years and loved owning them. If you are going to have just three pairs of jeans, then you want quality jeans that will wear well and last. Quality matters.
Invest in what you love
When I think of investing in something, I want to keep it for its value. I have friends who will buy a car like Corvette and keep it forever. They will wash it, keep it serviced and enjoy it because they love it.
I have other friends who buy high-quality furniture because they will keep it forever and probably hand it down to their kids.
The idea of quality applies here because you want to invest in things you plan to keep and sell for a profit. A simplified lifestyle will allow you to mentally and physically focus on what matters to you.
Fill drawers with what gets used.
You only need one junk drawer. Everyone has one, and I am not saying you need to get rid of it if it makes you happy. I suggest you consider throwing enough away so it will still be functional!
Uncluttered drawers and cabinets are easy to use because there is a place for everything. It makes finding things more accessible, and you will be less likely to leave things laid out when it is so easy just to put them away.
Keep habits that help you live better.
A minimalist mindset can help you with your habits as well. Keep a few great habits and dedicate yourself to eliminating the bad ones. 24 hours a day is a long time if you are only applying a few great patterns and filling your time with productivity. Below are a few things to do to be productive.
- Sleep
- Exercise
- Eat
- Read
- Work
- Pray
- Socialize and have fun
- Relationships
- Serve others
- Pursue a passion
- Learn something new
- Get outdoors
Get good at those things, and you will not have time for anything else. Declutter your calendar and keep great habits on your schedule.
Only shop for what you will use
Consider shopping for things that you will use. Eliminate a one-and-done purchase where you will see it and put it in a drawer or closet.
Consumer products need to be helpful! Eat food, wear clothes, sit on the furniture, walk in shoes, ride bikes and use what you buy. If you purchase something that will clutter your space and not get used, please consider not buying it.
Trade quantity for quality
I already mentioned quality, but I think it is good to restate it. If you plan to have less stuff, then the stuff needs to be helpful l. If you have one clock in the house, it needs to keep time.
I use one mobile phone for business. I do not have a landline, and I need to rely on my phone to work all the time.
A minimalist lifestyle is about eliminating excess, so the stuff I have needs to be reliable. Quality matters and is worth the extra money.
Schedule healthy and productive activities
Your schedule and your habits need to be healthy and productive. If you are putting fewer things in your calendar, then you need to make sure you have better things on your calendar. Wasting time is the clutter in your schedule!
Be happy and healthy with focus and determination to do the right things every day. Doing useless things is just cluttering up your opportunity to do something great.
Only buy what you can afford.
If you commit to only having what you can afford, you will be well on your way to living a simple minimalist lifestyle. Living below your means will support your desire to live with less stuff.
For many, this means you can afford more experiences. You will have money to travel and see new things. You can do adventurous stuff with friends and family because you have the time and money.
Less is more with less stuff.
Living with less stuff should relax you. It should free you up mentally. There should be fewer things to fix and more to enjoy. You can clean a room quicker because there is less to move around. Material things will become less of a burden and more appreciated.
When you buy something new, you will find a place to put it because there is room. You will most likely replace items instead of using the new item.
You will enjoy the simpler things in life and appreciate what you have. Collecting new relationships and experiences will be your new habit that will fill your heart and not your closet.
How do I do this when my spouse and kids are not on board?
The only chance you have is to lead by example. So you can start with the spaces that are yours and hope they learn to appreciate the benefits.
If you keep an uncluttered garage, she might decide to keep a tidy kitchen. If you can’t figure out why your kids won’t clean their room, you should look at yours first. Kids tend to learn from what they see.
The example does not mean they will comply right away. But you stand a better chance by leading by example in this area.
Perhaps introduce a rule that says every time your kids buy a toy, they need to pick an old one to donate or give to a neighbor.
As hard as this new habit is for you, it will be even more challenging for them. Also, don’t let it influence you to return to your old habits. Hang in there and give this a try.
If you don’t enjoy minimalism, you can always go out and buy more stuff.
To your success.
