Kendra and I have been doing a lot of talking/thinking about being minimalists - parring down on what we have and living on less.
We hope to randomly be able to post on this subject (I think both of us have plans on minimizing our closets soon! :)) every now and then. We’d also love to hear from you all if you have ideas on the subject or have any goals that you’ve decided to tackle in this area yourself.
If you are like us, and want to get rid of “stuff” and start living a more simple life, here are a few baby steps to consider:
1. Get rid of unnecessary stuff (sell it or give it away…don’t throw it away unless it’s truly trash)
Instead of having 10 pairs of shoes, try parring is down to 5…or even 3 or 2. If you haven’t used that kitchen gadget for at least three months, it’s probably not a necessary item to keep in your home. Just take a look at what you have and really analyze what you have/need and start shedding the “stuff”
2. Buy more “permanents”, less disposables
3. Buy quality, rather than “convenient” or “cheap”
Cheap things often break quickly…then you have to go out and buy a new one! Focus on buying quality (for a little more money) and holding on to it for the long haul, making repairs or mending it as it wears down. Use money that you are saving from buying less disposables, to buy permanent, quality items.
4. Resist “buying”
Resist the temptation to buy something simply because it’s on “sale” and you “may need it someday”. If you have the urge to buy something, consider writing it on a wish list , then revisiting the list in a month to see if you still actually “want” it. Often times, you don’t want it anymore.
5. Mend, repair, call the company
Instead of just throwing something away because it broke, be a good consumer and call the company. Challenge them to make quality products and to repair/replace your product (unless, of course, it has been put to good use and has lived a long, useful life). If you don’t know how to repair or mend something, look it up or have someone teach you how.
Julie says:
Nice post. I have heard that an easy way to rid your kitchen gadgets we all have is to dump them in a box. If you actually go to the box to pull out an item you need to use, it goes back in your kitchen drawer. If after a certain amount of time an item remains in the box, you really don’t need it and can get rid of it because you’re not using it.
I thought that was a pretty neat idea
June 30th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
mom_of2boys says:
I like this post. I completely agree. I am in the process of doing the same thing. #5 is my toughest one. I think I’ve gotten started or through the other ones pretty well already. I have a bad habit of just throwing the stuff away.
June 30th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Andi says:
Amen!! I feel like every time I go out somewhere I come home with “stuff”. It’s been on my heart to re-examine our spending and hoarding habits. Thanks for the encouragement and the ideas! I look forward to future posts.
June 30th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Mrs. J says:
I agree on calling the company. Our 3-month rice cooker that was a wedding gift for us broke. My husband emailed the company about free replacement and they asked to give out the receipt number to them. We don’t have the receipt coz it was a gift but they still sent us a replacement. I’m struggling with #4 because I really like sale.
June 30th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Meshellyn says:
I love the idea of becoming a minimalist. I look around my home though and wouldn’t know where to begin. I have too much random stuff sitting everywhere it seems. Knick knacks, toys, random clutter… It’s overwhelming and I’m trying to sort, put away and toss. I really would love somebody to come into my home and look at it all and decide what I could live without, it’s a hard decision to get rid of things. I’ll enjoy reading updates as you ladies pursue this change!
July 1st, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Kristy says:
“Stuff” is definitely an issue for me! I’m a collector and just love a good bargain (bad combination!). After organizing and sorting through closets and drawers this past spring I came to the conclusion that if I don’t have room for it in my (small) home, I don’t need it!! This is a constant process though… I still find my home needing frequent purging (especially the girls’ bedroom… tips for paring down on toys and kids’ clothes would be most appreciated!).
~Kristy @ Homemaker’s Cottage
July 1st, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Stephanie says:
Great ideas! These are all things we have been working towards! It has been actually quite fun and freeing to minimize and live simply!
July 1st, 2008 at 3:54 pm
becoming minimalist says:
for what it is worth, my family of four just started down this road one month ago. i loved every moment. my wife has less enthusiastic feelings at times.
sounds like we may be going down this road together.
July 4th, 2008 at 12:02 am
Leonard Klaatu says:
I’ve been embarking on this for months now. It’s not easy, depending on your age. I’m older than you so I’ve had a few more years of accumulation. That just means I’ve got more crap to unload. That takes time. Just sorting though it all is a task of ridiculous proportion - proving that going minimalist is long overdue. Good luck to all of us as we attempt to free ourselves of the avalanche of consumption. “Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, I’m ALMOST free at last.”
July 7th, 2008 at 4:42 pm