Minimalists Unite
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As an aside...I found it very easy to get rid of my stuff. Was way harder to get rid of my parents things. Took me a series of paring down to do it. Last things that went were their high school annuals. I dreaded it, but once done I didnt look back.1
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JerSchmare wrote: »Well, I’m minimalist in terms of modern society, but not minimalist in terms of, I own the absolute minimum. For one thing, I don’t need to do that, so it’s goofy to force it. For another, what it means to me is to live below your means. That means that you are saving and investing adequately and you aren’t trying to impress people. You just do what is practical. But, when I lived on a boat, I was bare bones minimalist. But, I had to be because space is limited. I find it rather easy to adjust to that, if needed. But, currently, I have too many shoes.
I agree it’s silly to force it and isn’t at all the point. Some people latch on to minimalism and see it as a goal rather than an overall mindset, so they force themselves to downsize to some arbitrary number of items or tell themselves they aren’t truly a minimalist unless they fillintheblank. That’s the problem with it becoming trendy. My friends think I give a crap if they have a lot of stuff and they apologetically say “but I could never live like you..” Then please don’t! Do what you want. That’s all I’m doing.4 -
seltzermint555 wrote: »I have a lot of clothing, accessories, and footwear - I wear it all, keep it organized & sorted, donate stuff regularly to declutter my wardrobe - but that prevents me from calling myself an actual minimalist.
When I lost all my stuff in a tornado 7 years ago, I decided it was time to live with less stuff and didn't replace most of it. So many things I'm happier without. I still enjoy decor but am a lot pickier and more mindful about it. I don't collect anything or want a bunch of knick knacks around. For gifts, I focus on consumables like food & cosmetics/skincare & other personal care stuff. I have a much healthier bank account and focus a lot more on doing things outside, traveling, etc.
My husband however is a true blue minimalist. We're both very frugal and try to avoid waste. We wouldn't choose to live in a tiny house but a lot of that is for practical reasons. Where we live (Midwestern city) it's not expensive to own a house let's say 1200-1400 square feet. It wouldn't be ALL that much cheaper for us to live in a home with 500-700 square feet...utilities wouldn't be drastically less, for one thing, and resale or profit from building a tiny home here would be pretty dire. There is no demand for it here. However, as a two person household we're rambling around in 1200 square feet and we have just about ZERO clutter. I like that!
this sounds minimalist - tiny house is a whole other ball game- I love them though
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NewlifeinNW wrote: »As an aside...I found it very easy to get rid of my stuff. Was way harder to get rid of my parents things. Took me a series of paring down to do it. Last things that went were their high school annuals. I dreaded it, but once done I didnt look back.
I tell myself I’m anxious to get rid of my parents’ things but I’m sure in the moment it’ll be way more complicated than that.0 -
caco_ethes wrote: »JerSchmare wrote: »Well, I’m minimalist in terms of modern society, but not minimalist in terms of, I own the absolute minimum. For one thing, I don’t need to do that, so it’s goofy to force it. For another, what it means to me is to live below your means. That means that you are saving and investing adequately and you aren’t trying to impress people. You just do what is practical. But, when I lived on a boat, I was bare bones minimalist. But, I had to be because space is limited. I find it rather easy to adjust to that, if needed. But, currently, I have too many shoes.
I agree it’s silly to force it and isn’t at all the point. Some people latch on to minimalism and see it as a goal rather than an overall mindset, so they force themselves to downsize to some arbitrary number of items or tell themselves they aren’t truly a minimalist unless they fillintheblank. That’s the problem with it becoming trendy. My friends think I give a crap if they have a lot of stuff and they apologetically say “but I could never live like you..” Then please don’t! Do what you want. That’s all I’m doing.
I get that too, friends apologizing for their stuff...I don't care how much stuff they own. I am definitely guilty of saying "I'm not minimalist because fill-in-the-blank" and it's because of minimalism YouTubers with their one bowl to use as a cup, wine glass, bowl and plate. Ok, I exaggerate...A LITTLE...but yeah, it's definitely more of a mindset.
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seltzermint555 wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »JerSchmare wrote: »Well, I’m minimalist in terms of modern society, but not minimalist in terms of, I own the absolute minimum. For one thing, I don’t need to do that, so it’s goofy to force it. For another, what it means to me is to live below your means. That means that you are saving and investing adequately and you aren’t trying to impress people. You just do what is practical. But, when I lived on a boat, I was bare bones minimalist. But, I had to be because space is limited. I find it rather easy to adjust to that, if needed. But, currently, I have too many shoes.
I agree it’s silly to force it and isn’t at all the point. Some people latch on to minimalism and see it as a goal rather than an overall mindset, so they force themselves to downsize to some arbitrary number of items or tell themselves they aren’t truly a minimalist unless they fillintheblank. That’s the problem with it becoming trendy. My friends think I give a crap if they have a lot of stuff and they apologetically say “but I could never live like you..” Then please don’t! Do what you want. That’s all I’m doing.
I get that too, friends apologizing for their stuff...I don't care how much stuff they own. I am definitely guilty of saying "I'm not minimalist because fill-in-the-blank" and it's because of minimalism YouTubers with their one bowl to use as a cup, wine glass, bowl and plate. Ok, I exaggerate...A LITTLE...but yeah, it's definitely more of a mindset.
Half of those minimalist youtubers have dreds, a bong, two tank tops, no undies, tie dyed leggings, and a light my fire spork. It’s so unrealistic. I mean two tank tops??1 -
caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »As an aside...I found it very easy to get rid of my stuff. Was way harder to get rid of my parents things. Took me a series of paring down to do it. Last things that went were their high school annuals. I dreaded it, but once done I didnt look back.
I tell myself I’m anxious to get rid of my parents’ things but I’m sure in the moment it’ll be way more complicated than that.
You know, a fire could take all those decisions out of your hands
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NewlifeinNW wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »As an aside...I found it very easy to get rid of my stuff. Was way harder to get rid of my parents things. Took me a series of paring down to do it. Last things that went were their high school annuals. I dreaded it, but once done I didnt look back.
I tell myself I’m anxious to get rid of my parents’ things but I’m sure in the moment it’ll be way more complicated than that.
You know, a fire could take all those decisions out of your hands
My dad is married to a hoarder. I don’t think he’s changed the lint trap since 1987.1 -
caco_ethes wrote: »seltzermint555 wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »JerSchmare wrote: »Well, I’m minimalist in terms of modern society, but not minimalist in terms of, I own the absolute minimum. For one thing, I don’t need to do that, so it’s goofy to force it. For another, what it means to me is to live below your means. That means that you are saving and investing adequately and you aren’t trying to impress people. You just do what is practical. But, when I lived on a boat, I was bare bones minimalist. But, I had to be because space is limited. I find it rather easy to adjust to that, if needed. But, currently, I have too many shoes.
I agree it’s silly to force it and isn’t at all the point. Some people latch on to minimalism and see it as a goal rather than an overall mindset, so they force themselves to downsize to some arbitrary number of items or tell themselves they aren’t truly a minimalist unless they fillintheblank. That’s the problem with it becoming trendy. My friends think I give a crap if they have a lot of stuff and they apologetically say “but I could never live like you..” Then please don’t! Do what you want. That’s all I’m doing.
I get that too, friends apologizing for their stuff...I don't care how much stuff they own. I am definitely guilty of saying "I'm not minimalist because fill-in-the-blank" and it's because of minimalism YouTubers with their one bowl to use as a cup, wine glass, bowl and plate. Ok, I exaggerate...A LITTLE...but yeah, it's definitely more of a mindset.
Half of those minimalist youtubers have dreds, a bong, two tank tops, no undies, tie dyed leggings, and a light my fire spork. It’s so unrealistic. I mean two tank tops??
The ones I watch are like stark Swedish aesthetic and own nothing that isn't black or white. Equally unrealistic though!1 -
seltzermint555 wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »seltzermint555 wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »JerSchmare wrote: »Well, I’m minimalist in terms of modern society, but not minimalist in terms of, I own the absolute minimum. For one thing, I don’t need to do that, so it’s goofy to force it. For another, what it means to me is to live below your means. That means that you are saving and investing adequately and you aren’t trying to impress people. You just do what is practical. But, when I lived on a boat, I was bare bones minimalist. But, I had to be because space is limited. I find it rather easy to adjust to that, if needed. But, currently, I have too many shoes.
I agree it’s silly to force it and isn’t at all the point. Some people latch on to minimalism and see it as a goal rather than an overall mindset, so they force themselves to downsize to some arbitrary number of items or tell themselves they aren’t truly a minimalist unless they fillintheblank. That’s the problem with it becoming trendy. My friends think I give a crap if they have a lot of stuff and they apologetically say “but I could never live like you..” Then please don’t! Do what you want. That’s all I’m doing.
I get that too, friends apologizing for their stuff...I don't care how much stuff they own. I am definitely guilty of saying "I'm not minimalist because fill-in-the-blank" and it's because of minimalism YouTubers with their one bowl to use as a cup, wine glass, bowl and plate. Ok, I exaggerate...A LITTLE...but yeah, it's definitely more of a mindset.
Half of those minimalist youtubers have dreds, a bong, two tank tops, no undies, tie dyed leggings, and a light my fire spork. It’s so unrealistic. I mean two tank tops??
The ones I watch are like stark Swedish aesthetic and own nothing that isn't black or white. Equally unrealistic though!
Jenny Mustard? I adore her!0 -
caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »As an aside...I found it very easy to get rid of my stuff. Was way harder to get rid of my parents things. Took me a series of paring down to do it. Last things that went were their high school annuals. I dreaded it, but once done I didnt look back.
I tell myself I’m anxious to get rid of my parents’ things but I’m sure in the moment it’ll be way more complicated than that.
You know, a fire could take all those decisions out of your hands
My dad is married to a hoarder. I don’t think he’s changed the lint trap since 1987.
Might need that some day. My Dad had about a hundred old pill bottles with every screw, paperclip, tack, etc from 1963 forward.
*disclaimer: 1963 was pulled straight outta my *kitten* as a year guesstimate0 -
caco_ethes wrote: »You know what’s weird? The week before our fire I was visiting my friend to help her mom declutter. She (my friend) teases me about being a minimalist so I sent her a picture of my wardrobe when I got back because I had finally gotten it exactly how I wanted it. I still have the pic.
I now have three times as many clothes thanks to friends gifting me things. I have to resist the urge every day to donate a bunch of it.
Sigh. I pack more than that for a long weekend.
I was much more of a minimalist when I was young and single and living in a tiny apartment in NYC. But it’s like George Carlin pointed out, the more space you have, the more stuff you get to fill it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JLoge6QzcGY
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I down sized my house by 1/3 with my last move. The only thing I really miss is a 2nd, or at least 1/2, bath on the main floor. That way there could be at least one bathroom that isn't a mess. I could live in something even smaller once the kids have left the nest. As far as stuff - I'm like @seltzermint555. I don't like having a lot, but I'm also too frugal to have a cycle of buy, donate, buy...2
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caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »As an aside...I found it very easy to get rid of my stuff. Was way harder to get rid of my parents things. Took me a series of paring down to do it. Last things that went were their high school annuals. I dreaded it, but once done I didnt look back.
I tell myself I’m anxious to get rid of my parents’ things but I’m sure in the moment it’ll be way more complicated than that.
You know, a fire could take all those decisions out of your hands
My dad is married to a hoarder
I am when it comes to screws, fasteners, latches, bolts, nuts, nails, and the like. I have boxes and jars filled with misc stuff I find and keep, but I am the one every comes to when they need something.
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NewlifeinNW wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »As an aside...I found it very easy to get rid of my stuff. Was way harder to get rid of my parents things. Took me a series of paring down to do it. Last things that went were their high school annuals. I dreaded it, but once done I didnt look back.
I tell myself I’m anxious to get rid of my parents’ things but I’m sure in the moment it’ll be way more complicated than that.
You know, a fire could take all those decisions out of your hands
My dad is married to a hoarder. I don’t think he’s changed the lint trap since 1987.
Might need that some day. My Dad had about a hundred old pill bottles with every screw, paperclip, tack, etc from 1963 forward.
*disclaimer: 1963 was pulled straight outta my *kitten* as a year guesstimate
No my dad’s a minimalist too. He doesn’t change the lint trap because.. nevermind
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caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »As an aside...I found it very easy to get rid of my stuff. Was way harder to get rid of my parents things. Took me a series of paring down to do it. Last things that went were their high school annuals. I dreaded it, but once done I didnt look back.
I tell myself I’m anxious to get rid of my parents’ things but I’m sure in the moment it’ll be way more complicated than that.
You know, a fire could take all those decisions out of your hands
My dad is married to a hoarder. I don’t think he’s changed the lint trap since 1987.
Might need that some day. My Dad had about a hundred old pill bottles with every screw, paperclip, tack, etc from 1963 forward.
*disclaimer: 1963 was pulled straight outta my *kitten* as a year guesstimate
No my dad’s a minimalist too. He doesn’t change the lint trap because.. nevermind
Now I'm curious. Also wondering if never changing a lint trap might cause a fire. Hmm...0 -
caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »As an aside...I found it very easy to get rid of my stuff. Was way harder to get rid of my parents things. Took me a series of paring down to do it. Last things that went were their high school annuals. I dreaded it, but once done I didnt look back.
I tell myself I’m anxious to get rid of my parents’ things but I’m sure in the moment it’ll be way more complicated than that.
You know, a fire could take all those decisions out of your hands
My dad is married to a hoarder. I don’t think he’s changed the lint trap since 1987.
Might need that some day. My Dad had about a hundred old pill bottles with every screw, paperclip, tack, etc from 1963 forward.
*disclaimer: 1963 was pulled straight outta my *kitten* as a year guesstimate
No my dad’s a minimalist too. He doesn’t change the lint trap because.. nevermind
See, you should just sit and be smart and pretty. Jokes don't work.
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I have nothing on my walls because I like to use my imagination.0
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caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »As an aside...I found it very easy to get rid of my stuff. Was way harder to get rid of my parents things. Took me a series of paring down to do it. Last things that went were their high school annuals. I dreaded it, but once done I didnt look back.
I tell myself I’m anxious to get rid of my parents’ things but I’m sure in the moment it’ll be way more complicated than that.
You know, a fire could take all those decisions out of your hands
My dad is married to a hoarder. I don’t think he’s changed the lint trap since 1987.
Lint can be very sentimental.0 -
Motorsheen wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »NewlifeinNW wrote: »As an aside...I found it very easy to get rid of my stuff. Was way harder to get rid of my parents things. Took me a series of paring down to do it. Last things that went were their high school annuals. I dreaded it, but once done I didnt look back.
I tell myself I’m anxious to get rid of my parents’ things but I’m sure in the moment it’ll be way more complicated than that.
You know, a fire could take all those decisions out of your hands
My dad is married to a hoarder. I don’t think he’s changed the lint trap since 1987.
Lint can be very sentimental flammable.
Yes. Yes it can.0 -
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After my divorce, I moved into a small 2 bedroom place. Both my daughters share a small bedroom and we all share one bathroom. I hated it at first and it took a long time to get used to, but we are still here and I actually prefer a smaller place. Way easier to keep clean and my utilities are cheap. It's what I can afford and I'm glad we've learned to embrace the smaller home. A 2nd bathroom would be awesome though.
I find the minimalist thing intriguing. I hope to purge more junk. And I totally need to delete all the thousands of photos I'm hoarding on my phone.2 -
caco_ethes wrote: »You know what’s weird? The week before our fire I was visiting my friend to help her mom declutter. She (my friend) teases me about being a minimalist so I sent her a picture of my wardrobe when I got back because I had finally gotten it exactly how I wanted it. I still have the pic.
I now have three times as many clothes thanks to friends gifting me things. I have to resist the urge every day to donate a bunch of it.
I like this. I'm in the process of going through clothes and other items I have which I don't need and donating most of it. Mostly clothes I've accumulated, books, and items related to hobbies I'm active in. Some stuff I'll sell. It really isn't a lot of stuff when it comes down to it, especially compared to people who have so much crap they can't put cars in garages or rent big storage units.
Ideally, I'd like to get down to where aside from furniture, the rest of it would fit in my car. Or, on it such as bicycles on bike racks.
I've been in a number of hoarder homes, and it's just gross to see so much stuff and to conditions most of them live in.3 -
Avocado_AS5 wrote: »After my divorce, I moved into a small 2 bedroom place. Both my daughters share a small bedroom and we all share one bathroom. I hated it at first and it took a long time to get used to, but we are still here and I actually prefer a smaller place. Way easier to keep clean and my utilities are cheap. It's what I can afford and I'm glad we've learned to embrace the smaller home. A 2nd bathroom would be awesome though.
I find the minimalist thing intriguing. I hope to purge more junk. And I totally need to delete all the thousands of photos I'm hoarding on my phone.
It's interesting if you look back at the homes built prior to the 1960's. Most of them were smaller, two bedrooms and a small bathroom. Maybe three if they were a little more well off, or had a very large family. But, kids shared a room, possessions were minimal and modest. Then, I'd say that once the baby boomers started to grow up, and TV became much more prevalent, is when the "need" to have more stuff took off.
I live alone in a two bedroom, single floor townhome with a one car garage. I could easily go back to a 1BR apartment. But, it's more a matter of convenience for me as the location is perfect and the second bedroom is used as my home office/guest room for when my parents come to visit. I give them my room since it has a queen bed, and I sleep on a cot while they're here.
Once I no longer have a need to remain here, I'll downsize into a small 1BR apartment if I can find one. Or, once I get closer to retirement, I'd design and build a small house to my liking.2 -
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JerSchmare wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »You know what’s weird? The week before our fire I was visiting my friend to help her mom declutter. She (my friend) teases me about being a minimalist so I sent her a picture of my wardrobe when I got back because I had finally gotten it exactly how I wanted it. I still have the pic.
I now have three times as many clothes thanks to friends gifting me things. I have to resist the urge every day to donate a bunch of it.
I can appreciate this. I think it’s cool when one can live this way. I really do. But, I want to ask, because I really do struggle with this...I have a professional job. I have to dress up. At the same time, the dress policy at work has relaxed so I can now dress down a bit, but due to my responsibilities, I still have to sometimes dress up. In addition to that, I work out everyday. In addition to that, I also wear home clothes, pajamas, and weekend clothing. So, I have dress shoes, casual shoes, workout shoes (both running and flat for squatting and stuff), cool shoes for bar hopping, boots for rain or motorcycle riding, etc.
I really don’t get how one can just have such a small amount given the variety of life. Again, I am not criticizing, it’s more of a matter of interest.
I don’t feel criticized at all and it’s a good question. I’m self-employed, so I don’t have a dress code requirement to meet. I don’t wear overly professional attire like suits. I have found that when I wear skirts, people frequently ask why I’m so dressed up, so it works well in an office setting. Most of my clothes are basics, so I could just as easily wear them sledding as I could to the office. Mixing and matching basics satisfies my desire for variety. I also stuck mostly to black/gray tones rather than including brown so I didn’t have to have double the shoes.
What you don’t see hanging are my lounge clothes and active wear which are in the dresser. I had several capri pants and leggings that doubled as both. I had three each of running shorts, sports bras, and shirts, which was adequate because I typically do laundry every day. All my undergarments were in the dresser as well.
I try to stick to layers so that the majority of my things can be worn year round. There were, however, a few things I couldn’t use in the winter. A water resistant skort and crop pants as well as three pairs of sandals: flip flops, merrells, and some dress sandals.
I also had two down jackets, one heavy and one light, a pair of ski pants, and snow boots.
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JerSchmare wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »You know what’s weird? The week before our fire I was visiting my friend to help her mom declutter. She (my friend) teases me about being a minimalist so I sent her a picture of my wardrobe when I got back because I had finally gotten it exactly how I wanted it. I still have the pic.
I now have three times as many clothes thanks to friends gifting me things. I have to resist the urge every day to donate a bunch of it.
NVM. Had some questions, but you explained this later on. So, I edited my post to say nvm.
Haha! Oops. Well pardon the repeat0 -
Motorsheen wrote: »caco_ethes wrote: »You know what’s weird? The week before our fire I was visiting my friend to help her mom declutter. She (my friend) teases me about being a minimalist so I sent her a picture of my wardrobe when I got back because I had finally gotten it exactly how I wanted it. I still have the pic.
I now have three times as many clothes thanks to friends gifting me things. I have to resist the urge every day to donate a bunch of it.
You don't have a winter coat? I call shenanigans.
You wouldn't need a winter coat either if you spent most of your time standing next to raging structure fires.
I didn’t see this til now
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