I didn’t choose the minimalist life, the minimalist life chose me.
I met my husband when I was seven years old. By the time I was 12 I made it known that I would marry him and no one could do anything about it. We started courting at 15, were engaged at 18, married at 19, and started a family that same year. There are many wonderful things about being married young. Being married young is the greatest adventure and I wouldn’t change it for the world. But there are some things, besides what typical married couples deal with, that are a challenge; one being money. Since we started off young and are still in the infancy stages of our careers, we had to learn fast what being frugal really meant. The three of us (me, my husband, and our 7 month old daughter) live in 750 square foot house and probably will for at least another year while we save for our own home.
I was forced into being a minimalist. The minimalist life really chose me, but I have benefited more than I ever thought I would. Living simply is something I would encourage everyone to do, whether you have a mansion or a tiny apartment. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Make a List- I LOVE lists. I can make lists for days. I have lists for things I want to make. Make a list of things you want (or need) to change; a list for things you dislike around your house; a list for things that stress you out, etc.
- Remove Clutter- Do I really need 30 pens in my junk drawer? Probably not. Do you need to keep all of your 16 year old daughter’s baby clothes? Not really. Identify the most cluttered area and start there. Getting rid of clutter is such a relief and makes you feel amazing.
- Make Four Piles- I know that a lot of people love their stuff. There are memories that we never want to let go of when we look at our things. If you have a hard time letting go of certain objects, make four piles: keep, donate, throw away, and maybe (items you should get rid of but can’t). Put everything from the “maybe” pile in a box and tape it shut. In 30 days if you still want it, open it up and keep it. If not, don’t even open it. C’est la vie.
- Start Small- If becoming a minimalist is overwhelming, start small. Look at your lists you’ve created and pick one area per day to de-clutter. Take joy in the small victories.
- Go Beyond Materialist- The minimalistic lifestyle goes beyond our material items. Becoming a minimalist helped me get out of debt and has also helped me emotionally. Sometimes it means you might be able to forgive someone you didn’t think you could. Pay it forward. Love and be loved. Get rid of the mental clutter in your life. I choose to be a minimalist not only in my physical life, but in my mental and emotional life as well.
There is no right or wrong way to being a minimalist. Just take one step at a time and truly experience the joy of simplistic living!
Let us know if you are thinking about becoming more of a minimalist! Take the plunge, and comment below!
This is one of my goals for my house and my life over the next 6 months!!! Thank you for the tips!!! ?
Hi Meghan!
Thank you for reading! That sounds like an amazing goal. I probably reorganize and downsize at least once a month and I love it every time! You can do it!
Love it!
Hi Andrea!
Thank you so much for reading it means the world to me!
I feel like I get rid of stuff regularly and don’t buy all that much, but somehow our closets are all still full!!
I collect more stuff than I get rid of. I read this rule once: want to buy something? Then you need to get rid of something… I have enough things for another household (or a much bigger house than I have!)
Closets are my biggest enemy! It’s hard when you work all day trying to downsize and then still look at your space and feel it’s cluttered! Cubbies literally saved my life. Everything goes in Cubbies in my closet. Also colorcoating your clothes might sounds like a little much but trust me, the results are beautiful enough to make you cry. 😉
I need to have this approach when it comes to my wardrobe. My goal was to tackle a declutter sesh pre-baby and now we’re seven months post. Hoping to still do when I have some time.
I LOVE minimalistic wardrobes. I didn’t start downsizing my wardrobe until my daughter was around that same age. I saw capsule wardrobes on pinterest and just fell in love. I would literally take one drawer at a time into my living room and let M crawl around while I went and did those fun piles I mentioned above. I’m now down to 50 pieces of clothes including shoes and lounge clothes! One of the best decisions of my life!
I was such a pack rat as a kid but something switched in me and now I’m a TOTAL purger. When it comes to clothes, I was told that if you don’t wear something for a year it needs to go- totally helps! That and I stopped buying stuff just because it was “cute.” I now have a list of classic staples in my Notes on my phone to keep me focused on purchases so I can mix and match- my splurge is on accessories to make the outfits a little different each time I wear them.Great tips!
Michelle
Local Shoppe
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