I embraced a minimalist lifestyle a couple years ago and it has changed my life drastically. To some it seems extreme or as the latest fad, but is it really? Before we bought more cars than we could drive or built houses we could never fill, human beings lived with very little.
Stuff just does not make me happy and if I think back far enough, it never did. The novelty wears off pretty quickly and then we’re on to the next best thing. Whatever it may be.
What I enjoy more of is good friends, good health, close family. Take those things away, no matter how big the house is or designer the outfit, life would be pretty empty.
i love talking about being a minimalist. I love sharing how living a minimalist lifestyle has made me a more realistic and rational thinker, how much it has saved my bank account and how much it has enhanced my gratitude for everything I have been blessed with.
Not just that. Think about what it does for the environment and how it qualms hyper-consumerism. Man, I could talk for miles on this, but today, I thought I’d share just a few areas where my minimalist lifestyle shines through. The areas I think anyone can refine and adapt to.
Food
Good food is essential in my household. We’ve committed to purchasing food we will more than likely cook instead of food we think looks nice in the fridge and makes and appearance just before it expires. This helps us to manage spending on food and also lessens the chance of over indulging. We keep healthy food that doesn’t call for or come with lots of packaging as well. I’ve come a long way. Trust me.
It’s still a work in progress as snacks seem to always be in good stock at our house and as you can probably guess, they come in tons and tons of plastic. Yes we recycle but not all the waste we produce can or is recycled. Hence the reason our landfills are bursting at the seams. To help with cutting our consumption of snacks and other unhealthy foods that we love and spend a shit ton on, we’ve condemned them to only making an appearance on weekends. Thats when we eat the pizzas and ice creams and M&Ms. Good food + better health + less waste = winning!
Wardrobe
I’m yet to post on my wardrobe but I work with a capsule wardrobe. Sean has an extensive one that we need to work on but on my end, we have it in tact. The 80/20 rule is perfect for wardrobes as we really do only wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. And so, I choose to own only the 20%. If you need sequin dresses and 5 inch stilettos, my house is not the place to be. I don’t follow trends or clothing line seasons. I buy clothes I like, that are classic and are of good quality. This ensures longevity, a decrease in funding fast fashion and less draining my wallet on shoes that sees the light of day all but once. And I’m quite proud to say, I own no clothes with the tag still on.
Skincare and Beauty
You’d see on my Instagram often my musings of my skincare and beauty regimens and you’d notice that I make a conscientious effort to use everything I buy until it’s done. I scour throngs of research before I make purchases because we know the beauty industry is not about us looking good for cheap. Beauty items are expensive and very easy to go into waste. It is also very easy to get carried away. All the blogs and stories and YouTube videos is sure to send you into a buying manic if you’re not paying attention. Minimalism here has saved me a lot of money.
Like my wardrobe, I buy good quality items that I can use for a long time. I save for new purchases and buy only what I can realistically use. My skincare regime has dwindled to the same four products at both day and night and I have no complaints to share.
House Stuff
Same concept here. Less is more. I love a clean, airy space and that’s what I aim for. I have minimal furniture, little to no knicks and knacks and only wall art and other decor pieces that I can look at and smile everyday. You won’t find three TVs or furniture that people are not allowed to sit on or glasses only guests are allowed to drink in. Everything has a purpose and everything brings us some sort of joy.
In the end, minimalism is very personal. Everyone has their own concept of the minimalist lifestyle and that’s exactly how it should be. I’m not here to preach on a high horse on right and wrong ways of living. I’m sharing simply what works for me and how it can probably work for you, if that’s the direction you see yourself heading.
I strive to live a life where I’m not surrounded by things that don’t matter. We have no control over so many other aspects of our lives, but not this one. So come on over to this camp! Lol.
So how’s my sales pitch? Are you living a minimalist lifestyle? Do you think this can ever be the lifestyle for you?
…….thanks for stopping by!
PS ~ Minimalism – How I Found Joy Living With Less and Beauty Products: When to Splurge, When to Save.
Published: July 9, 2018 6:00 AM