Minimalism, and the minimalist lifestyle

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

I'd say you are being super nice!!  

[TMedina]

So, I've been deliberately downsizing.  I may, or may not quit my job, and the more useless fluff I give away, donate, or throw away, makes me feel that much closer to being free, if I decide to chuck it all, hand in my keys, and run screaming.

 

I'm actually using my moving/storage totes as improvised furniture and I rather like it.  Like being ready to bug out, but not.  Quite.

[Raincloak]

Moping (the emotional one, single "p") and cleaning for aforementioned upcoming party.  Feeling kind of disappointed by a number of things.  Hoping a tidy apartment and a pile of clean laundry will cheer me, but not optimistic.  Still, I might as well mope with clean clothes.  I'd like to declutter my clothes pile some more, but I've gotten rid of most of the stuff I don't wear, except for office and dress-up clothes, which I must keep around even though I don't wear them much.

 

Oh hi there closet floor, I'd forgotten what you look like.  I suppose I ought to discard some of that secondhand luggage in there.  I refuse to swear off traveling, but the backpack I took to Europe last year turned out to be too large, so maybe I should get rid of it and next time budget a couple hundred $$ for a pack that's the right size.

[TMedina]

19 minutes ago, Raincloak said:

Moping (the emotional one, single "p") and cleaning for aforementioned upcoming party.  Feeling kind of disappointed by a number of things.  Hoping a tidy apartment and a pile of clean laundry will cheer me, but not optimistic.  Still, I might as well mope with clean clothes.  I'd like to declutter my clothes pile some more, but I've gotten rid of most of the stuff I don't wear, except for office and dress-up clothes, which I must keep around even though I don't wear them much.

 

Oh hi there closet floor, I'd forgotten what you look like.  I suppose I ought to discard some of that secondhand luggage in there.  I refuse to swear off traveling, but the backpack I took to Europe last year turned out to be too large, so maybe I should get rid of it and next time budget a couple hundred $$ for a pack that's the right size.

 

Sorry to hear about the moping - hope things look better for you soon, whatever has you moping.

[Raincloak]

Well the living room looks pretty nice, the kids managed not to wreck it and everybody had a good time.  The bedroom's an awful sight, since I spent all weekend working and running errands and didn't have time to do things like put the laundry away, but I'd say progress occurred.  I need to clean up the houseplants, too.  They really, really need repotting and in some cases disposal.

 

Finally found time to get to the charity that was to receive my heap of old magazines for their waiting room.  There goes a couple sacks of clutter.  And paid some bills, which doesn't make my house any neater but does remove some dustbunnies from the corners of my brain.

[Waldo]

A brief philosphical question:

 

Can one be both a minimalist and a materialist?

 

A read an essay yesterday, against the whole "experiences over things" way of thinking.  While I disagree with the idea that its sexist (even in traditional roles, a male was no less domestic than a female; supply, upkeep and repair of the home/vehicles is very domestic), it does raise some good points.

 

Which led me to thinking about stuff.  I'm minimalist in a very modernist sense; modernism lies within the space between clutter and emptiness, generally highly structured because order is lacking clutter.  Modernism is typically critiqued as being cold and empty; to me though the lack of disorder in space is highly appealing.  But modernism is very much stuff, not a complete lack thereof.

 

Modernism does not eschew materialism.  I consider myself very materialist.  My home matters to me a great deal, it is my ideal setting.  I don't want to go places, I'd rather be at home.  The stuff I put in it is all well thought out.  Taken to the extreme even; often the stuff I desire doesn't exist (or is way out of my means), I must create it myself.  But I do spend a ton of time thinking about stuff; ever refining my idea of the perfect stuff set {stuff1, stuff2, stuff3, etc..} as it relates to space.

 

Then again, maybe I'm not very materialist and am just confused as to what it means.  I'm certainly nothing like a circa 80's material girl.  I don't buy things for the sake of buying things.  I really don't partake in the limitless well of stuff that is fashion or media, and don't view shopping as a pastime.  Nor do I collect (really, I do have a little (well organized) Star Wars collection); the difference between a collector and hoarder is merely organization and space.

 

As an example, this is my living room.  It certainly isn't lacking in stuff, but is modern and orderly.  I have that pic handy because on fathers day I found that one thing I had been searching for for a long, long, long time.  End table #2, the match to #1 (replacing the previous least perfect piece of the set of stuff).  We spent many, many, many hours searching for that one thing that completes the set of stuff that we deem perfect.  The same can be said of much of the stuff in there (though we disagree on accessories, I'm more minimal in that respect)..  The lamps were the result of an extensive search for perfection.  In future evolution of the space, the coffee table will be the first to go, it is the least perfect member of the set of stuff; it should be larger, and round.  This is a very materialist viewpoint, I think.  Stuff is definitely a preoccupation.  

 

 

[Jonesy]

1 hour ago, Waldo said:

A brief philosphical question:

 

Can one be both a minimalist and a materialist?

 

A read an essay yesterday, against the whole "experiences over things" way of thinking.  While I disagree with the idea that its sexist (even in traditional roles, a male was no less domestic than a female; supply, upkeep and repair of the home/vehicles is very domestic), it does raise some good points.

I completely agree and personally think she is rather sexist herself. Does she think that only woman can be domestic and/or like to buy things for their home? That's besides the point and might have skewed my opinion but she irritated me right off the bat. 

 

I'm fairly new to minimalism but I definitely think a person can be both a minimalist and a materialist. I think it just depends on how they go about it, how they signify their possessions and how meaningful those possessions are. Now I don't think you can both be an extreme minimalist and materialist. Their philosophies are just too opposite in the extreme cases but I think they can mesh well together. It makes me think it would be sort of like what Marie Kondo does. 

 

What you described sounds exactly how I would think someone can be both. 

 

[TMedina]

Fascinating topic, and I have to agree, at least in broad strokes.  Clearly, it depends on your point of view - some forms of minimalism eschew emotional attachment to material things, so a hammer is a hammer is a hammer, and you should not have more hammers than you need.  At the other end of the spectrum, I've seen arguments that propose "less stuff = better quality stuff".  And a carpenter may have three or four different hammers, each with a specific function that (s)he uses daily.  Whereas, if I have a dozen hammers collecting dust in a closet, I may have a problem.

 

I think someone raised the idea that while minimalists will discard the needless, we need not descend into self-deprivation, either.  The only real conflict between that definition of minimalism versus materialism is with the definition of materialism as "quantity of stuff" - hoarding, certainly, but so would Imelda Marcos and her infamous collection of shoes. 

 

 

[Elastigirl]

Interesting question. I read this thread, but often don't say anything, mainly because I worry that I'm not a true minimalist-whatever that means. I don't really like shopping, would rather spend money on things other than stuff, but yet I do have more things than the bare minimum. I want my home to be comfortable for my family and guest. 

[Raincloak]

Meh.  Like every "ism," there are many approaches.  I kinda like that Slate article's use of phrases like "secular spiritualism," but I think that author suffers from the common intellectual disease of deriding everything that even slightly whiffs of trendy.  

 

(As for the gender bent of materialism: well, I wouldn't call minimalism sexist, but I would say that women naturally need more stuff than men do to be healthy and happy.  Of course they do.  Biology as well as culture demands it.  That isn't good or bad of itself, unless you consider asceticism to be some sort of moral standard.  I don't.)

 

I wouldn't sweat the "more minimalist than thou," really.  Everyone starts and ends life naked and empty handed.  But we don't have to spend the interval that way.  There are people who do, but most of us don't, because that is not our nature.  We're humans.  We wear clothes, make tools and art, stake out territory, and collect possessions.  It's how we roll.  As with all natural instincts, the key is to use it to your advantage and don't let it get out of control.  Own your stuff, enjoy it, use it for the good of yourself and your fellow humans, use it to glorify God, and remember it's just stuff.  Having stuff doesn't make you enlightened, but not having it doesn't either.  Stuff is but a vehicle for behavior.  The real key is how you behave.

 

but what do I know.  My religion and my job both involve much study of the ethical uses of stuff, but there are other viewpoints on stuff and other people are entitled to said viewpoints.

[TMedina]

Interesting article on the "Should I keep this, just in case?" (http://lifehacker.com/deal-with-i-might-need-it-someday-items-by-asking-you-1783371967)

 

And in the comments, there's a fascinating topic on the 20/20 rule - can I replace this under 20 minutes, for less than $20?

[ThisMissisup2nogood]

I've been a minimalist all my life. Mostly because I travel around so much on a shoestring budget. Realizing how much you REALLY need to live comfortably changes your entire perspective, I think. 

 

I value experiences over things, relationships with people over the gifts I've received from them, and stuff is just stuff. 

 

I don't think there's anything wrong with owning things. If it brings you joy, why not have ten pairs of running shoes? It's only when your stuff becomes a shackle that it becomes a problem.

 

If you're feeling anxious and burdened by all your things, by all means, clear out some breathing room!

[Elastigirl]

On 7/5/2016 at 10:34 PM, Raincloak said:

 

 

I wouldn't sweat the "more minimalist than thou," really.  Everyone starts and ends life naked and empty handed.  But we don't have to spend the interval that way.  There are people who do, but most of us don't, because that is not our nature.  We're humans.  We wear clothes, make tools and art, stake out territory, and collect possessions.  It's how we roll.  As with all natural instincts, the key is to use it to your advantage and don't let it get out of control.  Own your stuff, enjoy it, use it for the good of yourself and your fellow humans, use it to glorify God, and remember it's just stuff.  Having stuff doesn't make you enlightened, but not having it doesn't either.  Stuff is but a vehicle for behavior.  The real key is how you behave.

 

but what do I know.  My religion and my job both involve much study of the ethical uses of stuff, but there are other viewpoints on stuff and other people are entitled to said viewpoints.

I didn't see this when you posted, but very well said!

[fitnessgurl]

On 1/10/2015 at 7:43 PM, kaelvan said:

What would be worthy of donating? I feel like lot of my stuff is just crap (sorry books, but some of you look like hell)

You could recycle the crappy books.

[fitnessgurl]

I've been paring down things for a while. My most difficult thing is books. I LOVE BOOKS. I have mostly non-fiction & seriously need to avoid sales from now on. I only buy books that cater to my interests. Hmmm...maybe I need to pare down my interests instead. Lol!

 

One of the things I am doing to get rid of books, more specifically cookbooks, is to make a list of recipes from the table of contents that I want to try. Once I have tried the recipe, it gets typed into PepperPlate, crossed off the list, & then I'm on to the next. The plan is to create a database of favorite recipes & donate the cookbook when I am finished.

 

With clothing, I just simply stopped replacing shirts, pants, & skirts once they've worn out. I've also taken my hangers & turned them around in my closet. Once I wear an item & rehang it, the hanger with the item is put back in the closet the proper way so that I know what I've worn & what I haven't. Once the season is over, all the hangers facing the wrong way will be taken out & clothes donated.

[Jonesy]

On 8/5/2016 at 1:35 AM, fitnessgurl said:

I've been paring down things for a while. My most difficult thing is books. I LOVE BOOKS. I have mostly non-fiction & seriously need to avoid sales from now on. I only buy books that cater to my interests. Hmmm...maybe I need to pare down my interests instead. Lol!

 

One of the things I am doing to get rid of books, more specifically cookbooks, is to make a list of recipes from the table of contents that I want to try. Once I have tried the recipe, it gets typed into PepperPlate, crossed off the list, & then I'm on to the next. The plan is to create a database of favorite recipes & donate the cookbook when I am finished.

 

My process with books, because I also have way too much, is to only keep the ones I know I'll reread. I've gone through all my books and marked the ones I have that I have not read yet and are the first to get tossed/sold/donated after I read them. For buying more books, because let's face it I won't STOP buying them, I have a list of must buy authors. Anyone not on the list doesn't get bought, It's helped a lot.

 

Love the cook book idea and I may steal it.   

[fitnessgurl]

On 8/9/2016 at 0:28 PM, Jonesy said:

 

My process with books, because I also have way too much, is to only keep the ones I know I'll reread. I've gone through all my books and marked the ones I have that I have not read yet and are the first to get tossed/sold/donated after I read them. For buying more books, because let's face it I won't STOP buying them, I have a list of must buy authors. Anyone not on the list doesn't get bought, It's helped a lot.

 

Love the cook book idea and I may steal it.   

Steal away. Lol!

[Raincloak]

My last pair of jeans has holes that are approaching indecent.  I think it is time to yield to the inevitable, clear out the closet, and go.... to The Maul.

[Jord]

I have a really hard time getting rid of beat-up shoes. What if I just want to wear them out to the yard to pick basil? How do I know when they are beyond usefulness? I FINALLY got ride of a pair of gross ballet flats that I had worn holes into the sides of. 

 

Next project is to get rid of some empty cardboard boxes that are consuming my life. 

[Jonesy]

3 minutes ago, Taddea Zhaan said:

I have a really hard time getting rid of beat-up shoes. What if I just want to wear them out to the yard to pick basil? How do I know when they are beyond usefulness? I FINALLY got ride of a pair of gross ballet flats that I had worn holes into the sides of. 

 

Next project is to get rid of some empty cardboard boxes that are consuming my life. 

 

I don't understand why my brain thinks I need to keep old shoes. I've literally never worn the beat up ones again. 

[Jord]

37 minutes ago, Jonesy said:

 

I don't understand why my brain thinks I need to keep old shoes. I've literally never worn the beat up ones again. 

 

I also have old beat up fall boots that I have worn maybe 1 time in the last two years. What if I need to go to an apple orchard or something muddy and it's cool weather and what if what if what if? 

[TMedina]

Tough one.  Keeping one pair of worn out boots is probably a wise precaution - if you had five pairs, that might be a problem.

[elinox]

I'm interested in de-cluttering, but I have concerns because I tend to hang onto things for sentimental value. I recognize the intelligence in donating items and trashing junk, but the process is incredibly stressful for me. 

 

Some background: I have a poor short term memory so I tend to attach memories to things. So when I go through old stuff, I'm reminded of where I was at the time, who I was with, what we did, what it smelled like, how I felt, etc. Going through things to then throw out is incredibly daunting and scary for me because it's getting rid of my memories through tangible objects.

 

Besides that, getting rid of things is also stressful because 1. someone paid money for it (either me or from a gift to me) and I don't want to waste it. Plus, donating it (things like clothing) is a great idea, but it bugs me that when I donate items I spent money on for free, places like the Salvation Army and Goodwill turn around and sell my free donations for their own profit. 2. I don't want to add even more to the problem of trash in America (this is a big issue with still-somewhat working electronic gear) and 3. I can see value in even the smallest things because I'm an animist and because of memories I have of said item. 

 

As an example, since earlier posters are talking about boots: I have a pair of hiking boots that are well past their prime but I don't want to get rid of them because they went out west with me on a cool vacation and are still, technically, wearable (they're not falling apart). They were sturdy and dependable and I feel like I'm being disrespectful to the shoes if I throw them out. 

 

I realize that I need to get rid of things, my house can obviously only hold so much, and it's frustrating because I know it's something I should do, but I always hesitate because it causes me a lot of mental discomfort and stress. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a hoarder, but I do tend to get attached to things pretty easily.

 

So I have some questions for the minimalists here:

1. How did you overcome the stress of loosing things you once held dear?

         a. Does anyone else attach memories to their objects? If so, how did you work through that when de-cluttering your life?

2. What did you do with the stuff? Donate it? Trash it? 

3. How did you decide what stayed and what was tossed?

4. Any other tips to at least get me started?

 

Thanks for any advice!

 

 

[Jonesy]

33 minutes ago, elinox said:

So I have some questions for the minimalists here:

1. How did you overcome the stress of loosing things you once held dear?

         a. Does anyone else attach memories to their objects? If so, how did you work through that when de-cluttering your life?

2. What did you do with the stuff? Donate it? Trash it? 

3. How did you decide what stayed and what was tossed?

4. Any other tips to at least get me started?

 

Thanks for any advice!

 

These are some great questions! Here is what I've learned that may or may not help you. 

 

1. They are just memories and if I have kept them hidden or out of sight then it's just nostalgia and it's probably not worth keeping. If the memories are really important to you, specially because you said you have short term memory, take a picture of the item and create a memory book or a digital scrapbook. That way you can even create a story or notes to go along with each picture. I also tend to think that if it's something small it's ok to keep around versus a large item that takes up too much room. 

 

2. It all depends on the items and the time of year. If it's not something that can be used again, I toss it. If its something that I think I can sell, I use buy/sell groups on FB or the app called Offerup. There are also trade groups on FB where you can post something and give it to others in need. I tend to not donate a lot of stuff to places that are going to turn around a sell it. Instead I reach out to local homeless shelters, woman's shelters, teen centers and food banks. 

 

3. This varies for me. I have not gotten it down but I like to start by asking myself questions. Does it bring me joy, is it something I've used in the last 6 months, and can it easily be replaced. 

 

4. I've started with rooms but I find that I end up moving stuff to different rooms and it doesn't get finished completely. One room sometimes is nice and clear but others not to much. 

[Raincloak]

1.  For any given memory, try to condense down to the smallest/most useful object attached to that memory.  For instance, let's say your memories of your grandmother are tied to a bunch of sweaters she knitted, and jewelry she gave you.  You've got the same memories for lots of different things, so keep only the items you like to wear or that really make you think of her, and let go the rest.

 

(by the way, short term memory is for tracking things that happened in the last few minutes, such as a phone number you just looked up.  A good way to deal with this is by writing things down on a notepad. If you have problems remembering things that happened longer ago than a few minutes, you have a medium-term or long-term memory problem.)

 

1b.  You might be the sum of everything that has ever happened to you, but that doesn't mean you need to store conscious memories of it all.  Some things are okay to forget about.  For example, it's totally okay to throw away anything that makes you feel guilty or depressed.  It's also okay to throw away things that you just feel "meh" about (like those six trophies you got for participating in softball as a kid).  Only keep stuff that really makes you break out in smiles when you see it.

 

2. Everything that can be recycled or donated should be.  Items that are sufficiently valuable to be worth your time to sell should be sold (your hourly returns may vary).  Everything that cannot be sold or used should be thrown away.  All of which should be done PROMPTLY.

 

Some people recommend keeping bins for "donate" and "repair" in addition to "trash" and "recycle."  Empty the bins at least monthly.  What I like to do is go around the house with a bag for donation, put things in until the bag is full, and then put the bag in the car.  Next time I'm out, it gets dropped at the thrift store.

 

3.  Your gut knows what really needs to stay.  Anything else can go, and probably should.  (If you're new at this, it's okay to start with only tossing the easy stuff.)

 

4.  Just start.  I bet you can find 15 things around your house that need to be trashed, recycled or donated right now.  Go on.  I'll wait.

 

Some people like to set themselves a challenge to get rid of one thing every day (or 1 the first day, 2 the second day, etc. etc. until the house is bare.)  I personally cannot be arsed with counting or with doing a little bit every day.  I just get a declutter buzz going a couple times a month, put on some music, and start picking things up and putting them in bags until I get bored or the bags are full.  Then I dispose of the bags.  

 

Some people like to start in one area (eg, the bathroom counter) and work their way across the domicile, completely clearing each stage before moving on to the next.  This is probably the most efficient way of doing it, and it's what I do if I'm preparing for visitors.  Otherwise I just roam around the house grabbing whatever catches my eye, which results in a gradual decrease of clutter.

 

Obviously while you're roving around the apartment, if you see something laying around that you actually intend to keep, grab it and put it away!