Minimalism, and the minimalist lifestyle

[Mistr]

23 hours ago, AngellaMarie said:

Also I have a problem with relatives (especially my husband's grandma) trying to give us stuff! She downsized from a house to a 1-bedroom senior living apartment recently and refuses to let go of her Stuff. She thinks it's all valuable and gets insulted when antique dealers don't agree. You can't walk or sit in her apartment. I can't deal with it - I've got my own Stuff making me crazy. The house we sold was a 4-bedroom with a large formal dining/living room area and a giant (and beautiful) kitchen. I know the next house will be smaller, for several reasons, and I only want to keep the quality things that I like! Since all of our furniture were hand-me-downs or second-hand except our bedroom set we've managed to purge all but the necessary furniture. And I don't want anyone else's Stuff. When we get into our next house and need furniture I want to do the research, figure out what colors and fabrics I want, and spend money on what I (we) want! Then have quality pieces that will last a long time.

 

I helped my mom move from a 4-bedroom house to a 2-bedroom apartment last fall. She had a hard time selling or even giving away stuff. All of us kids are already settled in houses with all the furniture we need. There were a few special things we took. Most of her stuff ended up being donated to a charity store. She hired a service to hold a sale and deal with moving the unsold items.

 

Getting rid of stuff is even harder for the grandparents who grew up during the Depression. They had to scrimp and save to have anything, so they see it all as highly valuable. They don't understand that the younger generation doesn't even want to own good china. My siblings and I had an understanding that we would take anything that grandma wanted to give away. If we didn't want it, we would donate it to the thrift store. That was the only way to help clear her house without arguments.

[LadyMonk]

I recently got divorced, and my ex and I argued about who would keep what. The main thing I wanted was to keep sets together (like dishes, book series, etc). He decided it was more fair to spit up sets we both wanted. This has led me to give a lot back in the following months and donate/throw out a lot more. I am resentful of not having the actual collections I want, and they are far too hard to recreate to be worth the trouble.

 

I feel really good living with almost no storage, and being able to enjoy the things I have in my life.

[Waldo]

On 3/21/2016 at 4:16 PM, AngellaMarie said:

Since all of our furniture were hand-me-downs or second-hand except our bedroom set we've managed to purge all but the necessary furniture. And I don't want anyone else's Stuff. When we get into our next house and need furniture I want to do the research, figure out what colors and fabrics I want, and spend money on what I (we) want! Then have quality pieces that will last a long time.

 

Oddly enough, we've come back around to second hand for that.

 

In general vintage furniture is better made than most new furniture.  The exceptions are $$$$$.

 

I've taken up furniture rehab/refinishing (which led to furniture building as a hobby) to deal with this issue.

[Raincloak]

Today is Fridge Cleaning Day.  Everyone, please remain calm.

[AngellaMarie]

On 3/22/2016 at 3:59 PM, Mistr said:

 

I helped my mom move from a 4-bedroom house to a 2-bedroom apartment last fall. She had a hard time selling or even giving away stuff. All of us kids are already settled in houses with all the furniture we need. There were a few special things we took. Most of her stuff ended up being donated to a charity store. She hired a service to hold a sale and deal with moving the unsold items.

 

Getting rid of stuff is even harder for the grandparents who grew up during the Depression. They had to scrimp and save to have anything, so they see it all as highly valuable. They don't understand that the younger generation doesn't even want to own good china. My siblings and I had an understanding that we would take anything that grandma wanted to give away. If we didn't want it, we would donate it to the thrift store. That was the only way to help clear her house without arguments.

 

True - and I'm sure a lot of the stuff is very sentimental for grandparents. I do have her china and a punch bowl set. I'll see if it survived the move...the movers were pretty rough with some of our stuff and I'm not positive everything made it. But if it didn't we just won't say much, will salvage what we can, and it will make the decision of what to keep just that much easier. My husband's grandma also had a collection of glass animals that I took (my stepdaughter loves them) but I had to draw a line at larger pieces of furniture. It just won't fit. And it's white and I have two black dogs. 

 

On 3/28/2016 at 9:16 AM, Waldo said:

 

Oddly enough, we've come back around to second hand for that.

 

In general vintage furniture is better made than most new furniture.  The exceptions are $$$$$.

 

I've taken up furniture rehab/refinishing (which led to furniture building as a hobby) to deal with this issue.

 

I do love vintage furniture like tables, buffets, china cabinets, etc. but most of what was getting forced at us was old couches. The second-hand stuff we do have that will get thrown out when we move out of the apartment is the couch and the old stuffed chair that are sagging. More substantial furniture like wooden side tables and an old dining room table we picked up off an estate sale will stay with us. A lot of my husband's grandmother's stuff is just old veneer. One of these days I would really like to build our own furniture too! Maybe start simple with a sturdy bookshelf that will actually hold my books without the shelves sagging. 

[Mistr]

1 hour ago, AngellaMarie said:

 I had to draw a line at larger pieces of furniture. It just won't fit. And it's white and I have two black dogs. 

 

I do love vintage furniture like tables, buffets, china cabinets, etc. but most of what was getting forced at us was old couches. 

 

I agree completely. I made an inventory of my grandmother's furniture after she moved to a nursing home. She reviewed it with me and told me where everything came from. I was sooooo relieved to learn that she bought her French Provincial living room furniture at estate sales. No family historical value, we could sell it with a clear conscience. I took the dresser that was built by her great-grandfather. That has family history, and I would not have known if I hadn't asked.

[Jonesy]

Glad I found this thread!

 

I've attempted to minimalize my life in the past but sort of stopped because I was overwhelmed. Right now I don't want to go full blown minimalist but picking a place to start when your life is very cluttered can be intimidating. As I've gotten older I feel like the less meaningful stuff I collect stresses me out. 

 

When you guys decided this is how you wanted to live, where did you start? 

[Jothra]

On 03/28/2016 at 1:39 PM, Raincloak said:

Today is Fridge Cleaning Day.  Everyone, please remain calm.

 

Since my main meal of the day is my provided lunch at work, all I have in my fridge is cashew milk, grated cheese, and nine different flavours of hot sauce.

 

The pantry is another story.

[TMedina]

12 hours ago, Jonesy said:

Glad I found this thread!

 

I've attempted to minimalize my life in the past but sort of stopped because I was overwhelmed. Right now I don't want to go full blown minimalist but picking a place to start when your life is very cluttered can be intimidating. As I've gotten older I feel like the less meaningful stuff I collect stresses me out. 

 

When you guys decided this is how you wanted to live, where did you start? 

 

For me, it was realizing I was engaging in emotional buying, rather than because I actually needed stuff.  The practicality of the lifestyle just makes so much sense when you strip away the emotional trappings we attach to Stuff.  Kind of like a lifestyle Zen, although that's a bad comparison.

 

I will probably never be living in a one-room tiny house, but I needed to break the cycle of needless materialism and the illusions, or delusions, that come with it.

 

 

[Raincloak]

On 3/30/2016 at 10:54 AM, Jothra said:

 

Since my main meal of the day is my provided lunch at work, all I have in my fridge is cashew milk, grated cheese, and nine different flavours of hot sauce.

 

The pantry is another story.

 

clearly you're not a hot sauce minimalist then.  Tsk tsk.

[Jothra]

They all bring me joy.

[TMedina]

21 minutes ago, Jothra said:

They all bring me joy.

 

Tears of joy, even.

[Waldo]

On 3/31/2016 at 11:27 PM, TMedina said:

I will probably never be living in a one-room tiny house, but I needed to break the cycle of needless materialism and the illusions, or delusions, that come with it.

 

Kids are trained early on it.  For my wife and I, there really is no emotional attachment to buying things for us.  We buy things we need, generally well past the point of need.  Our kids however (oldest one at least, youngest isn't old enough yet) clearly associate happiness with the acquisition of new things (aka toys). 

 

For my wife and I, we've been over the hump and have bought the ultimate thing, our dream house.  Nothing else really can compare. Most (virtually all) of the things we buy that aren't basic needs are for enhancing the house (decorations, furniture, direct remodeling/maintenence) or derivatives (tools).  Cluttering the house is not enhancing it, so there is little in the way of impulsive buying.

 

Talk about the fridge/pantry is interesting.  We plan every meal for the week in advance, and go to the grocery store with list in hand, and only buy things from the list.  By grocery shopping day, our cupboards and fridge are barren.

[Emma]

Apartment therapy just posted a house tour of Marie Kondo's home.

Lovely.

[Jonesy]

I never thought I was emotionally attached to the things I own until I decided to go through my computer area. I discovered I had a very real emotional attachment to my old Sims games. I mean I can't even play them (I tried!) but they sat in a box for a few weeks until I recycled them. That was definitely a hard day. It really made me look at other things in my house in a different way. 

 

Mostly, I didn't like getting rid of items that I spent my hard earned money on. Selling items can be a pain in the butt and somethings can't be sold. This thought process has helped with future buying processes though.

[Raincloak]

1 hour ago, Emma said:

Apartment therapy just posted a house tour of Marie Kondo's home.

Love.y

 

Looks nice, although too empty for my taste. 

 

I almost burst out laughing when I saw she lists Marie Antoinette (!!!!!) as an inspiration.  Has Konmari ever seen Versailles?  Minimalist it ain't.  Those peasant dresses MA wore in portraits were purely affectation, like Paris Hilton in overalls.

[TMedina]

11 hours ago, Jonesy said:

I never thought I was emotionally attached to the things I own until I decided to go through my computer area. I discovered I had a very real emotional attachment to my old Sims games. I mean I can't even play them (I tried!) but they sat in a box for a few weeks until I recycled them. That was definitely a hard day. It really made me look at other things in my house in a different way. 

 

Mostly, I didn't like getting rid of items that I spent my hard earned money on. Selling items can be a pain in the butt and somethings can't be sold. This thought process has helped with future buying processes though.

 

The "money invested" or "not wasting money" scheme is one of several pitfalls that lead us astray.  The counter argument is, how much is the Stuff costing you in space, energy to straighten, clean, and maintain?  

 

They're not "hard" costs, like money spent, but once we start contemplating the on-going "soft" costs, it becomes easier to let go - at least it did for me.  Particularly if you can recycle, or gift, your Stuff to someone else who might need/use it.

[TMedina]

On 4/1/2016 at 10:49 AM, Jonesy said:

Mostly, I didn't like getting rid of items that I spent my hard earned money on. Selling items can be a pain in the butt and somethings can't be sold. This thought process has helped with future buying processes though.

 

I know I read a specific post/article/rule/something on this very point and I couldn't find it, hence my earlier post summarizing the idea (too long to 'splain, lemme sum up).

 

I still can't find the specific reference I had in mind, but a quick Google search turns up enough of the references I was thinking of - specifically, the "sunk cost fallacy".

 

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-the-sunk-cost-fallacy-makes-you-act-stupid.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/05/an-economist-reads-marie-kondo/392921/

 

Cheers!

[alienjenn]

Omg guys.

I think I'm finally minimalist in my bedroom. ( with the exception of my electronics and craft supplies, both of which I'm willing to sacrifice clothing space for!)

I was just finishing puttingas away laundry and felt amazing looking in my closet so I felt I'd share.

I'm moving again in May (to Milwaukee this time). And I'm still going through and deciding what I don't need, what I can leave in My permanent home in Virginia. I felt like we'd decluttered enough but I'm finding things every day to get rid of. I think after a couple more moves I'll have it to the actual minimum!

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

[Jonesy]

On 4/3/2016 at 9:14 AM, TMedina said:

 

I know I read a specific post/article/rule/something on this very point and I couldn't find it, hence my earlier post summarizing the idea (too long to 'splain, lemme sum up).

 

I still can't find the specific reference I had in mind, but a quick Google search turns up enough of the references I was thinking of - specifically, the "sunk cost fallacy".

 

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-the-sunk-cost-fallacy-makes-you-act-stupid.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/05/an-economist-reads-marie-kondo/392921/

 

Cheers!

 

Thank you for the links!

 

Boy were some of those points right on the mark! 

 

I'm picking up my new shredder tonight so that will help me FINALLY cut down on my hoarded paperwork.

[Guzzi]

@alienjenn Kudos on the bedroom, it looks fab! But how come you're moving around so much? 

[Maigs]

Following this thread for continued de-cluttering motivation. Last year we downsized from a 2300sqft house with a 2 car garage to a <1000sqft house with a one car garage. I'm naturally minimalist-leaning but it's still amazing how much stuff builds up, especially when you stay in the same house for 7 years.
I absolutely love my smaller house but we still need to pare down our stuff a bit. We're also remodeling the entire house so as we do each room I'm using it as an opportunity to get rid of everything that doesn't "spark joy" in the new space. I had the living room there until I was given a filing cabinet for my HOA treasurer duties and remodel stuff is starting to pile up on my desk, but now the kitchen is getting there too. Dining room is next once we get back from vacation.

 

Once we're done with the remodel my plan is to pick a room every month to thoroughly clean/de-clutter. This would also help me keep up on things I forget about like dusting ceiling fans and tops of doorways and moving furniture to vacuum behind. Since my house is so small, picking one room a month lets me get to every room twice a year

[Raincloak]

 

8 minutes ago, Maigahane said:

Following this thread for continued de-cluttering motivation. Last year we downsized from a 2300sqft house with a 2 car garage to a <1000sqft house with a one car garage. I'm naturally minimalist-leaning but it's still amazing how much stuff builds up, especially when you stay in the same house for 7 years.
I absolutely love my smaller house but we still need to pare down our stuff a bit. We're also remodeling the entire house so as we do each room I'm using it as an opportunity to get rid of everything that doesn't "spark joy" in the new space. I had the living room there until I was given a filing cabinet for my HOA treasurer duties and remodel stuff is starting to pile up on my desk, but now the kitchen is getting there too. Dining room is next once we get back from vacation.

 

Once we're done with the remodel my plan is to pick a room every month to thoroughly clean/de-clutter. This would also help me keep up on things I forget about like dusting ceiling fans and tops of doorways and moving furniture to vacuum behind. Since my house is so small, picking one room a month lets me get to every room twice a year

 

You heard of FlyLady? http://www.flylady.net/  Her thing is cleaning one "zone" a month, you should check it out.

 

 I couldn't help thinking about her just today as I scrubbed my kitchen sink (which was developing a patina redolent of compost).

[Maigs]

7 minutes ago, Raincloak said:

 

 

You heard of FlyLady? http://www.flylady.net/  Her thing is cleaning one "zone" a month, you should check it out.

 

 I couldn't help thinking about her just today as I scrubbed my kitchen sink (which was developing a patina redolent of compost).

I have heard of her, but haven't checked her out too much. I think I got turned off by someone saying you get daily emails when you sign up....

But I'll have to go check out the site now if I'm accidentally stealing her idea

[TMedina]

*grin*  It isn't her idea specifically - I've heard other clutter/organizational specialists tout the same idea, with varying interpretations.

 

This is one site I visit periodically - a little salty, but good information: http://www.unfuckyourhabitat.com/