For those who appreciate simplicity in any form.

Hey all,

So I’m pretty minimalistic in my clothing, my apartment, and the things I own. One thing I struggle with is eating. I’ve gained 50lbs since moving to the U.S. and I have such a hard time creating a simplified menu that I can stick to. Does anyone have an example of a chart of what they eat on a weekly basis that practices minimalism surrounding meal planning and prepping? Looking to be healthier and really could use some ideas of simplifying to get me started while still getting enough nutrients.

My SO really does NOT want the traditional “fixture” large screen TV in our living room. I envision a minimalist type stand that safely holds the TV and a sound bar. When not in use (maybe only once or twice weekly), I would unplug from the electrical outlet and wheel it into our spacious coat closet. This would please my SO, keep the living room clean from a technology focus but be available when hosting friend groups when we need this tech and the occasional movie with kids. Has anyone found such a rolling, portable setup or can you point me in the right direction? Or other ideas? Thanks!

Hi, so there's a debate in minimalist communities I've seen since I started researching it in 2019: the idea of "Only being minimalist for a black and white aesthetic for instagram". I've seen it cause a lot of arguments and mud slinging.

I 100% agree that you can be very colorful and be minimalist. However!

Sometimes having that black and white aesthetic can help people focus more, especially those with ADHD and autism. Sometimes having less overstimulating artificial colors and more natural colors can be relaxing and help people focus on what's important.

HSPs often feel more relaxed by lighter more palliative colors like pastel pink and beige.

But regardless I don't want the push for minimalism not only being an aesthetic to then make it where it's demonizing those who enjoy the aesthetic. Aesthetics after all, aren't just for instagram and are part of our daily lives. How our room is organized can affect how we work and study.

Hello! When starting to get into minimalism, are there any colors I should avoid? I rarely ever see colors like green or so and if that mainly dark. So I assume I should look for Mainly shades of white?

Having extra space in a home can incentivize people to fill up that space with extra crap they don't need. I've found this true even for me.

I've been living alone in a 2-bedroom apartment for a couple years. There is more than enough space than I need just for myself. As I'm getting ready to move out, I didn't realize how much stuff I've accumulated to fill all of that empty extra space - like unnecessary furniture, amongst other things.

I am downsizing, and all these extra possesions I have is causing me anxiety. Mainly because I have to accept that I need to part ways with things I don't need or use, regardless of it's still good/new/usable or not. I'm definitely returning to my minimalist roots because less stuff really is less stress. I yearn for that freedom and peace of mind again.

I keep everything digital for the most part, but I’m unsure of what categories are even worth keeping. I found a post with these categories which make sense for the most part, but then I start to think that I haven’t even referred to any document that I own besides my password manager secret key. So really what’s the point of keeping up with so many things. Here’s the list. What do you think is absolutely essential to keep and why if possible? I would love to not have to keep anything well besides birth certificates/ssn, but that doesn’t seem realistic/reasonable. Thank you!

Accident Reports

Accident Claims

Appliance Receipts

ATM Receipts

Bank Deposit Receipts

Credit Card Receipts

Computer Equipment Receipts

Home Repair Receipts

Life Insurance Premium Receipts

Major Purchase Receipts

Furniture Receipts

Auto Insurance Policy

Health Insurance Policy

Homeowners Insurance Policy

Life Insurance Policy

Auto Maintenance

Auto Repairs

Auto Registration

Bank Statements

Credit Card Statements

Mortgage Statements

Birth Certificate

Contracts

Home Appraisal

Home Improvements

Satisfaction of Lien

Insurance Policies

Investments (purchase records)

Investments (sales records)

IRA

Lease

Marriage Certificate

Medical

Mortgage Documents

Pay Stubs

Power of Attorney

Real Estate Records

Resume

Retirement

Taxes

Trust

Utility Bills

Warranties

Hope to get some feedback from similar experiences.

Since my start of minimalism back in 2014 reading bloggers like Leo Babauta, I went through many ups and downs, moves and life changes, buying and selling things, wanting/dreaming of possessing/getting rid.

One thing I discovered (and I was affraid to tell myself for many years) is that I am contented with just normal, regular products, not luxury ones.

Example?

I used to own expensive road bikes (well, $3k, too expensive for me, but clearly not that expensive). Now I own a $800 bike and I am way happier. No expensive maintenance/parts, no fear of theft, not averse of damages.

Or coffee. I used to buy somewhat premium beans, manually grind them and use a fancy coffee setup. Transitioned to cheap ground in a coffee maker. Turned out I quit coffee entirely since it was no longer a crutch in my life because of smell, taste, “experience”.

Or backpacks. I purchased one of those large backpack for hiking, thinking it will make me an overnight hiker. False. That was just fantasy self. Now instead of an expensive backpack, I bought a used one that fits as a carry-on and it is my only one.

Or car. Or house. Or smartphones. Or anything really.

I understand many subreddits are based on the fact that we love to consume the BEST things, but to me, searching, reading reviews, spending good money and trying to tell myself this is a possession to live my best life is now a lie.

I am contented with not the best products and that's ok.

Hello. So, when we lived in a one bedroom, it didn’t look so cluttered obviously; however, we’ve been in a studio for two years and it’s like 400 square feet…so everything looks on top of each other.

I do like having various sets of sheets, shower curtains, bath mats, and comforters for the bed — as I like to change them out. But I also have a lot of shoes, clothing, random shit, and plushies. How do I lessen these things?

Gives me Star Wars and Dune vibes. https://youtu.be/ehG2KBBeJkk?si=ddnZR-k93d6f3Exz

Few week back I read a quote by Marcus Aurelius that has been stuck in my brain ever since. The quote is full of insight and has benefited me greatly in several aspects of my life. I'd want to share the quote with you all.

If you seek tranquility, do less. Or (more accurately) do what’s essential. Do less, better. Because most of what we do or say is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more tranquility. But to eliminate the necessary actions, we need to eliminate unnecessary assumptions as well. — Marcus Aurelius

I found this quote in this article about procrastination, but it can apply to the concept of minimalism as well.

Hi! Please recommend youtube channels of people who have low/minimal salary and can't afford to buy really expensive stuff A lot of minimalists on youtube are quite rich, have their own business or something (good job), buy expensive and long-lasting stuff (e.g. clothes or shoes), don't have children, or can save money and afford to buy an expensive item later. Also, a lot of minimalists' channels are focused on aesthetics and I sometimes feel the need to have all beautiful/ideal/high-quality and long lasting stuff and the thing that I have doesn't satisfy me anymore. I understand, that having beautiful/perfect things is not the goal of minimalism. Of course, having good quality thing can save you money in the long run, but if you can't afford it for now, it is better for your mental health to appreciate what you have. I want more inspiration from people, who can use some old and not really good quality things and appreciate having them without striving to replace them with better things untill they can afford it. Some people really live from paycheck to paycheck, need to spend a lot of money on medications and rent and it is my case now. Even if I can save money, I better save it for my financial safety then buy something, and probably I will be in this state for a few years from now. So I am looking for some inspiration)

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edit: thank you all for suggestions. I've already subscribed to them and will check their content ️soon❤️

Hi all, I'm a long time lurker first time poster. I decided that life is too short for this rat race and that I dont need at least 30-40% of the stuff I own.

I thought that I wanted to collect things, then I realized it was just a way of handling stress through compulsive spending.

So I've decided the following things:

• giving away some useful things to my family and friends
• selling off my collection(s) for a relatively okay price, considering the stuff was never used
• setting a positive and proactive mindset for the future, but like I said, I'd like to declutter first and foremost.

Any advice?

I'm currently living in a very small house with little closet space. I bought some bins to store my nice sweaters and clothing. I was wondering if military rolling my sweaters would ruin/damage them over time from sitting?

My husband and I are officially hitting our walls with how much we have to do- both work and have a toddler, etc. We are becoming more minimalistic overall, but the one area we are struggling with is time spent cleaning the kitchen and doing dishes.

I cook often but the DISHES are so hard to keep up with. Has anyone had any luck with eliminating (or 98% eliminating) hand wash dishes? I don’t want to own cheap things that will break/lose functionality within a short time period, etc. On the other hand, I’m willing to go with slightly lower quality items if it will save us time and energy.

I'm trying to limit the number of cleaning products I purchase to help save money and also minimize the number of bottles we have in our cabinets.

I'm struggling with what I can replace our bathroom cleaners with. In general on hand, we always have dish soap, bleach and vinegar.

What do you use?

I just moved into a new one bedroom apartment and thank god I’m starting from scratch this time after being homeless for 3 years. It’s a definitely a nicer apartment I have vaulted ceilings, a fireplace, my own washer and dryer in unit, a walk in closet you could fit a bed in and it’s very nice. Everything I had was lost when I lost my last apartment years ago so I started from scratch with just a few clothes. Right now my apartment looks like something a bachelor threw together to meet the basic necessities using all mismatched and ugly wood furniture from a thrift shop. My situation is unique because I suffer from extreme mental health and I can’t maintain work my whole adult life so everything I have is a surplus blessing I have received through patience and the benevolence of other people and programs and government support programs and churches and donations and a very supportive family and what not. My apartment is in a very nice county where the median income is 120k a year. The apartment is 900 square feet I think for people with good spatial awareness. I got really lucky that the stars aligned and a lot of things concurrently fell into place at the right time for me to have all these luxurious blessings and it’s brought me to this point where I want my apartment to look like a minimalist with a little sense of style staged it. I don’t have much to spend on the appearance but I figure since I’ve always been purposefully minimalist this vibe will be easy to achieve on a budget. I’m thinking like little to no furniture other than a bed and a couch, a table with chairs for a couple people to sit and eat, and maybe a fake tree or two. I want to hide the wires from my TV and my PS5 too but other than this I get stuck where I think any 33 year old male millennial bachelor would get stuck, I have no sense of style or fashion or appearance and no other ideas for the look of the place. So I’ve come here looking for ideas and inspirations that you think would make an upper-scale single bedroom apartment have that “staged” ultra minimalist yet still stylish vibe. Any suggestions are welcome. I have access to all the big-name retail stores locally and even a HomeGoods store so suggest anything.

Edit: Everything I have is the equivalent of someone who is making about 40k a year so I’m on a very strict budget in my area.

TL;DR I recently got a new apartment, am 33 years old and single, and want my apartment to have a “staged” ultra minimalist vibe and need ideas for interior decoration.

I am married, no kids, 3 dogs. We own our home. The house is not filled with stuff, we don’t have a storage or anything like that with more stuff. I would like to start decluttering more, and have the house more bare for my own mental health. Where do I start? Would you be able to recommend any books or articles or any other resources you found helpful? I read Marie Kondo and the “Swedish art of death cleaning” but I am hoping for something more structured I think. Thank you!

Me and my wife have 7 month old twins boys and the stuff (especially baby stuff which is sort of unavoidable) has really been starting to stack up. I’ve removed a large amount of clutter from our flat like old clothes, appliances we don’t use etc and put it in our garage but I’m still overwhelmed with the amount of things we have and most of it is unnecessary.

My wife isn’t opposed to minimalism and she appreciates when I get rid of junk from our flat but I would like her to get a bit more into it too so it can be more sustainable. At the moment it’s one sided and it feels like a bit of a losing battle of me just chucking out a bunch of stuff every few months to have a bit of space to breathe!

Any tips of how to get my wife more involved and into the lifestyle? I just really want it to click with her and I see how things weigh her down but she doesn’t really act on it.

It’s hard to find shirts in my size so rather than asking for a brand I’d like to know what material you all recommend. I’d like something thin so it doesn’t take up much space in a bag, breathable for a warmer climate, durable, and quick to dry.

When I noticed I was saving a lot of money being a minimalist, it has affected the way I date. I went on a date with a girl who liked buying fancy things. As much as I liked her, the fact that she likes fancy things was a dealbreaker for me. Now, when I meet new girls, I often try to figure out one, are they boujee? And two, do they like stuff more than people?

With this in mind, I think ive now eliminated a majority of girls that can are compatible with me. Im starting to wonder if maybe I should date girls who like to save which finding one is like a unicorn or put up with regular girls and their spending habits

For me, I get stressed easily and my mental health has really improved since turning to minimalism about 7 years ago. I also saved quite a bit of money because I stopped buying more and started selling some items. I also moved abroad and found the process easier than some friends due to having less things.

So, how has minimalism improved your life?

I know eventually the shoes will need to be replaced, but as it stands now it is my only one. I personally don't care for shoes but understand they are necessary for everyone. I mean, I don't obsess over different styles or collect them. They excite me as much as having clean socks and underwear. I love them but I wish i never have to ever pay for them again, or wish I got a lifetime supply for free.

Any thoughts on having second pair of shoes?

Looking for suggestions for a reading list that's not just Marie Kondo.

I like 'In Praise of Shadows' by Tanizaki (tangential, but aesthetic philosophy)

I'm not sure if this discoloration is mold or just the cotton but I havent had it for very long (1 week) and I fold it up daily :(

https://i.imgur.com/qgVVDFB.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/d0fvQ52.jpeg

As I embark on my journey towards minimalism, I find myself on a path full of challenges and discoveries. With a genuine desire to simplify my life, reduce stress and find more meaning in the things around me, I decided to explore the philosophies and practices of minimalism.

However, embarking on this journey raises a number of questions and uncertainties, namely, what motivated you to adopt this philosophy of life? And what are the fundamental changes I need to make to truly embrace the minimalist lifestyle?

I needed help with this and decided to turn to the Reddit community, a space where people share their experiences, insights and advice on a wide range of topics, including minimalism. By posting my question about the main changes needed to become a minimalist consumer, I hope to receive a variety of valuable perspectives and suggestions from other users who have already travelled this path or are at the same early stage as me.

I'm looking forward to exploring the different facets of minimalism and learning from the experiences shared by members of the Reddit community. With these two questions, I hope not only to gain practical knowledge and useful advice, but also to embark on a journey of learning and personal growth that will allow me to embrace minimalism in an authentic and meaningful way.

There are a handful of clothing I've bought that I thought were timeless, but ended up looking dated a few years later. As a result, I feel like I'm chasing an endless "timeless" style that doesn't exist.

Does everything look out of fashion eventually — in particular, for women's clothing? (Men's fashion doesn't change quite as fast)

Surely, all the "timeless fashion" shown in blogs and websites will be out of fashion 10 or even 20 years later?

How do I know if something will last decades more, fashion-wise?

As the title states.

Rough example: It's made me better commit to therapy, and my mental and physical health and relationships, to the point where I am now comfortable to literally get up and remove myself from a room/day out from a toxic parent, find workouts I enjoy rather than what burns the most calories and discovered that cream cheese with carrots don't actually suck as much as I thought they did.

We are nearing our 1st wedding anniversary and I am thinking of tradition/s to do annually which doesn’t require a huge amount of money. Any suggestions? Thank you!

How do you get rid of stuff like furniture that was given to you as a gift? I'm worried when the giver pays a visit in our home, he would look for his gift.

We are an asian household and people can get really sentimental. In my case, the giver may be sensitive in general. Thanks for the help guys!!

PS: the gift was vintage pieces and it take so much space in our home unfortunately

I enjoy sitting in bed for about 10 minutes while I wake up and wanting something to “do”. Was thinking about getting Sudoku or some sort of puzzle book but also open to other suggestions or ideas that I could do in bed.