For those who appreciate simplicity in any form.

Basically everywhere I research the topic of minimalism the follow up search is that it didn’t workout, or it failed not possible etc. Most people’s opinion is that social media over did it with the reels post YT videos. Mainly they say that the Minimalists failed and sold the idea. What is your opinion on the topic?

I had a discussion recently on a podcast on this topic and came to the conclusion that Minimalism is a great tool, even a necessary one in today's world, but has the potential for making people focus on the wrong things if used as a central life philosophy?

Therefore, I think it is more of a really useful add-on tool that one should use as a part of a life philosophy with more depth —a tool that one can employe when needed rather than the filter through which all life decisions are made.

Does anyone feel the same ?

Hello,

I have a small collection of movies that I enjoy and find inspirational, and we got rid of our DVD player.

Is there a service where I can own these movies digitally online so I can watch them when I want to?

Thank you!

Hello folks,

I am in the need of new t-shirts! What is the best choice for long lasting men's shirts.

Thank you!

Every day I hunt through my stuff and get rid of one, or a few things.
It doesn't have to be a big ordeal, just a small daily practice.
My place is getting very tidy and organized, as I have to go through drawers and closets to find things, and I end up tidying as I go along.
I like this method because it allows me to postpone certain things so I can stew on whether I really want to get rid of it.

A little something I made that helps me practice minimalism and creativity, with a minimalistic barebones UI Pomodoro Focus - Task manager

I've always wondered if anyone is disciplined enough & they might really enjoy for example sneakers , collectable toys, video games, hand bags, or w/e but they have really stuck to lets say only 2 of said item and they always "recycle/resell" one if they acquire another?

I know some people are "minimalist" in the sense of not spending unless necessary but I'm wondering how many people own few things but still kinda buy a lot (former hobby they still want to kinda wanna be involved ), they just never keep too much stuff (hoard). Also curious how much work / money is spent using this method.

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Or in terms of digital purchases they "finish" a game before moving on to the next purchase, etc.

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I’m pretty sure this link is compatible with this subreddit because it about minimizing your life in a way.

It’s about how to drop out from society.

Hopefully you will enjoy it

Here’s the link https://ranprieur.com/essays/dropout.html#HTDO

Hello! I am packing my apartment and moving to a location that is larger overall, but with less storage space. Thus, I am really trying hard to downsize in order to feel like our new home isn’t overfilled.

I guess I am just getting worried looking at all the boxes adding up as I pack. Do you have any words of encouragement? I have so far eliminated several boxes of objects we no longer use, and 2 large boxes of clothing.

This is a film portrait of an inspiring environmentalist and minimalist. Some know him by his nickname Finch or his true name Hisao. I met Finch at the Fairy Creek blockade against the cutting of Old Growth.

Like many people are, I was immediately fascinated by his approach to life. His thoughtful, minimalistic, sharing philosophies.

I'm honoured to be able to introduce him to others through this short 15 min portrait.

Link below:

https://vimeo.com/862576582?share=copy

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I've been decluttering and trying to get my life back together for months, after many failed attempts I recently decided to try The Minimalists' "packing party" declutter method. Basically in case you didn't know that's when you pack everything you own in boxes and anything you don't pull out within 6-12months you don't need and can get rid of. The downside is now I have all these boxes sitting in my apartment and looks like I just moved in or something.

Anyway, the question in the title popped up in my head today, I move every 2 years (give or take), my last move was 900 miles and was very last minute that I only had 2 weeks to pack, clean my old place and make the drive. It was insane, I wouldn't recommend, and I'm trying to make it so if I ever had to do that again it wouldn't be an issue.

Hey all! Currently in the process of relocating from Hawaii to Chicago. My wife and I are NOT taking anything with us besides sending 2 boxes via USPS. So pretty much starting all over and to make it interesting are expecting a baby this spring.

Now I’m on the lookout for great design with a minimalist intention to furnish the home… talking master bedroom, offices, baby room, living room, kitchen…. Quite a bit. Cost is absolutely a factor but would be willing to pay for quality items that have a minimalist design and function (multi purpose thus eliminating the need for other items)

At the same time looking for items that are BIFL or nearly. Clearly with all my criteria I’m not making it easy but what better place to seek help that Reddit?

I want to downsize my things and an issue I’m having is, I don’t want to put things in the dump or dump my problem onto someone else. Anyone else can relate? One example is some shoes I’ve had for 2 years. They are cheap quality and were never comfortable. I believe in the past 2 years I have become a better shopper in that I buy high quality things, when I need them, when they are priced affordably. So these shoes I have purchased shouldn’t have been purchased and now I feel bad throwing them in the dump but I feel bad donating them as they are so uncomfortable that nobody I going to buy these things used. Also, I know I can give these away but am I just gifting my trash, is this too much of a simple option and am I just passing along my problem again, or could I just be giving them to someone with a hoarding issue? I’m trying to think about what I should do because I feel it will encourage me to make better decisions in the future. How do you guys minimalize responsibly?

I love systems improvement. I live by Kaizen. I crush continuous improvement.

What are your 1% daily improvements that help you maintain a minimalist life?

Here are a few examples:

1. We have a shelf dedicated to collecting donatable or buy nothing donations. When the shelf is full we list stuff online for free or donate it to the "Good" thrift store in town.

2. We schedule the chores each week. Everyone knows what they're responsible for at any given time. This prevents build up of dishes or laundry.

3. We use Samsung Food app for groceries and recipes. This prevents wasted food or duplication.

4. One in one out. Recently i got a new scarf. The previous scarf was donated immediately.

What about you?

For us fashion victims and as a daily reminder to myself, as a general rule: If it doesn't fit you, it's not worth it. If the material feels uncomfortable or is too see through to make it work, it's not worth it.

That event where you really wanted to wear something new to - imagine if you spilled Bolognese on your clothes an hour before the event. What would you wear? Your 'second' choice will most likely work just as good and you don't even have to buy something new.

• minimalist*

I'm wondering if anyone here is able to do both: be pretty minimalist (own only what they use daily more or less & not buy anything new) + also consume content that promotes consumerism (people showing off their hobby, collections, new acquisitions, luxury goods, etc)? I would imagine most people would eventually give in but I'd be curious to hear stories / thought process, etc.

I'm moving from a two bed house to a single bedroom in a friend's home (crappy circumstances). I own all the necessary appliances/ large furniture but I won't be needing any of them for an unknown amount of time.

The items I'm debating storing vs. selling are: a great couch that I actually love, A new living room table that I'm not impressed with but could keep if necessary, A fridge that I love but storing for a long time might end up being a hassel, A very loved, few years old stove that I've gotten used to, And a few years old washer and dryer that work great (only a few years old) but I'm not overly attached to.

I plan on getting a storage unit for all items I won't need now but might in the future, or things I need every once in a blue moon. A smaller one is much better in terms of affordability but I don't want to get rid of major appliances and then end up needing them sooner rather than later.

Friend already has their house furnished so I don't NEED to keep anything besides basics and the extra money would be great short term, but replacing these things in the future would be a large financial strain/ extremely difficult depending on how quickly I would need to buy new ones.

So does the short term need for a little extra income and smaller storage unit outweigh the long term (possible) need for these appliances in the future? Thank you for the advice!

So I’m in my late 20s and move out from my parents place long ago. Over the past 4 years she has given me over 30 pairs each of jeans, dress pants and shorts. I don’t like to own more than say 5 pairs in each category. If I give away the stuff my mom gives me she gets emotional and enraged. I try to explain that I don’t want so much stuff, and when she drowns me in clothes she basically takes away my ability to dress myself because there is no room for me to pick out my own clothes. Every time I see her she gifts me multiple outfits. How do I get through to her that the gifts are more of an annoyance and are wasting her money?

I am originally from New Hampshire, now living in North Carolina, but the need for mental and physical preparing for winter has never left me.

Living in a place where temperatures can reach negative teens, the fall season is one of preparation. Laying in stores for the winter, doing a deep clean of cupboards and closets, stocking your pantry with dry goods. It is a time of pulling forward sweaters and longer layers in the closet, freshening up the quilts for the bed, and physically doing any winterizing of the home that was necessary. This is something I always called "wintering".

I now live in a more temperate climate, but the need for wintering has never left me. Wintering has always been a time of deep cleaning and decluttering as well. While I have lived a minimalist lifestyle for over 20 years, I find that things do get picked up along the way and a little reassessment never hurts.

So, as the cooler weather of fall approaches, I pull out things from closets and cupboards in order to clean. I keep a donation box and a trash bag near by as I go and while not much makes its way to the box or bag anymore, there is always something. When I do this, I take care to remove clothing and repair what needs repairing, remove what needs donating and making a list of things I need to purchase (I noticed that two out of my four pairs of jeans are threadbare at the inner thigh so they need replacing). I have a few books that I purchased because they were not available from the library, but are not something I will reread, so into the donation box they go.

Along the way I will reorganize as I put things back in and make a list of things to purchase for my pantry. While I won't get snowed in for weeks here in NC, old habits die hard.

Does anyone else do some form of "wintering" ritual as the weather starts to cool towards fall?

I don't know about anyone else, but finding the line between useful and hoarding is really hard. Marie Kondo talks about not keeping things that are aspirational - books on subjects you intend to learn, craft items, etc. It's possibly the area I've struggled with most.

Thirteen years ago, a friend bought me a complete set of wood working tools. I've always been keen to try my hand but never had the chance. Despite their redundancy, they've survived every purge because I guess I've still held out hope. Well now I'm about to enroll on a woodworking course - their moment has come!

But - now I'm even more confused about that line🤦‍♀️

What are other peoples thoughts on this?

Hey,

I've been on the minimalist journey for a while now, getting rid of the excess & it has been great overall, however one thing i've not pulled the trigger on is my TV.

On one hand i'm contemplating getting rid of it entirely & only watching on my laptop.

On the other, i'm thinking about selling it & getting an ipad for watching movies etc instead.

Or maybe just switching it for a smaller one.

Does anyone have any experience or insight in this regard?

For the first time in my life I've gotten something repaired instead of just getting rid of it, and I'm really pleased with the results. Maintaining clothes is a skill, and it's not one that many people have anymore - simple stitching, getting stuff professionally repaired, washing properly, etc. I feel like most people just throw it into the wash until they're bored of the piece or it's not "perfect" anymore and then they get rid of it.

In the past my clothes have been of shit quality so it honestly wasn't even worth trying, but I have some higher quality stuff now that I've had for a few years, and I'd like to keep them for at least a decade each. These are good clothes, so if they fall apart that's on me, not on the company that made them, and I know that.

For those of you who know your clothes and keep them forever, what should a person look out for and what's some important maintenance intel you have for people who are new to being reasonable consumers?

Discovered Launchbox yesterday and realized I don't need to keep my Gameboys, Gamecube, Atari, Xbox 360, or PSP! Launchbox works as a front-end launcher to connect your emulators and ROMs and recreate your retro gaming experience.

Can be installed on an SSD. Download ROMs & emulators, install Launchbox, configure your settings and interface, and BOOM ready-to-go. Now I can sell my equipment/games for 10X the cost of my SSD. Considering copying the drive and giving it away as an Xmas present, too.

Best revolution to minimizing my long-term physical storage space I've had in years. Had to share.

I really love his videos and aesthetic and video style, is there any minimalist YouTubers really similar?

Just wanted to share my thoughts on minimalism. It can mean many different things to different people. If you believe Netflix and YouTubers, it means buying a big California mansion and keeping it empty. I find this version of minimalism very alien and unrelatable. Here is my version.

"Make it so that you only have what you want, and you only want what you have."

When the things we want is equal to the things we have, we feel contentment. When we want something we don't have, we feel stress and anxiety. When we have things we don't want, we also feel stress and anxiety.

This applies not just to physical belongings but also digital products and services, relationships, responsibilities, accomplishments, reputation, status, etc.

For me the point of minimalism is to narrow the gap between what I want and what I have. I don't worry about what I need vs. want. I just think about what I actually want. Getting rid of things is only a small part of that. The other parts are to let go of things I don't have so that I stop wanting things I don't have.

Anyway, just a couple ideas.

I'm sure that this has been asked and answered a million times before, but I can't find a good answer with the search function, please be kind.

I want to dumpster my smart phone. It's failing at simple things like "tell me I have a fresh text from a live human" and "tell me a live human is calling me" while being great at sending notifications for me to add more services and increase my app engagement.

What is the easiest, cheapest way to revert back to a simple, late 90's phone? You know, back when phones actually did exactly what they were supposed to do.

I'd love to keep a thing in my pocket for maps and occasional internet access, but the Apple and Android family have both gotten so bad at simple phone functions that I want to just go back to the 90's when competent engineers made phones. If there is a way to keep my idiot mirror alive to rarely use the Internet, that would be cool, but if I need to go all the way, it's worth it. Help me please, how do I get out of the smart phone cult?

What to do with old prescription glasses and glasses cases? Where to donate/dispose of correctly? I have several that I can't wear anymore, so need to get rid of but feels wrong just throwing them in the bin.

Finally I feel free of just so many possessions. Took me all summer to really just declutter. I have more work to do. I just have my work desk, a few camera lenses, one car. That’s it.

One thing I did learn in this journey is to just take it easy. Our society is so addicted to buying stuff is insane. I literally bought a shirt I donated (color orange 🤢) just for a family photo they changed the matching color of last minute. To them it isn’t a big deal. It’s only $20. Yes, yes it is a big deal.

Anyways don’t be to hard on yourselves. America is disgusting in the way everything is an eye sore. Just clutter, obesity, trash.

I love the idea of minimalism. I didn’t realize we were going down this path until we started to love not wearing clothes.

I'm not really fashionable so I don't really know a lot of brands. I usually dress in plain clothes, jeans/joggers, and often in basic colors, or as some would could this style, minimalist. I would also often buy 2-3 of the same shirt, just for the sake of convenience. Consequently, I don't have a lot of chances to shop around and look for clothes and shoes that would be convenient for me.

With shoes, I only use 2 pairs at max, until one or both are unusable. I've only worn things like low Chucks, both the white and black ones, Stan Smith, and Gazelle. I also had a Huarache before, which I had for a long time along with the other pairs I mentioned.

I need to buy shoes probably in a couple of months, so I was wondering if there are shoes that you could recommend that fits with my fashion choice (if you could even call it one), or are pretty similar to the ones I've had before?