For those who appreciate simplicity in any form.

I am a person who is just starting to practice minimalism. As a person who loves perfume, I am thinking of throwing away all but one perfume, but I suddenly wondered if this would help. How did practicing minimalism help you? And why do you recommend minimalism?

Ketchup, chilli, black pepper, etc. I like to eat food and savour its original taste rather than bombard them with layers of sauce or extra ingredients. Am I the only one?

Edit: I actually mean eating food the way it's originally prepared/served, without dipping them in additional sauces etc. afterwards.

e.g. Fries without ketchup, steak without dips

I figure this is maybe a facet of minimalism, but I've been now avoiding anything with "fragrance" as an ingredient, and especially looking for unscented stuff.

It's most important for me to have hand soap and dish soap so my hands don't smell when I rest on them to sleep.

It's really satisfying to just have clean stuff, that smells like...nothing, it's just clean!

I've found deoderant, body soaps, shampoo and conditioner, moisturizers, sun screen, and well just anything and everything haha I've felt burnt out by perfumes, and my nose seems to be extra sensitive. I also like the idea of people being able to smell my natural scent, instead of some fragrance. I've had partners that appreciated this and I always appreciate it in others!

A side note, I don't know what "fragrance" is, but I know any product that has it is just the worst kind of perfume, that smells like nothing, but also is overwhelming to my senses somehow. It's bizzare to find things that are marked "unscented" but still have fragrance as an ingredient.

Hi everyone! I'm conducting a short 3-question survey about the daily hassle of carrying around your phone, wallet, and keys. I'm working on a potential solution and would love to get your feedback. The survey will only take 10 seconds, and your responses will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance! https://forms.gle/ZChZKwwk2UFW7Qwf8

Hi my fellow minimalists,

I recently made a nice purchase of a Dodge Challenger a few months ago and I financed it with a federal credit union.

I am looking to possibly sell the car and pay off majority, if not, the entire loan. I then want to live a carless life and get a bike. I live in a town that is easily accessible to all my needs (groceries, doctor, etc.)

My only problem is that my family lives 3 hours away and I won't have a car to drive. I did think about just renting some cheap car on Turo to visit family.

I believe living this life would ultimately make me happier and probably a bit more wise with my wealth building.

Has anyone done this? If so, is it worth it?

Stop trying to impress others with the things you own and begin inspiring them by the way you live.

• JOSHUA BECKER

In this strange headline, by "treasure" I meant time and freedom. Now, if you read the topic headline again, you'll get the idea about "stop trading your treasures in exchange for nothing." In simple words, don’t trade your time and freedom for pieces of paper to experience pleasure over and over again. We often get trapped in this unfair trade to maintain a consumption-based lifestyle and comfort.

Let’s take an example: you’re working a 9 to 5 job, earning money to maintain your living and provide for your family. Maybe this sounds necessary, but it isn’t—if you can let go of your desire for pleasure and comfort. The fact is, most individuals earn 60 to 70 percent more than they need to live (excluding those in poverty or below the poverty line). So what happens to that remaining sum? Usually, it’s spent on unnecessary consumption in the pursuit of pleasure, and a considerable amount goes to family expenses if you have one.

To understand this better, try observing your daily routine. After you do something, ask yourself why you did it (excluding basic human activities). Just give that question some thought, and shockingly, you’ll realize that either you are consuming something or putting your body and mind to work to earn better opportunities to consume more in the future. Today, almost everyone shares the same internal desire to consume every flashy thing the world can offer. It’s not natural; it’s a wrong philosophy we’ve been taught since childhood—that happiness equals consumption.

For example, today we judge a person’s success based on their net worth and assets. This clearly reflects a mindset rooted in consumption, like “Oh, they have a net worth of millions—what a successful individual.” In simple words, this statement means, “They have so much money to consume and exploit the world as much as they please, to fulfill their unnecessary desires,” and we call that success. That’s the reason everyone is willing to be a slave—legally. This mindset leads to disaster because the more you consume, the more you desire. It’s a loop: no matter how much you consume, you’ll never be satisfied.

We need to realize that spending our precious time and freedom to get ourselves trapped in this infinite loop of dissatisfaction isn’t worth it. In the end, your valuable youth will slip away, working for someone else. Finally, after retirement, you may find yourself empty-handed, receiving pity compensation in the form of retirement benefits. The majority of the world’s population is already stuck in this loop, and it has affected the world in a way that will never be the same.

Now, I’d like to mention some major problems I’ve noticed because of humanity’s insane desire for consumption:

• Exploitation of Earth's limited resources: Expensive items and flashy products don’t fall from the sky. The more financial success a person has, the more they exploit the planet. Just take a look at this statistic: The top 1% of global emitters had carbon footprints of over 50 tonnes of CO2 in 2021, more than 1,000 times greater than those of the bottom 1%. Meanwhile, the global average energy-related carbon footprint is around 4.7 tonnes of CO2 per person.
• Crimes are committed: Many people are too poor to consume, or they want to consume but don’t want to earn it.
• Treating other living organisms as objects: This includes animals and even fellow humans, who are treated as mere objects of consumption.
• Mindless use of time and effort: Many people waste time doing things that add no value to humanity, such as playing video games, watching most movies, or consuming from the entertainment industry.

I don’t have a simple solution for this major issue, but I’d like to share an experience that taught me a small lesson. Yesterday, while heading home from college on the metro, a little baby was standing on the seat next to me. I was reading news articles on my phone when, moments later, I heard him laughing. He was watching the view outside from the window. I observed him for a few minutes and realized he was just living in the moment, enjoying every passing second, appreciating the stunning view. He didn’t care about his past or future, or whether his mom was nearby. It made me smile seeing him so full of joy, and when he noticed me, he chuckled. That baby made my day.

I’ve heard many spiritual leaders and saints advise living in the present moment. But just reading and listening about such a way of life isn’t always enough to help you truly understand its beauty. Inspired by that baby, today, when I didn’t feel like attending a lecture, I skipped it and went to the rooftop of my college to enjoy the refreshing rainy weather and write. In other words, I chose life over the system that only teaches us how to earn money and get trapped in the consumption loop.

In conclusion, consumption isn’t entirely wrong, but it should be limited to our needs. Mahatma Gandhi, a famous politician, social activist, and writer, once said, "The Earth has enough resources to meet the needs of all but not enough to satisfy the greed of even one person.” Working for money is fine if you have to fulfill your and your family’s basic needs, but don’t let your desire for consumption turn you into a slave. This will not only be disastrous for your life but also for the world. Invest your treasures—your time and freedom—into personal growth and passion.

Thank you.

I’m struggling with letting go of old sentimental items that I know I don’t really use anymore. Even though I understand they no longer serve a purpose, I find it really hard to part with them due to the memories and emotional attachment. What can I do?

Starting a new and permanent journey and lifestyle change of minimalism and moderate living.

There are too many people on the planet and human beings haven’t yet figured out how or attempted to distribute commodities evenly for all to thrive.

In fact, humans are spreading themselves even further across the planet and causing other species to be negatively affected and displaced.

Recognizing that I can only control what I do, I’ve vowed to practice living minimally and only consuming what is needed. It will be a learning process and new habits will need to be formed.

This is a stance for myself and also a stance against consumerism, the displacement of and subsequent extinction of other species and a gesture of empathy towards people who do not have access to basic needs and commodities of survival.

I’m posting to solidify this vow and asking for advice of any lifestyle changes to adopt that I may not think of and upcycling, recycling, and minimizing ideas.

I am in my late 20s, and will be moving out from my parent's place this week to live on my own for the first time. I have a stable job, I want to live on my own, but I am still anxious about all of my "stuff".

I've lived with my parents ever since I was born. I've spent time and "temporarily lived" with other people, but I've always been able to live off a carry-on size backpack when with others.

However, I've accumulated a lot of things over the past decades. As I prepare for my upcoming move, I've thrown away a ton of garbage. However, there is also a ton that "sparks joy" (such as a good memory, something I feel is cool, etc) for me.

A lot of these things are realistically things I would never use again, except perhaps an occasional reminiscing of some items.

On one hand, I feel I should throw them out due to limited space I will have. On the other hand, I feel a connection to people and times in my life from some of these items, and I feel bad about throwing them out.

I am not sure what to do. I don't want my new place to be cluttered, and I know I can survive off of the bare essentials from previous experiences. None the less, I feel uncertain about purging certain items.

Has anyone here gone through a similar situation, or does anyone have advice for my situation? I would like to be minimalist, but these emotional connections make it hard.

I have adapted minimalistic living since few years and realised we don’t need 100 things to survive .. it all boils down to food, clothes and shelter .. but one thing is for sure If your living this way you need to have enough money in your bank account .. for example any emergencies u can always buy things and discard them after use .. Minimalism is great if your planning to live alone

How society programs you: Algorithms

I'm a millennial. I've kept up with most iterations of social media since MySpace came on the scene. I've recently been really struggling with screen time and taking control of myself. I worry that if I start deleting apps I'll just end up downloading them again. I've come to this point where I don't even post on social media, but I find myself stalking TikTok and Facebook and Instagram for hours on end sometimes, especially at night when I want to be winding down for bed.

Recently I've gotten into the idea of getting a "dumb phone" something that will not allow me to be active on any social media unless I'm physically in front of a computer.

I suppose I just want advice on how others have gotten over these hurdles and become more present in life and less on social media. Is getting myself a dumb phone worth the leap or is there something you can suggest I can do to avoid so much screen time in the future. My entire goal is to gain more time that seems to be slipping away from me when I have better things to do.

Anything you can suggest will be seriously taken into account.

And now it’s looking out the four windows of my front room. All I want to do is sit and look out the windows. It’s grey and overcast out. It’s so lovely. Hope you’re all enjoying your day ❤️

I generally consider myself somewhere between a minimalist and more of a decluttering enthusiast. I'm not someone who is going to get rid of my couch, sleep on the floor, etc. and I'm OK with that.

But I have run into an issue I can't resolve when it comes to minimalism and my kitchen. I have a medium sized kitchen with plenty of storage for what I currently have. We've been doing some work in our kitchen that required us to pack up everything in the cupboards and pantry, and to completely clear our counters. Because this work was ongoing over the course of 3-4 weeks, during that time we have only been using the absolute bare minimum of cooking and eating items: one each of tools like tongs, knives, spatulas, mixing bowls, cutting boards, etc. as well as one plate/cup/mug/bowl/fork/spoon/etc. per person. With anything incidental, like the whisk, the cocktail shaker, the immersion blender, etc. packed away. We have not used things like multiple sizes of plate or bowl, multiple styles of glassware (a rocks glass for spirits vs. a tumbler for water), or the like. Just one of everything.

While in some areas this has been inconvenient, and we're planning to go back to having more than just one fork per person, taking out the ice cream scooper, etc. in other areas I've realized that we have way more than what we really need. For example, we have this cool handmade container full of probably 30 sets of chopsticks, but 4 sets was absolutely enough to get us through 4 weeks of kitchen work. With a couple of exceptions, I didn't miss having a special type of glassware for each type of beverage (spirits, wine, water, beer, juice, and on and on). We cycled through the same 6 cloth napkins the entire time without feeling any lack despite the fact that we have probably 2 dozen.

The problem here is... all of the things I think we have too much of and didn't need for most of a month are things I really like. I love my beautiful container with chopsticks that sits on the counter waiting for the next time my partner makes a traditional Chinese dish. I love having a drink in the perfect glass. I think each of our three sets of cloth napkins are beautiful and perfect and don't want to get rid of them. We also have room for all of these items. There's nothing pushing me to get rid of anything.

As minimalists, what would y'all do? Keep these items because they bring me joy, even if we don't strictly need them? Get rid of them because they're really just extra junk in my house that isn't needed?

What would be a minimalist diet ? Has to check all the markers Healthy Sustainable Affordable

Requirements:

1. Android Phone

2. A Computer (Windows/Mac/Linux)

So, what is the thing that makes the phone more than just a tool? - the unlimited functions your phone can perform. So, we are gonna destroy the root cause here.

First of all, delete all the distracting apps off your phone. Now comes the main part, we are gonna delete the apps like Play Store & Web Browser to make the phone a closed system, that can have all the essentials minus the distractions of a smartphone. I'm linking down the tutorial, which you can follow to do this.

Tutorial : How to Remove Bloatware From Your Android Phone (Guide) | Beebom

Video : The Simplest Way to Remove Bloatware on Android! (No Root Required) - YouTube

These tutorials are meant to remove bloatware off an android phone, but you can use it to remove the apps of your choice. This solution of deleting apps is effective because we are using a computer to do this, so we need a computer to reinstall them, so the resistence is high.

Congrats! now you have a dream dumb phone with all the nescessary functions you need, without the negative effects of a smartphone. I've done this and my SOT has reduced from 6-8 hrs to less than an hour on average.

I only wear used clothing, and I only wear black :P

I come from the punk rock world so wearing the same thing for 2 weeks is just how I roll.

I've lost substantial weight and my clothing isn't staying on my body, and when it stays on my body it falls apart so the time hath come.

thrifting isn't what it used to be and I don't know my size or my body..I feel like a teenager.

Buying from Poshmark, or fb marketplace etc...just...ugh. I need to try stuff on if I'm going to live in it forever until it disintegrates.

SOOOO I have DECIDED to buy SOMETHING NEW.

:O

:O

In a world of fast fashion and waste, my lil broke heart hurts. Everything affordable is harmful.

I found this useful little segment from modernminimalism.com about clothing companies with morals who make simple things for people like us.

I wanted to share.

https://modernminimalism.com/minimalist-clothing-brands/

Back in the day, I used to find a ton of stuff from American Apparel in thrift stores or hand-me-downs from friends. I like my outfits SIMPLE. BLACK. and SKIN TIGHT.

But not TOO simple, ok? Give me a cool neckline or a strappy do-dad here or there. Something fun.

Give me texture. ALL THE TEXTURE.

So if you have any suggestions, on the affordable side of things, please help!

I hope that link helps. It's rated by $-$$$ and the woman writing it did her homework on the mindfulness of each company.

So, I love clothes. I dont spend alot, and most of my wardrobe is thrifted, probably 80%. However, I love variety and I adore natural fibers, like silk, wool/cashmere and cotton. I am actually a casual seller, so for reference I have sold about 60 items since last Sept. and currently have 100 items up online for sale and hope to sell alot of my inventory, would be so happy to sell another 60+ next year.

Today for example, I wanted to buy a brown leather jacket for fall! I dont have one a brown leather jacket, i do have a black fitted one, but this brown one is more like a trucker type, looser casual jacket. I go to my closet and im horrified, I have a jean jacket, rain jacket, light puffer jacket, long puff jacket and regular puff jacket, on top of leather jacket.....and now Im questioning it! why do i have a million jackets?! the crazy thing is, I use all of them depending on the weather. I sold 3 jackets last year so I def have been trying to clear my closet out!

any fellow style/clothing junkies out there? how are you dealing?

I watched this video the other day and it was very inspiring to me. It made me want to take steps towards digital minimalism and a more minimalist life in general (thoughts I've had a lot over the years and have tried here and there to implement). It was also just a visually beautiful and calming video.

I'm wondering if anyone can suggest other videos with similar subjects/themes/vibes?

For those who won't watch it: a woman stays in a tiny, minimal cabin in the winter, completely unplugged and separated from the world. It's not a "how to" or list of ways to be a minimalist... It's just watching her go about her day in this cabin. She reads books, cooks, goes for walks, and plays cassettes.

I've noticed that people who start living a minimalist lifestyle tend to be older (I often see mothers with kids, especially on here). I just wanted to see if my impression is accurate or if anyone else has noticed this too (I'm 17 btw).

I've (34F) always prided myself on being a minimalist but we're just packing up to move & the amount of stuff is overwhelming! 2 adults, a toddler & newborn. Between kids stuff, toiletries & beauty supplies, household items that is genuinely needed (utility box, tools, paperwork) & the worst is clothes! Toddlers old clothes/toys, newborns future clothes/toys, old maternity clothes I'll hopefully need again, seasonal clothes (winter/summer), coats, shoes, bags, gowns. Despite clearing out quarterly & rarely buying more, it seems never ending! Really want to reduce the amount of stuff but don't know where to start. I am an organiser - Marie Kundo style - everything has a place/tub/organiser - but nothing is kindling joy & still needed in a busy young household. How do I tackle this during unpacking to set our new home up as I mean to go on?

Moving into my first house and I want to decorate my walls with posters, however, many posters and wall art I see have waaaay to much going on in them. It’s also very hard to find nautical prints without whole epics in them. Any suggestions on where I can find wall art that is rather simplistic and what kind work best?

Recently, I had to do a lot of handwashing because of heavy soil on single items and many cleanup towels during the process of moving. I found soap suds to be annoying. I looked up why suds are necessary. Seems dubious. I looked at online reviews of laundry detergent. I've been reducing my use of detergent as a result, but it comes with increasing use of water, whether handwashing or machine washing. Then the occasional stain still needs a good dab of detergent.

Anyone else gone through this?

For example, what's the best type of laundry detergent that can help avoid the trouble?

I have a propensity to collect stupid things.

I grew up struggling with my mom and my dad who works overseas.

Now I'm on my middle age. Live comfortably with my own family. My kids are working too and have their own homes.

I started this addiction to collecting when my career improved back around 2008 to 2010. And with that I began compensating for stuff I didn't have much growing up.

It began with legos, then motorcycles, books of all sorts. Then I discovered knives, bags, automatic watches, whisky, electric guitars and vinyl records.

Now my current vice is I collect fountain pens. They have a thing called grail pens and I kept acquiring them and wanted more expensive ones than the previous.

I want to stop.

I want to sell things and just have the simplest of stuff.

I want a clean slate and live as simply as possible.

How do I stop wanting things?

Setting up my new apartment, and trying to keep things as small and minimalist as possible. Has anyone tried the Glostad couch from IKEA? https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/glostad-loveseat-knisa-dark-gray-70489011/

Or, any other suggestions for a small couch that won't overwhelm the space? I would buy used, but I am having trouble finding something online or in thrift stores.

For reference, I really like a more relaxed fit and a 100% cotton, I have seen some from Skims that look nice, however it’s not 100% cotton.For example the Uniqlo Oversized Tee fit is nice, however I don’t like the silky texture. Wondering if you guys have know any brands for me!

Update - THANK YOU ALL FOR UR ANSWERS :P

The thing is, if someone I'm talking to loose is phone number and he didn't note my phone number, we can't contact each other, so how do you deal with that ?

My iPad and phone are the two things that have simplified my life the most. I see people demonizing digital devices, but if used correctly and to your advantage, they can be incredibly useful tools for a simple and money-saving lifestyle. I basically run my life with my iPad. All my planning goes there, and all the knowledge I acquire is organized in my GoodNotes folders (which serve as a second brain for each of my interests and have greatly helped with my studying). Everything is in one place. I’ve stopped buying planners and notebooks, saving a lot of money. The only two notebooks I own are my Japanese journal, which I use for creative writing to practice my Japanese (I’ve found this to be the most effective for my learning), and a math notebook where I solve random problems. Everything else is on the iPad. I also no longer need to print pictures for visualization; I can just download them from Pinterest.

Tools like Notion, Google sheet, Excel ... Life changers.

Does anyone here use reusable fabric period pads? Are they worth buying, or is it more hassle than they're worth?