Many people often wonder if they can live in a minimalist home while still keeping some of their possessions. Well, minimalism is not “all or nothing.” Although my personal goal is to have a little as possible or little unnecessary items, the way my life is set up it can be a little difficult.
What is Minimalism?
A minimalist lifestyle is living with less. Less could be referred to as items in your home, debt, clutter, burdens, guilt, etc… A person who considers themself minimalistic is satisfied with living with only the essentials. A minimalism home is the complete opposite of a hoarding situation. Hoarders tend to hold onto any and everything possible. Both minimalism and hoarding can have their extremes. Of course I do not agree with hoarding, but complete minimalism is only a dream for me. I have (and like) too much stuff. For me, a clutter free home is an ideal situation.
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Living With Less
Do you absolutely need 4 linen sets per bed in your home? Exactly how many commuter mugs do you need? How many towels do you have dirty before you wash them? These are some of the things you should ask yourself when you are trying to decide how many items you need. Some items like Tupperware or pots and pans may be hard to get rid of you. But when you downsize, you won’t even miss them. Keep in mind, you don’t have to get rid of everything at once or at all. Keep some items, but use them in seasons. Everything doesn’t have to be displayed or used at once.
Create New Rules
When it comes to deciding what items to keep in my house, I ask myself a few questions. Have I used the item within the past year? Does another item do the same thing? Would I miss the item if its gone? Does it work 100%? By asking yourself those four questions, you can actually eliminate many unnecessary items in your home. Determine what works best for you family. Instead of one coffee cup per person in your home, maybe two per person works best for your family. You don’t have to have the absolute minimum of an item to have a minimalist home.
RELATED POST: 7 Things to Limit in Your Home to Avoid Clutter
Limit What You Bring Into Your Home
In order to achieve our goals of minimalism, we must limit the amount of things we bring into our home. Politely decline unwanted items from family or friends that want to pass on their things to you. Of course, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. But sometimes one person’s trash is another person’s trash as well. Don’t feel obligated to take on someone unwanted items and bring them into your space. I always say if it’s not a “hell yeah” it’s a “hecks no.” Use that approach when deciding what you will bring into your home.
Appreciate What You Have
In today’s society, having the newest and most updated version is suppose to make us feel good. I can remember when the iPhone 7 was the latest and greatest. Now my iPhone XR is a dinosaur. HDTVs were awesome. But now you must have a SMART 4K LED TV to enjoy watching Netflix. That is sad. Instead of buying so many things to fill a void, enjoy and appreciate what you have. Let’s be content with our current items. We can appreciate the things we have when they are not overrun by clutter.
I hope you found these tips useful to you. What are your thoughts on living a minimalist lifestyle? Please feel free to ask any questions or leave your suggestions in the comment section.
As always, if you need help getting your home and life organized, register for my free “5 Days to an Organized Home & Life” email course. Each day you will receive strategies for keeping your home & life organized and having a “company ready” home at all time. You can register for the free course at www.decoratorsvoice.com/free5daycourse.
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