Any minimalists here?

[Radiana]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 10:15am

If there are any minimalists here could you please share some of your secrets to an uncluttered life. It's got to be a liberating feeling not to be burden down with things.

[best12bars]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 10:23am

No.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 12:23pm

If you haven't used it in a week, throw it away.

[KrissySim]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 1:32pm

I was once a minimalist by default.

I also busked across Europe.

Here's what you can do: Next summer bike across Europe. Everything you need you will carry in your panniers ("saddle bags"). That will teach the minimal approach. It's also a great way to see Europe, and Europeans are positive toward tour bicyclists.

[Yawper]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 2:00pm

Use cash only

Don't subscribe to magazines, newspapers, no memberships that require commitment, etc.

Don't buy books, cds, dvds - use the library

Use one setting - cooking pan, bowl, spoon, cup - either get rid of the rest or store it until you have guests

Focus on multi-purpose clothes

Re-gift or donate unwanteds

I don't have the info handy, but there's a way to curtail junk mail

excess paper stuff is my biggest problem - I have a hard time parting with informational flyers and event handouts, especially when they're about history




Updated On: 11/24/08 at 02:00 PM

[Radiana]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 3:34pm

Thanks Yawper. So far I'm down to one magazine. My husband has to have the newspaper for the sports section, otherwise I wouldn't have it.

The idea about one place setting per person is good, nothing like a sink full of dishes to face. Two place settings would take me two minutes to wash.

What's with people and their books, my husband won't part with his, he says he might want to read them again someday, so we're overrun with them.

If you can believe this, in the old days when I was growing up, people used to have junk bowls. They were just serving bowls that sat on top of the refrigerator or the counter and you would just throw stuff like rubber bands, match books, pencils and gum in them. Then people had to use draws for their junk and then whole rooms. And ofcourse now we have 1-800-GOTJUNK. How did we get to be such pack rats?

[Yawper]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 4:48pm

It's not that you have to get rid of everything you already have. Just don't add to it. Be careful not to confuse minimalist with disposability. Disposability = wasteful and expensive.

(oh, yeah, no paper plates or towels - get cheap bar towels for cleaning up messes and wash them)

[Weez]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 5:01pm

I'd love to be minimalist, but I'm far too attached to my books. Srsly, I tried having a serious clearout of books. I still had fifteen boxes worth when I was done. All the books I've kept are books I will conceivably reread in the future. And I'm a big library user as well. But there comes a time when you realise you've had the same book out for six months, you keep renewing it, so you may as well just BUY a copy.

[Yawper]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 5:18pm

If you really want to keep buying books, dvds, etc. then you have to stick to getting rid of an old one (sell, donate, pass along, even gift if appropriate) for every new one that comes in.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 5:27pm

I cannot throw ANYTHING out as I feel that it will come handy sometime in the future, whether it be tomorrow or in 10 years.

And I have been in the position where something I saved (that everybody thought was ridiculous) has come in very handy. And, I've also been encouraged enough to throw some stuff away that would have come in handy.

My apartment is cluttered, but for the most part, it's organized chaos.

[Weez]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 5:34pm

Thanks for the advice, but having already made the decision to be a Book Hoarder rather than a Minimalist, I hope you don't mind too much that I won't be taking it. :P

[KathyGriffinLovesYou]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 6:11pm

I'm pretty messy- I don't have alot of stuff but everything I have is right in your face



Just have some friends come by and take what they want. If you need it back BORROW it back.

[Radiana]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 8:40pm

Yawper, you're advice on no paper towels is well taken. Who needs them? I just use my husbands old socks as rags for heavy duty cleaning and a dish rag for kitchen cleaning.

Yawper, are you a reformed pack rat or have you always been a minimalist? It must be good for the soul to not have to be bogged down with things.

[Yawper]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 9:04pm

My parents grew up during the Depression. They have a different mindset than is common today - Purchase for need not image or fashion; look for quality and durability even if it costs a little more; don't waste; don't pay people to do work you can do; don't spend more than you can afford and pay off credit cards every month (they are strictly for convenience!), etc.

I was an impulsive buyer when I first got out of college and still kick myself a lot for all the $$ wasted. I still have quite a few books, but they aren't costing me anything now and the collection isn't growing. The one thing I wish I had was space for a veggie garden. We had one growing up and also frequented the farmer's market for a lot of food to freeze, can, make jam, etc. A freezer is your best friend if you're trying to save $$ - don't know if that's part of your minimalist motivation or not. I see Bell peppers for $2 each in the store and just shake my head, plus nothing beats a warm, ripe tomato right off the vine.

While recently talking with a used bookstore owner he said the store started from his indulgence - he can read anything he wants to that way. Updated On: 11/24/08 at 09:04 PM

[Radiana]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 10:35pm

I grew up in a home that was very minimalist. The money went for food and clothing an occassional camping trip and a movie once in awhile. I felt so sorry for some of my friends who had wall to wall toys because their moms were always yelling at them to clean there rooms. When I had to pick up my toys they could all fit in a container the size of a bread box.

No wonder I'm a pack rat now. I'm planning on changing all that though. People in my neck of the woods like to go Christmas shopping at garage sales so I should start preparing for that.
I've been in to Victorian decor because you can add layers of clutter and it still works. I can't wait to get rid of it all and try for an Art Deco look.

[Yawper]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 11:17pm

Victorian is *very* hard to clean and dust.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 11/24/08 at 11:49pm

"What's with people and their books, my husband won't part with his, he says he might want to read them again someday, so we're overrun with them."

I am overly attached to my books. I love having them, even if I know I won't read some of them again for years.

[Select a Member Name]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 12:06am

You can add me to the list of people who can't part without their books.

[Q]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 1:25am

I'd get rid of a book when I brought a new one in IF I wasn't ever going to use it again in the future. But, there's a reason I bought it in the first place.

They're not going anywhere.

[Yawper]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 1:55am

I used to browse the bookstores, new and used, and buy whatever looked interesting during a skim-through. It was easy to drop $100-$200 a trip! I finally got out of that habit by picking up books that look interesting and carrying them with me while continuing to browse. I've found that very often just that time between picking them up and finishing browsing was enough to let me put most, if not all, back down.

As a kid books were always my escape.

[Q]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 2:06am

"As a kid books were always my escape."

As an adult, for me they are the source of inspiration and answer.

And the FIRST thing I've EVER done in a new place is get a library card - they are my churches.

But some things I need WITH me - always.

[Radiana]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 2:36am

I guess there are treasures we simply can't part with, at least books are easy enough to put in storage boxes or on book cases.

If I could say what it is that gets to me the most other than my own clutter it's the GD junk mail. That will have to be on my list to do is let all these gift catalog people know just to email for sales instead of send junk mail.

[BWF]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 6:30am

Yes, I am.

I've come to the conclusion that minimalists are born that way. Order, is the order of the day.

You can have stuff, and lots of it. the secret is in the way you house it. Everything has a place. If you return everything to that place when you've finished, bingo.

My house is white and beige with blonde wood, accent colour throughout, turquoise. It's not unusual for people to gasp when they come in. Frequent comments are, "you must be cleaning all day to keep it looking like this". No, I probably do less than anyone else in their homes.

People can be quite rude also, some brave morons will even ask, "Do you suffer from that OCD thing"? My answer usually includes the words - No, I'm just not a dirty messy swine like you are

[Radiana]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 8:48am

You hit the nail on the head when you said you probably clean less than anyone else. The few times in my life when I actually had a place for everything and everything in it's place, it was so easy to keep up. It was a simple matter of putting away what you took out. My favorite part of the whole neat thing is that you feel at peace. You really have a sense of well being.

[clever name]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 3:37pm

I used to have so much STUFF. I now have gone the other way. If I buy a pair of shoes, I have to give a pair away. If I buy a new purse, I have to give one away. If it hasn't been worn in a year it is put in the donation bag. I have nothing on shelves that serve no purpose. I HATE chachkis (sp?).
I went a little crazy throwing things out and Im bored stiff with the small amount of clothes I own. But you know what? I love it!
The next thing I need to conquer is to give my books to the library.I want to get to the point where I buy it, read it, give it away.