Anyone here a minimalist?

We recently watched a documentary on it. Seemed like something I would love to embrace and have been trying to. I'll never be a true "minimalist" like the people in the film are, but I'm trying to really look at what I have in my life and get rid of the things I don't need or don't use.

So far I've had two trips to the Goodwill, 2 craigslist listings, and about 15 eBay listings.

Really take a look around--what in your house actually gives you utility, use, or makes your life easier? The hardest thing for me/us has been the kitchen. My wife thinks we need all these gadgets. She got us a popcorn maker. I've been making popcorn on the stove for my entire life. Why did we get a popcorn maker? Otherwise, it is pretty easy to get rid of 1-2 things a day. Seems to be helping us out.

I've been steadily doing this, as well. SWMBO wants to buy a house in a few years, and my justification for chucking stuff is "it's fewer things to move."

The rule I try to live by is to put at least one large item out for trash pick up every week.

Yeah, I walk a fine line between hoarder and minimalist. I hate having things, owning stuff, buying stuff but I can't seem to break the habit.

I am a Theoretical Minimalist. That means I have too much stuff, damn well know it, and am not likely to do anything about it.

I have actually reduced my fleet from 5 cars, a truck, two trailers, kart, and a motorcycle to just 3 cars and 4 motorcycles. And I cleaned out the garage. Maybe there is hope for me as a Minimalist in-progress.

In reply to Huckleberry:

Yeah... what he said.

I have so... much... crap.

But I also a severe mental block with regards to actually doing anything about.

Somewhat. I have junked a ton of stuff since I got divorced (and the the subsequent 4 moves I've made in the 2 years since).

I'm down to a love seat, chair, end table. TV/PS4/Roku/TV stand. Set of cookware and silverware, 4 place settings worth of dishes. Some artwork and knick-knacks that I like (not much). Bed, nightstand, clothes.

Computer and computer desk (since I work from home a few days per week), some little speakers for it so I can jam on one of 2 guitars and my little Fender amp.

Not super minimalist, but not tons of stuff I never use either.

If you want a good lesson in Minimalism, look into people who "liveaboard" their sailboats.

I consider having a path through the garage a win. It was worse but I'm workin' on it.

As the child of parents who border on hoarders, it's difficult for me to get rid of things. Every non-essential that gets thrown out, given away, or sold feels like a win to me.

My wife and I are organizing a garage sale (our first!), and we've got 2 boxes of stuff set aside, but I think we really need to go through things and at least double that before we set everything up.

I absolutely love my New Balance Minimus trail running shoes. They're awesome! Super thin and lightweight and they don't raise your heel higher than the rest of your foot. Very natural feel, as if you are running barefoot, but with protection from rocks and other hard stuff. I currently have two pairs, and I hope to buy more! You can never really have enough shoes.

So, yes! I'm a minimalist.

I watched the same documentary/advertisement as well.

The problem with minimalism becomes dependence. If you have a community that has a garage/workshop space that is shared by the group, that's great, but often times getting rid of too much stuff ends up costing a lot as you become more dependent on others.

And that's not always a bad thing if you make enough incomes to pay for that "minimalism of mind". If you can live close to an awesome job or have a great way of earning income that doesn't require using a car, or you make so much money paying for someone else to fix your car provides clarity of mind, then go for it. The fact is, many of us need to work traditional job with a traditional commute, and the types of things we enjoy doing, while even fitting the minimalist ideals, are still space intensive.

For example, I'm not quite sure how a carpenter could be a minimalist in his working life, because you need a variety of tools, you need to store and recycle supplies, you probably a vehicle to move said equipment and supplies, and you need to make enough money to keep all of that in good working order. You could be the most organized and clutter-less carpenter, but you'd still have a lot of schitt.

I think it's easy for guys who work in marketing or are trying to write books/documentaries on the subject to say "minimalism is easy" but I'd rather them sell that idea to my employer as a way of convincing them that more of the workforce can work from home.

What gets my goat is that EVERY TIME I pitch something in the trash that I've walked around for years in my garage, I WILL NEED within a week.

ya

I am in many ways, but a car hobby, any car hobby, is pretty much the polar opposite of minimalism. Tools, extra, parts, etc. My wife is not.

I'm thinking of trying a more minimalist approach to life sooner. We may give condo life a shot, which would mean no car stuff, no lawncare stuff, minimal toolkit, and only 1 or 2 bikes.

no

scardeal wrote: As the child of parents who border on hoarders, it's difficult for me to get rid of things. Every non-essential that gets thrown out, given away, or sold feels like a win to me.

My parents weren't really hoarders, but I definitely inherited a pack-rat gene from somebody. I attribute it some to growing up in a somewhat transient way. I lived in something like 10 different places until I was 10 and apartments until I was 22. For me, "home" was where my "stuff" was rather than any particular place. As a result, I tend to get attached to said "stuff".

1988RedT2 wrote: What gets my goat is that EVERY TIME I pitch something in the trash that I've walked around for years in my garage, I WILL NEED within a week.

True... but what is more frustrating: Needing something you threw away a couple of weeks ago, or going out and buying something you already have because trying to find it might take days?

I really value clean and tidy work and living areas that are devoid of clutter, and I try my hardest not to buy a bunch of crap that will just sit around. So in that way, I might be a minimalist. In juxtaposition to that, I have tons of tools, 2 large mowers, and 5 vehicles, plus parts for car and house projects. None of that is "minimalist".

I guess for me, it's about balance, and everything having a "place". When it starts to feel cluttered, something has to go, or be reorganized.

In reply to STM317:

That is where I would like to be. The trick seems to be figuring out a plan to get there.

I don't see the point. For millions of years, man struggled to have enough food, water, shelter, clothes. We worked hard to dig, explore, experiment and build so we could have tools to make our lives easier and more enjoyable. And now that we have reached the point where we live a life that is exponentially better than our forebears, we want to throw it all away? If I was a caveman, I'd complain that I only had one rock to sleep on and I'd want some better options. I'll be damned if I am going to get rid off all my furniture and limit myself to one hard wooden chair now.

I'm not advocating being wasteful or hoarding, but I will have stuff commensurate with my income and space. If it is no longer useful to me, I will recycle it if I can. But yeah, I am keeping my specialty wood-floor saw in case I (or someone else) may use it again someday. Why not, it's not in my way. And I can sleep in my bed, either of my couches, in the spare bedroom, on a cot stored in the attic or on a camping pad on a shelf in the garage. Take that cro-magnon!

To an extent, yes. Wife and I are minimalists when it comes furniture, decorations, and belongings in general.

But we own 4 cars (Two DD, racecar, truck), so bit of a stretch there.

My garage is kept clean and organized. If it doesn't have a proper spot to be stored, it goes away. We drop stuff of at the local Salvation Army on a regular basis.

After dealing with a significant drop in income and incurred debt during the bad economy, we've lived a cash only life for years now. I think that really helps minimize the purchase of "extra" stuff.

pinchvalve wrote: I don't see the point. For millions of years, man struggled to have enough food, water, shelter, clothes. We worked hard to dig, explore, experiment and build so we could have tools to make our lives easier and more enjoyable. And now that we have reached the point where we live a life that is exponentially better than our forebears, we want to throw it all away? If I was a caveman, I'd complain that I only had one rock to sleep on and I'd want some better options. I'll be damned if I am going to get rid off all my furniture and limit myself to one hard wooden chair now. I'm not advocating being wasteful or hoarding, but I will have stuff commensurate with my income and space. If it is no longer useful to me, I will recycle it if I can. But yeah, I am keeping my specialty wood-floor saw in case I (or someone else) may use it again someday. Why not, it's not in my way. And I can sleep in my bed, either of my couches, in the spare bedroom, on a cot stored in the attic or on a camping pad on a shelf in the garage. Take that cro-magnon!

I think you're maybe missing the point.

You say you have two couches--probably one in the family room and one in the basement or living room. You probably use both of them, probably regularly. I know I do. But what about the dining room? My parents have one. It is used... 3 times a year? If that? And there is no reason they couldn't use the kitchen for those times; the only reason they don't is that they have the dining room and want to use it sometimes. It serves no real purpose. Similarly, I have four suits. I wear suits relatively often--at least once a month, if not more. But two of those four suits never get worn. I couldn't remember the last time I wore one of those two suits, and on top of that the one doesn't even fit well anymore. No point keeping those.

Your wood saw actually is easily justifiable: It is saving you time or money at some point. You do use it. Similarly, I have and use my hand tools. I have multiple sets too--I break them every once in a while. But that ford flathead valve spring compressor? Why the hell do I own that? Someone gave it to me when I bought a bunch of tools at an estate sale; it has been sitting in my bag ever since. I should put it online and see if someone wants it. I am not getting any use out of it.

I guess my interpretation of minimalism is to have what you need, and what you use, and keep everything else to a minimum. If something doesn't bring value to your life, why do you own it? And value can be many things--it can be saving you money (wood saw?), saving you time, bringing enjoyment (I have a picture of a ship--it makes me smile when I look at it), or bringing you knowledge or enjoyment (wood saw again).

I think the Minimalists were advocating their lifestyles as a way of obtaining happiness without the burden of stuff. If stuff makes you happy, it's kinda a moot point.

I still think we've got way too many people who are interested in non-traditional working/consumer lifestyles that are not granted those lifestyles due to the oppressive nature of our corporate overlords and the influence corporate entities have in our governments view on employment/retirement/healthcare. We buy "stuff" to make us happy and feel successful, and also because we're not really given a choice. We're expected to work from 20-65 years of age with a few weeks off during those years, and our system makes it very difficult to do anything else. Our only option is to be happy with the stuff we can enjoy because we may not be around at 65 to enjoy it. It's crazy that it is more difficult to "retire" at 40, live in an RV, pay your own medical expenses, spend time with your kids and family, and live for yourself than it is to just work until retirement.

ProDarwin wrote: I am in many ways, but a car hobby, any car hobby, is pretty much the polar opposite of minimalism. Tools, extra, parts, etc. My wife is not. I'm thinking of trying a more minimalist approach to life sooner. We may give condo life a shot, which would mean no car stuff, no lawncare stuff, minimal toolkit, and only 1 or 2 bikes.

I like my downtown apt in OKC, but I know once the girlfriend sells her house and moves in, it's going to get tight fast with her, me, and her two little dogs. I've got tons of restaurants/bars/entertainment all within a 10 minute walk.

At that point I don't know if we will look for a larger apt, or a rent house, possibly even buy a house. The thought of buying a house (again) makes me very nervous.

I definitely am inside the house.

pheller wrote: It's crazy that it is more difficult to "retire" at 40, live in an RV, pay your own medical expenses, spend time with your kids and family, and live for yourself than it is to just work until retirement.

I think the only reason this is more difficult is that A) people would rather buy stuff than save money and B) most people who could get on board with this don't also have a spouse that's on board with this.

I could do this in a heartbeat. My wife/kid... probably not so much.