Living the Minimalist Lifestyle

I've accumulated a lot of stuff over the years, but visitors to my house see no evidence of it. The rooms that I use on a daily basis have gradually taken on a minimalist look, as most nonessential things have been moved to a couple of spare bedrooms rooms that are now used only for storage. I keep the doors shut, and those rooms are not heated or cooled.

It's so much easier to maintain uncluttered space! I love it! This approach so much better fits my lifestyle and priorities now. It has been a big change for me, having grown up in a very materialistic time and place. At this point in my life, I even think that sparse rooms look better.

I would be willing to get rid of a lot of the things in those storage rooms, but that would require me to spend a lot of time and effort deciding what should go and where it should go. That isn't a priority at the moment. On a typical day, I don't think about that stuff at all, which was once very important to my sense of self-worth. But when I do go in there, sometimes I almost have a relapse, as I look around and start thinking of various items as "treasures". I just walk out of the room and shut the door. Out of sight, out of mind.

 

No dishwasher? You heathens!



ZW :mickey:

 

I have never had a dishwasher. The apartment building does have a laundry room with coin operated machines. It is a step up from using a laundromat. Carrying the laundry down there is becoming more difficult for me but so far it still works out.

 

around here, when you walk into someone's house and they don't have any furniture, chances are they smoke crack.

 

I am a minimalist, with no doubt. I own my laptop, about eight or so shirts, two pairs of pants, my home made random assortment of jewelry that either I made or traded, a sketch book and a journal. That is it. I dont want anything more and feel I would be fine with a little bit less, especially clothes. I hate wearing clothes.

Im not really attached to anything but my boy friend, Id be happy with just him

 

Yeah, I also don't have a lot of shit.

 

I've been going a little batty.
Pipsqueak is a year old, and she just seems to need so much crap! We have two small bins of toys, a space saver highchair, a playpen in the family room - but it seems like our apartment is stuffed to the brim with baby crap.
I feel the need to purge it, but I know we need it. *sigh*

-FM

 

the nice thing about baby 'stuff' is that you can always pass it on to someone else who needs it, it never has to be wasted.

 

That's true! But the thing is, My husband and I are planning on having more, so I could get rid of the stuff once she grows out of it, but I really cringe at the thought of having to buy it all later...

Peace
- FM

 

that's when it's nice to have family or friends having kids around the same time, because you can trade things off between each other constantly, lol.

 

Exactly! I have one sister and two sister in laws, and two out of the three have kids.
The older cousins are boys (2&4) and my SIL's little girl is just 4 months older than Pipsqueak.
So I basically have to store all the girl stuff until someone has a little girl - and my sis is storing all the boy stuff.

It's a huge blessing (and saving!) being able to just rotate stuff around.

Do you have any little 'uns of your own??

 

not me, but my wife's sisters are starting. her oldest sister has a little boy who is almost 1, and her other sister is 5 months pregnant with a little girl. exciting times!

 

I have 0 kids and I'm an orphan.

 

perfect dressing make a perfect personality. i don't like being naked. when i alone i do not like being naked.....

 

I'd be interested in knowing the age ranges too. I'm guessing they're pre/non/post children.

I've always lived a some what minimalistic life, but for this old hippie, the "empty nest" years have been... have been... have been, I guess I'd call it, easier.

Peace,
poor_old_dad

 

I have been getting rid of a lot of stuff, and it feels great. I am far from minimalist though.

 

i've been slowly going through our apartment and giving away things we don't need anymore. i know that i should just get rid of all of my CDs, but i just can't bring myself to do it yet. too many memories.

 

yes! we're Minimalists.

we wondered about the issue of diminishing resources and how we could contribute as little waste as possible ... realised minimise was the answer.

others look at our lifestyle and see poor while we're chuckling at how much money we actually have to dispose of. no debt, EVER, contributes mightily to our 'wealth'.

the money rolls in per government pensions and payments faster than we can spend it. (Oz has the largest per capita income in the world except for Switzerland.) we give lots away.

Life is good for we two Minimalists ... and we go nude lots too!

 

I plan on soon going full minimalist. Traveling the world with only what I can hold in a back pack. Living in the woods in shelter created from the earth. I enjoy dreaming of my plans for the near future.