Now that you all know my story, I’d love to hear yours! Every Monday I plan to post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.
I’m thrilled to inaugurate the feature with this wonderful contribution from Frances.
Frances writes:
I think I have always had minimalist tendencies but for a long time I never had much stuff anyway so it never occurred to me that I was one! About 15 years ago I was living in London and very dissatisfied with my life and my job. I really, really wanted to move to the country and I knew I would be earning much less by doing so. So I decided to downsize and it has gone on from there.
Once I had moved (about 11 years ago) I wanted to fund a few months where I didn’t have to work so I looked at all my expenditure and do without things I didn’t really want or need. So, for example, I keep a very spare purse with just one debit card and one credit card. No store cards, no so called “loyalty cards” and I don’t carry the credit card around with me either. I gradually took down the amount of cosmetics I wore and now, apart from face creams, the only cosmetic item I wear is lipstick and I rather resent using that sometimes! I decided not to dye my hair as I didn’t want to spend money on yet more chemicals leaching their way into our water systems. On the same basis I decided not to buy clothing that needed dry cleaning – same reasoning! I wasn’t wild about jewellery and selling what I had funded a bit more freedom. Now I don’t have to worry about losing it or having it stolen. I don’t use a mobile phone – if I do get one I will do without the landline.
Television was beginning to irritate me hugely, both in terms of the amount of space it took up, together with all the add ons I had acquired of set top box, video, DVD player, cabling, remotes and having to keep a piece of furniture I disliked just to accommodate it all. In the UK we have to pay a license fee before we even switch on and that began to niggle me as I wasn’t watching it much anyway. I finally took the plunge and got rid of the lot. I eventually replaced it all with a DVD player I can keep in a drawer and just get out when I want to use it. I decided on a fairly minimal wardrobe as well, mostly wearing trousers and tops and that saves money on having to buy tights and have umpteen pairs of shoes to go with different items. Lots and lots of other things as well but this is probably already too long a piece for your purposes.
A while ago I watched a programme where a very attractive and well known actress was lamenting the fact that when she was young it took her 20 minutes tops to get ready and leave the house in the morning and now it took her at least 40 minutes. Well, I am delighted to report that I find the complete opposite. When I was young, I had to put on all the make-up, sort out my contact lenses, get my tights hauled on praying that they wouldn’t ladder or twist and dress before I could get out of the house. Now, no make up to put on, I have a pair of sweet little spectacles to pop on my nose and I wear socks with my trousers. Out of the house in 20 minutes flat!
I like Frances’ story because she had a life goal (moving to the country) and used Minimalism as a tool to achieve it. Minimalism isn’t an end unto itself, it’s a journal and a darn useful tool.
Thanks for the great story.
– Charley
It was great to read your story, Frances! I too have given up on make-up (except a little lip gloss), and finally have a no-fuss hair style. Like you, I also keep my wardrobe pretty simple. It’s made my mornings so much easier!
Thanks for sharing, Frances!
The only makeup I wear is honey for my lips in the winter. I gave up on chapstick or lip balm (even the ones from nature stores) as for some reason they made my lips crack even more.
Try Car-Max. Much better than chapstick.
Thanks for sharing Frances! I stopped wearing makeup too and sold the TV. I only use natural chapstick. :) It’s funny to think I spent an hour or more getting reading in my early 20’s. Now I’m 31 and it only takes me about 20 minutes to get myself together. Saving time is a beautiful thing. :)
Kudos on getting rid of the TV! I did the same about a year ago, and haven’t missed it a bit.
Thanks Simon! I’ve had a few fights with the TV Licensing people who refuse to believe that I just dont have one and it took me a while to get out of the habit of just coming in, flopping and switching on automatically. However, I read lots more and listen to the radio as well. I do recomend it. Frances.
Frances–yeah. . .contacts are kind of my last complicating issue when it comes to personal care. It’s so irritating to pack everything into a tiny little bag and then think, “Oh, right, I have this gigantor bottle of contact solution to bring along. . .” But glasses always seem to drive me nuts and somehow don’t correct my vision. Maybe I need to get a better pair, but I hate that when I look over the top of them or they slide down my nose in an athletic activity, I literally cannot see anything. Sigh.
And yes, yes, yes on the clothes. If you wear dresses and skirts and all that, suddenly you can’t wear the same shoes with all your darned clothes. I’ve altered my wardrobe to allow for fewer shoes–much less stuff to deal with.
Anyhow, thanks for sharing!
Must admit I didnt plan to ditch the contact lenses. I was singing in a choir and for one piece realised that I couldnt follow the music properly (notes too small) so I started wearing my spare glasses and it just went on from there. I realised in the end that it was quite freeing not to have to bother with the potions and containers and worrying about getting things in my eye, etc., etc. I am sure you know the score! Specs have their drawbacks as well but for me at least they are less of a hassle. Frances.
Hi !
I live in a small town in France and one of my dream is to live in Paris or in London,and I would become more and more minimalist to live in a small flat. I need the energy of big cities, with museums, cinemas, concerts, parks and public libraries. These past three months, I sold most of my books, (I have no TV, no cell phone). In a flat, I won’t need the landmower and gardening tools, I think I would get rid of the car. A kind of freedom !
I can fully agree with nicole 86’s comment. I, together with my husband and kids, lived in the country in Sardinia for eight years and we too started to miss the energy of big cities and moved to Barcelona. We’re loving the action, the cosmopolitan nature of a city, all the different types of people, how creative people are in their lives. We’ve downsized to a smaller home (that’s paid for) and we went from two cars to zero!
Great story Frances. You are inspiring me to write my own!
~janet
I never get tired of reading other people’s minimizing stories…even though I’m right there, I find I need the inspiration. Esp after being at other’s homes where they have “everything”. I start to wonder if I’m on the right path. Then I come home to my low-maintenance, simple home and feel so at peace. I’m only paying for what I really need and use, and I bet I could get by with less. Thanks for the great story.
Thank you Frances, it is lovely to meet you! I am another one who has gone from the full makeup/hair fussing/tights/etc every morning to simple hair, no makeup, pants…. I wonder if we’d all recognise each other if we were to see each other in the street? “Hmm, there goes a minimalist!”
I do have to sort of disagree with Charley, though – minimalism isn’t necessarily a means to an end, it’s just a way of life. I’m not trying to achieve anything but live according to my values.
I’m also laughing at (in a nice way!) Nicole and Tracy – I live right in the middle of a major city and I *never* go to the museum, library (except the one I work in!), theatre, etc. It is nice having everything within walking distance, though.
Oh, and well done on ditching the telly. I never watch mine, either, and I saw today that an industrious spider has created a very intricate web around the TV and set top box and cabinet. Ugh. Totally agree how irritating the trappings that go with the TV are.
Thanks for your response Charley. Yes, it was a means to an end, but it is also my lifestyle as well. Certainly one of my goals was to simplify my life radically. I wanted to “dejunk” my life. Still havent totally succeeded! Frances.
Thanks Nicole, Tracy & Janet for your comments. Must admit I find it hard to get rid of books. I recently decided to keep 100 max and now have a permanent pile to dispose of! But it will get easier I am sure. I used to have well over 250. I would love to do without a car but for various reasons have decided I can’t at the moment so am concentrating on getting my mileage down. I now do under 6,000 miles a year. Used to be 12,000. Have decided life is one long compromise! Frances.
Thanks Michelle. You should leave the spider alone and see how he gets on! Could turn into a real work of art! Frances.
great story, I loved it, I live with my bf and we have a tv, we usually download our movies and put it up on the tv (my bf figured it out, he’s a programmer), we don’t have tivo, no dvd player, no cable tv either, downloading is what works for us. Anyway I liked reading your story and I think its great that you are enjoying your life. Good for you! =)
Hi Frances,
I am reading the archives here and I really enjoyed reading your story. I haven’t had a TV since last Fall. The cable company called me today and asked me what I do for tv service and I said nothing, I don’t have a TV. There was a moment of silence and then the representative hung up. They call me every few months–just can’t believe it.
I think TV watching is a habit you have or you don’t. I have a few shows I watch or a movie. Sometimes we take a DVD out of the library and make it a 2 part show. My friends talk about a show they follow and I just listen. Same with celebrity gossip. I guess it’s a hobby for some people. A woman called and asked if I wanted cable channels and I said no. She seemed surprised but I will do fine without. My husband loves baseball and basketball so we have TV.
I found a beading show on PBS and then a crafting show. After watching an hour of TV, I decided I could not watch Jeopardy! and the early news. I used to tell my kids they had to choose the TV shows they were going to watch. As a result, they never watched much TV.
Also, the TV was always in the basement, never in the main part of the house, so no one ate while they watched TV or did their homework while watching TV. If TV is just a choice among other choices, many times it doesn’t get turned on all day.
I keep cleaning out my closets and drawers. When the weather cools off a bit, I have some flower pots I will empty and give away. For a while, I was interested in having lots of flowers on my balcony, then I sort of lost interest. Mostly, I just have jade plants and schefflera.
I took the plants in for the winter. Washed out the empty pots and gave them away. My son lost 60 lbs. so he was giving away some clothes. I got 2 tops. I gave away an old ripped shirt to an artist friend who is doing a weaving project. I also made 100 sugar skulls for Day of the Dead and I’m leading a children’s art class this afternoon. I do a lot of community art projects and have photos and thank you notes. I don’t need a messy home.
I like to clean and organize closets so I cleaned out my brother’s linen closet, kitchen cupboards, and straightened up his basement and sorted and recycled papers. I would have done the dressers but I didn’t have permission to do those. Maybe next visit. I like the idea that if all of us use less of everything there will be more to share with the have-nots of the world. A fantasy of mine is living in a studio apartment or a 1 bedroom. My husband would hate that.
I never stock up on anything because I grew up with a champion hoarder. It is very cold here and my husband has a fever and I have a cold. Of course there was pasta and rice in the cupboard, and some vegetables. There is always something to eat, just not the stacks and stacks and canisters my folks had. They had years’ worth of stuff.