Every Monday I 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.
Today, I’m pleased to feature Amity, who writes about the benefits of being a “Mini Me.” Check out her blog to read more of her story!
Amity writes:
Once, long ago, I had an astounding number of knickknacks and t-shirts. That was the tip of the iceberg. I had two drawers (one that was meant to hold hanging folders) filled to the brim with stationary. One wide shelf of my pantry was entirely devoted to tea. I was not a hoarder; rather, a second cousin: a collector.
When I was in my early 30’s I had an epiphany. I don’t need this much stuff! Beginning in 2009 or 2010 I purged my home twice a year. Everything got an inspection and an interrogation to see if it could stay.
This is my fifth year of seeking to be a minimized me. The rewards of adopting a ‘less is more’ attitude are of such magnitude I don’t know if I can convey to you my personal pleasure. But, I am going to try.
I have more money, time, and freedom than ever before. Sound to good to be true? Hang with me. I am not making this up. This is why I aspire to always be Mini Me.
Money
By not buying anything, I am saving at an unprecedented rate. I regularly go on spending fasts for fun and for a bit of a personal challenge. I have more money left over after paying bills. Now I get mad if I don’t save at least several hundred a month. When I started, I thought I was ready to retire if I spared 300 in a month from being squandered.
Time
This is more important to me than money. I have time to relax, explore, and create. My house now is so decluttered it takes about an hour to clean. My social calendar has been minimized and I spend several nights of the week without any pressing engagements, except to pet my cats and stroll with my hubby through our older neighborhood (with very mature, beautiful landscaping and quiet streets).
Freedom
Perhaps most important of all is personal freedom. By being a Minimalist, I had low enough expenses that I could try working part time. I decided I would explore my creativity. I painted, started a blog, and wrote a book. Minimize: Kill your debt. Live your dream. was launched in December of 2013. Had I had an out-of-control shopping habit, or crippling debt, I would have never known what I was capable of when left to my own devices.
Even if you have just cleared your first surface, you will experience a benefit. That space can be admired in a new way. One space leads to other spaces being reclaimed, and then the benefits begin to multiply.
Don’t take my word for it; see for yourself. Minimize!
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
Amity, SO TRUE about the saving money aspect. There’s a very tangible sense that money is not flying out the door on things that are non-essential. This year, I’ve only bought consumable goods such as food, hygiene products, and strings for my guitar! The peace of mind that comes from this alone is worth being a minimalist.
That is awesome, John! Yes, I definitely agree that there is peace of mind that comes with leaving a smaller footprint/purchasing consumables/not consuming! Thanks for sharing, and keep up the awesomeness!
So true. Just not buying clothing for a year can save all kinds of money. All my houseplants are from cuttings. Containers are free or second hand. This year we will give away one car and get used to living with one car since neither of us works. More books are headed to the library sale.
That is amazing! There is so much creativity and good feelings from being thrifty! Good luck on using one vehicle! You are terribly brave and fantastic! Thanks for posting!
Very nice. I like your story. It inspires me and shows me that this movement is real and doable and worth it in more ways i could have imagined.
I loooove being inspiring! :) Thanks for taking the time to post! Yes, there really is something to the Minimalist movement – the benefits are real, the tranquility in a home that is orderly and not stuffed is real! Remember to go slow, the small, consistent, faithful practice of decluttering (like Francine has suggested: 1 thing a day out the door) really pays off. Marathons are admirable, but they don’t have the staying power of small steady changes. Stay fantastic, Romana!
Thanks for sharing your story! It’s hard to start getting rid of “useful” things like t-shirts and stationery, but I’ve come to feel that we do not have a moral obligation toward STUFF! I used to think that if someone gave me a gift, I was somehow obligated to use it up. Thanks goodness for Freecycle–now I just “rehome” items I don’t need in my life.
Yes! I think that stuff should serve us, and we should keep our servitude to a minimum! I have never used Freecycle but you make it sound fantastic! Thanks for posting- and keep up the awesomeness!
Loved your story and your sense of humor! Your perspective is so fresh and inspiring. I too delight in having money in the bank, rather than spending it unnecessarily.
I’ve gone on several no spending fasts, going one year without buying clothes, for starters. I actually went 2 consecutive years with no desserts, no candy. My husband and I have shared one car for about 6 years now.
I too am a mini me in the making! Love that view!
Thanks for sharing your story.
Yay! You are a veteran :) This is my first year to try a full year without new clothes! I am in month 9, almost month 10, and you know, I really haven’t felt deprived! I don’t know if I could follow you down the no dessert path, that is a little intense for me! lol! Yes, having money in the bank is addictive! Thanks for posting! You are minimizing like a boss!
Ahh I am so glad that more people are embracing this lifestyle. It’s so inspiring to see. T-shirts are terrible and are so easy to end up collecting way too many! Especially when they have sentimental value they are hard to let go of. Any tips?
Yes, me too! I think our embracing it is long overdue! T-shirts spawn in drawers and in the back corner of closets, I am convinced! :) The best suggestion I have heard for dealing with sentimental shirts is to cut them up so you have the design/logo in front saved, and then make a blanket out of several favorites. That way, you still have something functional, and you still are able to be sentimental. Anyone know of any other ideas for Pia? Thanks for posting!
Photoes! :-) If I don’t have the need to actually touch a piece of stuff kept out of sentimental reasons only, but just need the visual image of it as a memo to remind me of nice events of the past: I just take a photo of it and store the image digitally (and than let the stuff itself go away in one way or another).
When my granma died, I kept only one of her beautiful embroideries so that I can actually feel her work in my hands, and took photoes of some the rest (and let those other pieces be taken by other family members who wanted them in 3D).
The benefits of minimalism are so very wonderful. It’s amazing how much time and money a person can save. Congratulations on your excellent progress and freedom!
Thank you! I wish that everyone could have an equivalent adventure of their own choosing/making! I feel more in control at this point of my life than I ever have! I still have to work for money, but I am able to find and nurture my passions – and that is sooo important to me! Kayse, you are so ahead of so many others caught in consumerism, just by knowing the benefits and that Minimalism IS wonderful! Thanks for posting! Stay awesome!
Amity, I loved your story, you have a wonderful writing style. I just checked out your blog and can’t wait to read all of your posts. I been decluttering our home this summer. Each week, when I pass Goodwill, I drop off a box or bag. I feel so much lighter and free afterwards. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
Thank you very much, Kathryn! Yes, I totally agree and understand what you are saying! Those “clutter pounds” that you are dropping in the charity bin will really start adding up to more space and a clear mind (due to not having a wealth of clutter surrounding you). That is absolutely huge that you are undertaking your own purging/cleanout! Thanks for posting!
Sorry about the typo. I meant to say I’ve been decluttering our home!
Amazing what you can do without when you try. Less stuff means less stress for me.
Oh, say it loud, Tony! You are so spot on! I don’t miss much of anything that I have let go. And, I have let a lot go. We really don’t need an awful lot to be happy in life. Once our needs are met and we have a few wants, we really are set! Less stuff means less stress for me too! Thanks for posting, and being awesome!
Amity, thanks for sharing your story. I’m in the process of getting rid of some knickknacks myself and also some sentimental stuff such as my husband’s family scrapbooks made by his mother (they’re being handed down to the children). I’ve already scaled down the wardrobe with t-shirts being under control. You’re right about the money-saving. It’s actually fun to not spend your hard-earned cash. I love hearing stories by people like you. Living less, but well, is what I think it’s all about.
Btw, congratulate me. Today me and the hubby got rid of DirecTv. After searching for 10 minutes for something “good” to watch we realized what a time-waster it was. So now it’s gone and my husband is now reading and I’m trying some new recipes I’ve always wanted to make. Now I assume we will be saving even more bank. It sure is a good feeling isn’t it?
Again Amity, you’re story just reinforces our chosen lifestyle!
Kudos to you and your minimizing, Jeannine! That is a whole lotta awesomeness that you are able to part with sentimental items and knickknacks (and lets admit, they are cool knickknacks, otherwise we wouldn’t have them!) Yes, I think that if one must exhibit hoarding tendencies, to put the effort towards keeping your hands on your own cash is the way to go! I couldn’t agree with you more… less really is more!
CONGRATULATIONS! If you want to feel extra good about what you have just offloaded in the way of DirecTv, don’t look at your monthly savings or even your yearly savings, look at it over a 10 year period. Then and only then do you find the true cost of a habit. The Husband and I ate out for 9 years, and if we had scaled back by 300.00 per month, we would have pocketed over 33,000 dollars. (Just makes me sick to think about!) Enjoy your newfound wealth and free time! You deserve it!
And, I love that I am reinforcing what you already know! Keep up the fantastic-ness!
Oh Amity! You have just given me the incentive I think my hubby and I have been needing to cut back on eating out! $33,000! Ouch! I know we’ve “eaten” that much at least! Thanks for the inspiration.
Karen, I hope that what I have shared is helpful! Use the 10 year exercise on everything that you think is imperative. Commute, rent, and lattes, as well as eating out! It is so educational. If you know a dollar amount for what you would like to retire on, you can put your habits in to terms of years of freedom. For example, a couple without a house payment in a typical Midwestern USA economy can comfortably live on 30,000 or there a bouts. That 33,000 dollars could have been enough to fund one year of retirement living, and a little more. One year of freedom through our intestines! Just makes me ill!
Great post, I love to read the real life stories and especially the ones where the person started out with lots of stuff…the “born minimalists” are admirable, but I can better relate to someone like you, who has experienced the turning point of moving from consumerism to minimalism. I’m always fascinated by the “trigger” if you will, what ultimately propels so many of us down this same and marvelous path of releasing our grip on our stuff.
I am married to a non-minimalist and have two kids…it’s a constant struggle in my house. Love coming to this website and reading stories of like-minded souls. It’s very soothing.
Oh, Wendy! We must have a distant relative back there somewhere! Yes, I don’t quite understand those that don’t struggle with stuff, though I have known a few. (And, I bet you do too!) There indeed is a trigger, or an a-ha moment for all of us! I am also married to a non-minimalist, and he was not on board AT ALL when I started down the minimizing path. How are you having success at maintaining peace and tranquility in your home? What do you struggle with the most? For me, I made an agreement that I wouldn’t touch HIS stuff. But, I confess, I wanted to enter his office with a vacuum attached to one hand and a package of trash bags in the other more than once before we began seeing more eye to eye. Persevere, dear Wendy! You have quite a challenge but I have great faith in you!
Amity, I made a few mistakes with decluttering things the hubs wanted to save (for reasons that baffle me even now) and though it pains me, to keep the peace I force myself to take a hands-off policy with his stuff. My own things, I’m ruthless with. The kids stuff (they are 4 and 7) goes both ways…my older son is definitely a stuff-lover and he is just old enough that I have to ask him if he wants to donate toys, etc. though truthfully I still quietly weed out some junk from his room on an ongoing basis. The younger child is delightfully minimalist already. His room is neat and tidy and only has what he actually likes and plays with (as opposed to my older child who keeps everything just for the sake of having it, even if he never plays with it.) So we have a mix in my house. I have found that limiting spontaneous toy purchases helps in the process, that way things can get used up or broken or whatever, then out they go…and I won’t replace them. My new thing is telling the kids when they beg me to buy something is, ” no, it’s not your birthday and it’s not Christmas. If you really want it we can put it on your Christmas list”.
Oh I have gone on way too long, I do apologize and thanks for reading. All the best to you!
You really have good advice/tactics to share! I know your strategy and triumphs were hard won! I applaud you through and through, and I have hope for your stuff-loving loved ones. Minimalism is powerful because there is truth in it. My husband is now seeing sense in frugality and simplicity. He won’t say the “m” word about himself yet, but he is worlds away from when our journey started. Just keep being the change you wish to see in the world, and talk with him and your son. Hang in there, I think progress is coming! :)
Hi Wendy. I don’t know if you will see this, but here’s an idea for you that I used with my children, especially with my son. Each year at the end of the school year, I would go into his bedroom with him. He would sit on the bed while I would go through every item in his room. One by one I would hold an item up in my hands and say, “Keep or toss?” At the end, the toss pile would be huge. Now he is finishing college and he is a great minimalist!! P.S. We also did this before the holidays.
Amity,
I just wandered over to your blog and I have to say, I totally LOVE it.
You just made my heart smile! Thank you!
I love your story. I agree with everything you said about minimalism…. you can save a ton of money, gain back your time and you are not a slave to your ‘stuff’ anymore…. very freeing!
I think the power of Minimalism is that there is truth in it. It is not a fad (think Sparta!) and so many have found for themselves the benefits that we proclaim! Its not magic, it is stuff that, if you think about it, and really process the message, just boils down to common sense! I am so glad you have found these benefits to be true, and that you are experiencing that minimalism is “very freeing.” Stay awesome Green Girl Success!
My husband had ripped up 2 pairs of old jean shorts over the summer and was looking for 2 pairs of cargo shorts to replace them.
I will use the ragged old shorts for an art project of some sort(fabric flowers?) since they have too many holes to wear. He found 2 pairs of shorts at end of season discount-he refuses to go to the thrift shops or rummage sales like I do-which will go with 8 shirts he has. Since we haven’t been to the mall in at least 6 months I looked in the stores to see what the colors were for fall. Then we came home and my son went through a bag of clothes his older brother passed on. I found a blue sweater he didn’t want so I have something new for fall and he got 2 pairs of shorts, a pair of swim trunks, and a sweatshirt. Our family trades clothes a few times a year.
How do minimalists avoid regret? I go through these stages of purging and then a few weeks or maybe months down the road I regret something I got rid of. Or I have to go to the store to replace it. My mom is always rolling her eyes when this happens (she is borderline hoarder). Any thoughts? Tips?
Remember most of what any of us have is not one of a kind items. Electronics change every year or two. Our clothes and books and hobby items are mostly mass produced. Unless you donated a fabulous art masterpiece to a museum and later didn’t like their politics, regret seems hard to understand. I donated a $700 signed print to charity because I decided I was tired of looking at it and felt they could auction it off and maybe raise some money with it.
I received a cash prize for some art I created. Most of it was done with scraps of other projects. My house is very neat and all my art supplies are in 2 small bins. I sort items by type and sometimes further by color or by season— like all the oranges and browns together– I have worked on community art projects and taught art to children. There is no reason found art has to make a mess of your home.
I did a class the other day on making jewelry from ad papers, used plastic straws(washed in soapy water) dental floss and torn up used silk flowers and fabric. A friend told me someone she knew spent $100 on junk jewelry at Charming Charlie’s. After the class, a woman asked if I would do the class at her church. I have a bag of old towels and blankets for the veterinarian, a big bag for Goodwill and a bag of recycling that can’t go in the bin in our building.
I never buy art supplies new. I get them at the end of rummage sales, thrift shops, or left overs- nearly empty bottles of glue which I pour together. I use a lot of junk mail and combine shapes—4 heart shapes in green make a shamrock. I got a stack of faded construction paper headed for the recycling and cut the edges off with a paper cutter. The middles were fine. When I give my kids and their wives gifts, I usually give money.
I still fill a few bags to give away each week. I have a box of old plates to give away this week, too. I just gave away some Halloween themed stuffed animals today. I have more. There are more teddy bears I can give away, too.