Real Life Minimalists Update: Belle

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 happy to share an update from Belle. She tells us how her life has changed since her feature in 2014, and how she’s striving to maintain a clutter-free home with a growing family.

Belle writes:

Last time I shared my story, in January 2014, I had started on my minimalist journey only a few months prior. I talked about my experience of moving, being a newlywed, and my love for thrift shopping. I’m now a few years into living a [mostly] minimalist lifestyle, and while my husband and I now have one child and another on the way, we still live in the same 1 bedroom apartment we’ve lived in since we got married. Though we’re looking to buy a house eventually, I enjoy the challenge of making our tiny living space work with a growing family. The limited space forces me to be ruthless when purging, and intentional with what we bring into our home.

I’ve had setbacks from time to time, particularly in the last few months. Unfortunately I’ve fallen back on thrifting as a way to relax when I’m overwhelmed, and though I usually stick to only buying things we need (maternity clothes for me, clothes for my little ones, etc), there are some bargains I can’t pass up and later regret purchasing. I give myself a small budget each month – and only pay cash at thrift stores – and that makes it easier to resist the temptation of a “good deal.” I also focus on quality over quantity, particularly with my daughter’s things. It’s so easy to let toys and baby clothes get out of hand but now that I’ve been a mom for over a year I’m learning what works and what doesn’t when it comes to ‘baby stuff.’ I like my daughter to wear simple, comfortable clothes and play with simple, creative toys. She regularly plays with her Duplo legos and little people and animal figurines, so I keep those in two easy access bins for her, along with some board books. After reorganizing her toys dozens of times, I finally found a system that makes play and cleanup easier for us all.

I’ve also drastically downsized my wardrobe. Instead of keeping clothes in tons of different sizes and styles, I limit myself (for the most part) to clothes that will fit me well into pregnancy and be comfortable postpartum and beyond. Again, I focus on quality over quantity so I’m very picky about the material of the clothes I buy, and I buy secondhand rather than at discount stores like I used to. My makeup collection is still very small and all fits in one little cosmetic bag, and I’ve gone from owning 20 nail polishes to just 3. I’ve pared my book collection down from 100 ‘favorites’ to about 60 (it’s a work in progress!) I get all my books from the library now, and only buy ones I deem worthy of rereading – like The Joy of Less and The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, each of which I’ve read 3 times. I’m continually inspired by these authors and others who live a minimalist lifestyle.

Just recently I started decluttering with renewed vigor, and after a long spell of feeling frustrated and stressed by the state of my home, I now feel refreshed and excited to continue on with a minimalist lifestyle. Though adding another member to the family has made it more challenging to maintain a minimal and clutter-free home, I have made a lot of progress and I’m constantly surprising myself with how much further I can downsize when I thought I had ‘arrived.’ And in my opinion, no one has arrived. Even the most extreme minimalists will continue to find things they can live without. Though I’m not anywhere near where I’d like to be in regard to minimalism, I’m well on my way, and I’m thoroughly enjoying the journey!

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{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, or joining my email list.}