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Farewell to My Minimalist House

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My husband and I recently sold our three-bedroom, 1920s-era bungalow. As we inconveniently listed it during one of the worst housing markets EVER, it took four months for it to sell.

As anyone who has sold a house (particularly during a buyer’s market) knows, when your house is on the market it is no longer a place in which you LIVE—ie., a place to kick off your shoes, pile mail on the table, or cook anything that leaves even the slightest odor or mess. Because at any moment, you might receive a call from a realtor who’s standing outside your door, wanting to show the place to a potential buyer RIGHT NOW.… {Read more}

Ebay Reality Check – The True Value of Your Treasures

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Are you holding onto certain items because they might be “worth something?” If so, it’s time to take the Ebay Reality Check. Just about everything imaginable has been sold on Ebay.com—which makes it a great reference with which to value your items.

Unless you are dealing with some true rarities, why pay for an expensive appraisal when you have all that Ebay info at your fingertips? Chances are, if you want to sell an item, that’s where you’ll end up; and no matter what valuation an appraiser gives it, you can only sell it for what someone is willing to pay.… {Read more}

Minimizing Magazines

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The Internet is such a wonderful source of information, that I no longer feel the need to subscribe to any magazines. In fact, many publications make the same content available on their websites, rendering paper copies largely unnecessary.

That said, I know many people prefer to kick back with their favorite glossy rather than stare at a computer screen. Fair enough! As long as you keep current with your incoming subscriptions, you can keep magazine clutter under control. Commit to reading each one the month it arrives. When the new one appears in your mailbox, out goes the old!

If you have a backlog of unread issues, limit the number of publications to which you subscribe.… {Read more}

Self Storage Units – Turn in the Keys!

According to the Self Storage Association, the self storage industry has been the fastest growing sector of U.S. commercial real estate over the last 30 years. At the end of 2008, there were over 51,000 primary self storage facilities in this country. The total self storage rentable space in the United States is estimated to be over 2 billion square feet—an area more than three times the size of Manhattan!

In fact, there are 7.4 square feet of self storage space for every person in the nation—meaning every American could stand under a self storage roof at the same time (!).… {Read more}

How to Create a Minimalist Bathroom

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How wonderful it would be to have a bathroom with simple lines, gleaming white surfaces, not a toiletry in sight…ahh…

Seem out of reach? Don’t despair! You can achieve a similar “clean and serene” look in your own home—even if designer Italian fixtures aren’t in the budget.

Just follow these ten tips for creating a minimalist bathroom, and you’ll have a space that soothes your soul while you brush your teeth.

The basics:

1. Empty all the (moveable) contents out of the bathroom. Yes, really. You’ll be surprised how many things you’ll find that don’t really need to be there: that moisturizer that made you break out, the hotel samples you brought home from your last vacation, the curling iron you haven’t used in a decade.… {Read more}

Goodbye, Stuff

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Dear Stuff,

I’m not sure how to break this to you…but the time has come for us to part ways. Sure, we have a long history, but we simply can’t go on pretending that we’re still happy together.

It seems that after all these years, our relationship has lost its spark. I recall the magic of when we first met: how your shiny newness caught my eye, how I vowed to have you at any price, how excited I was to bring you home.

It didn’t take long, however, for the novelty to wear away. Maybe it was the thrill of the hunt, but once you were mine, you no longer seemed quite so attractive.… {Read more}

I Have Freebie Phobia

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I recently received a free George Foreman grill for opening a bank account. I had absolutely no use or desire for one; but the bank manager presented it to me with such flourish, it seemed downright rude to refuse it.

No problem, I thought—I’ll simply accept it, then turn around and give it away. Easier said than done: it took me three weeks to find a taker, as almost everyone to whom I offered it already had one. (Note to self: next time try Freecycle.)

Since then, I’ve become much more aware of the “freebies” that come into my life…and I’m much less likely to accept them.… {Read more}

One-A-Day Keeps the Clutter Away

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I don’t always have the time (or inclination) to set aside a few hours for decluttering. At the same time, I like to feel that I’m making progress in ridding my home of useless things.

My solution: the One-A-Day Declutter. It’s super-easy, super-fast, and most importantly, keeps me going in the right direction.

Every day, I commit to purging ONE item from my house. It can be anything—a worn-out pair of socks, a book I’ll never read again, a gift I could live without, a shirt that doesn’t fit, an old magazine article, etc. It doesn’t take much effort, and at the end of the year, my home is at least 365 items lighter.… {Read more}

Less Stuff = More Joy

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I’m starting this blog to explore the joys and challenges of a minimalist lifestyle. I truly believe that having less stuff can lead to a happier life, and would like to discover that elusive point of “just enough.” Along the way, I hope to create a site where fellow aspiring minimalists can share their ideas and experiences, setbacks and success stories.

You may be thinking, “Oh, I could never be a minimalist,” “I have pets,” “I have kids,” “I have a closet full of shoes,” “My desk is buried in paperwork…” That’s okay!

The term “minimalism” can be intimidating; all too often, it conveys a sober, serious, sterile feel.… {Read more}