story

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. (Note: the schedule is now full until December — but if you don’t mind waiting, feel free to send me your submission!)

This week, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to Deirdre. In her story, she chronicles how her clutter accumulated, and how she was able to purge it from her life. Please visit her blog for more inspiration on living life simply and slowly.

Deirdre writes:

Like many of the readers and contributors I found my way to consciously minimizing my stuff as an adult (though I do remember as a kid trying hard to have a messy room like my friends, but it was against my inner nature and I could never pull it off…my mother had it easy in that regard!) I moved around a lot as a child and in my teens and then some more in my twenties and as result items would have to be pared down for convenience and often a box or two would get lost in the shuffle.… {Read more}

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, Frugal Babe tells us about her transition from frugality to minimalism, and why she favors a clean, spacious home over one filled with “just in cases.” If you’d like to read more of her thoughts, be sure to visit her blog.

Frugal Babe writes:

I’ve been frugal all my life, but not even close to minimalist. I was a big fan of keeping things “just in case”, even if they had no real value to me.… {Read more}

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.

This week, I’m pleased to feature Miss HK. She’s been a long-time commenter here, and I’m so glad she’s decided to share her story! If you’d like to read more about her minimalist lifestyle, please be sure to check out her blog.

Miss HK writes:

I can remember when I first discovered minimalism. I was 11 years old, playing with my sister and our Barbie dolls. My sister’s doll had a lavish home and tons of clothing and accessories.… {Read more}

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.

I was delighted to receive the following story from Graduate, and think it’s wonderful that she’s decided to pursue a minimalist lifestyle at such a young age.

Graduate writes:

I grew up in a pack-rat household, bordering on hoarding. We literally had four rooms in my house that were filled floor-to-ceiling with items still in their plastic shopping bags (thanks to my mother’s hobby of trying to own everything in the whole wide world).… {Read more}

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, Geoff, a university student, shares his story with us. I think it’s wonderful that he’s starting his minimalist journey so early in life! If you’d like to read more of his thoughts, please visit his blog, Happiness & The Fish.

Geoff writes:

I’m a student living 4 hours from home, and that means not many trips home. When I relocate I have to move everything at once. Since I’ve found a place for the next 3 years at school, I decided to move all my stuff with me (not just stuff I need for school, but everything I own: I didn’t want my extra stuff cluttering up my parents’ house).… {Read more}

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 we have a wonderful contribution from Christopher, who explains how his childhood experiences inspired him to pursue a simpler, more minimalist life.

Christopher writes:

I was raised in a family where every square inch of every home I ever lived in as a child was used to its maximum potential. It wasn’t cluttered; it was organized, but boy was it ever filled! You had to squeeze around the garage to get out of the cars.… {Read more}