Any minimalists here?

[gekkosan]

I was never a materialist, but about a year ago I decided to really go further down the minimalist route. I gave away or threw away most of my stuff and now I only own 3 things:

1. a laptop
2. a mountain-bike
3. and a suitcase full of clothes

And that's it. I live in a fully furnished rented house and I don't own a car. Life is simple, easy, and beautiful.

Any other minimalists around here?

[ferngirl]

I try every now and then. I moved countries last summer, and because I had no money (or real desire) to ship my stuff, I gave much of it away, sold some, and ended up with a backpack and two suitcases only, plus two boxes of books I left with a friend. The suitcases were filled mainly with books and a few essential items of clothing (I think three, four changes of clothes?). I've accumulated new stuff by now, mostly clothing and books, both because they were necessary. :)

[gekkosan]

That's fantastic. I also moved countries when decided to go full minimalist. My books, however, are all in my laptop, so that's one problem less.

[ferngirl]

:) I can't let go of paper books... it's physically painful for me to give up my poetry books, also because the whole e-book thing doesn't quite work for the poetry genre. I've also lost a hard drive or two to tragic accidents in the past and losing all that poetry would break my heart.

Other than that, I've felt for some time that the ideal way to travel is with a toothbrush, a towel, and a book to read. Well, of course you still need a passport and a ticket, but that's about it, right?

[gekkosan]

Two words: non-attachment and backup :P

But yea, the lighter you travel, the further you can go.

[binary suns]

I don't think I can be that minimal, but I intend to reduce my number of possessions this year. but well... as I live right now I need a lot of things that I can't get rid of, bedding, cooking utensils, that kind of stuff. but furnished apartments sound pretty attractive to me, can get rid of a lot that way.

[ace11]

I consider myself a minimalist. i think i've been a minimalist for most of my life. it's just part of my psychological makeup.

I don't like clutter. it seems like it screams at me, so i like to live in an area that's as open as possible.

Also, i grew up in a family that moved frequently, so i never got to keep much anyway. If i don't feel prepared to move on short notice, i start to get really nervous about it.

Most of the things i own are just the ones i use really often, though I do have some special things that i keep for sentimental reasons. But by not having a whole bunch of extra stuff surrounding those items and closing in on them, it seems to make them even more special.

So basically i keep things that i use and things that i love, nothing else.

I actually have a really weird intuition about "things". Like for some reason my brain attributes feelings to them. i know, weird, probably not healthy, but whatever. But it makes me think there is a right place for the things that aren't meant for me. Like if owning something doesn't feel "just right" to me, it belongs somewhere else and i need to give it away.

I have a fantasy about living in a travel trailer and driving around the US. it will probably never happen, but if it does my possessions will easily fit in the trailer without weighing it down.

[Geoff]

I try to keep things as minimal as possible. It doesn't always work, but I don't have anywhere near as many things as most people I know. It's just the way I do things and think about things.

[God of the Forest]

I was never a materialist, but about a year ago I decided to really go further down the minimalist route. I gave away or threw away most of my stuff and now I only own 3 things:

1. a laptop
2. a mountain-bike
3. and a suitcase full of clothes

And that's it. I live in a fully furnished rented house and I don't own a car. Life is simple, easy, and beautiful.

Any other minimalists around here?

Awesome! I didn't think there was anyone who lived in a similar way to how I do! For me its slightly different, I've always referred to myself as a nomad rather than a minimalist because I don't stay in one place for very long and have lived in many places, so I am a minimalist because I have to be in order to maintain my nomadic lifestyle and not get weighed down with a bunch of stuff. I own a bike, a laptop, various hygiene products and clothes

[gekkosan]

Right back atcha:

I personally don't really like to travel that much, so I just go from point A to point B and then settle down for at least a year or more. I love to explore new places with my bike.

[gekkosan]

I don't think I can be that minimal, but I intend to reduce my number of possessions this year. but well... as I live right now I need a lot of things that I can't get rid of, bedding, cooking utensils, that kind of stuff. but furnished apartments sound pretty attractive to me, can get rid of a lot that way.

Yep, fully furnished apartments or houses are great. I have never owned a pot, or a washing machine, or a TV. But I still have and use all those things.

I consider myself a minimalist. i think i've been a minimalist for most of my life. it's just part of my psychological makeup.

I don't like clutter. it seems like it screams at me, so i like to live in an area that's as open as possible.

Also, i grew up in a family that moved frequently, so i never got to keep much anyway. If i don't feel prepared to move on short notice, i start to get really nervous about it.

Most of the things i own are just the ones i use really often, though I do have some special things that i keep for sentimental reasons. But by not having a whole bunch of extra stuff surrounding those items and closing in on them, it seems to make them even more special.

So basically i keep things that i use and things that i love, nothing else.

I actually have a really weird intuition about "things". Like for some reason my brain attributes feelings to them. i know, weird, probably not healthy, but whatever. But it makes me think there is a right place for the things that aren't meant for me. Like if owning something doesn't feel "just right" to me, it belongs somewhere else and i need to give it away.

I have a fantasy about living in a travel trailer and driving around the US. it will probably never happen, but if it does my possessions will easily fit in the trailer without weighing it down.

I'm similarly psychologically wired. I can't stand clutter and things that I don't use annoy me. My father is the same, so I probably learned much of it from him.

I try to keep things as minimal as possible. It doesn't always work, but I don't have anywhere near as many things as most people I know. It's just the way I do things and think about things.

Decluttering your life will declutter your mind. And vice versa.

[njosnavelin]

At some point you will use someone else’s stuff to get by. Someone else’s toilet paper / bathroom -- dishes and silverware -- couch -- utilities -- soap -- towel -- kitchen space -- etc.

As someone who does enjoy a minimalistic lifestyle I understand there is a crossroads to balance out. I can’t be annoying to my co-inhabitants by continuously bumming stuff off them.

[yomo]

Minimalism is fantastic. For a very long time I was ruled by stuff, especially items that were gifts or had sentimental value, along with clothes and books. I'm still working on it, but I can already breathe easier with less clutter.

I currently live at home so all my stuff is pretty much condensed into one room, which does make things easier. I'd love to donate my bed at some point, I like sleeping on the floor provided I have some kind of sleeping bag and a pillow. There's something about being able to roll up your bed and put it in the closet or in a corner and have all that open space for the day.

[Fire & Rain]

I try to be but my family is a bit of a hoarder type. They like guilt tripping me when I throw stuff away.

[gekkosan]

At some point you will use someone else’s stuff to get by. Someone else’s toilet paper / bathroom -- dishes and silverware -- couch -- utilities -- soap -- towel -- kitchen space -- etc.

As someone who does enjoy a minimalistic lifestyle I understand there is a crossroads to balance out. I can’t be annoying to my co-inhabitants by continuously bumming stuff off them.

For me it's about freedom and flexibility - both mental and physical. But of course, one shouldn't be a minimalist on the expense of others. There's a word for that - a parasite, and it ain't cool.

Minimalism is fantastic. For a very long time I was ruled by stuff, especially items that were gifts or had sentimental value, along with clothes and books. I'm still working on it, but I can already breathe easier with less clutter.

I currently live at home so all my stuff is pretty much condensed into one room, which does make things easier. I'd love to donate my bed at some point, I like sleeping on the floor provided I have some kind of sleeping bag and a pillow. There's something about being able to roll up your bed and put it in the closet or in a corner and have all that open space for the day.

Yes, it's like oxygen for the soul.

I try to be but my family is a bit of a hoarder type. They like guilt tripping me when I throw stuff away.

Ha ha, I know the type.

[Qutenkuddly]

This thread has been moved from Intersectionality to Off-A, which is a better fit for the subject matter.

Qutenkuddly,

Intersectionality Moderator

[Finn.]

I like to see myself as a minimalist too! Over the past few years I got rid of lots of stuff (and furniture) and I regularly reassess my belongings. I will probably never be as "hardcore" as gekkusan, that's not my goal, but it's really impressive! I love the idea of just having one suitcase and being able to move immediately.

I got rid of most of my books, I have 6 I want to keep (favorites and sentimental reasons), and there's still a few I want to (re)read before I sell them. Otherwise I use my kindle now.

The one thing I have trouble with is clothes. I am still in the process of figuring out my gender, so my wardrobe has changed quite a lot and I am still not done. Since my expression changes I need to have more clothes to choose from to be comfortable. But I would love to have less items in general, maybe I will figure it out in the future.

I live in this tiny apartment with a roommate (43qm) and except for a larger kitchen (with an integrated oven and actual countertops and space for more than two stools) I wouldn't want anything larger.

[Isa]

I'm not as hardcore as OP but I consider myself as some level of minimalist as well. When I was younger I used to be more of a hoarder. Everything that looked nice I had to get for myself, and I did lots of impulse purchases. During the latest couple of years I've been giving away most of my stuff I never use. Only things I've spared are my biggest treasures I never get tired of, like favourite books, games and movies. About 80% of the original "collection" is gone, and the current ones now fit in a small shelf.

I don't have too much extra stuff in my apartment except houseplants and some decorative items dear people have given me as presents. However, pretty much everything I've bought on impulse are gone. Nowadays I don't buy much else except food. If I bump into something that picks my interest I won't buy it right away, but wait for 2-4 weeks. If I still feel it's necessary, I'll buy it.

[TealWaters]

I have never been much of a minimalist but the lifestyle does appeal to me. I am in the process of moving over the next couple of months and I have decided to go as minimal as possible with this move. Any suggestions on the best way to do this? I have started already by going through all clothing and donating anything that is not absolutely necessary/enjoyed. I think planning to donate most of what I don't keep will help with letting go. I like the idea of being able to pass on things to others who may need them more than myself.

I plan to have the last of my student loans paid off by the end of this year along with minimizing all of my possessions. I am really looking forward to being uninhibited by all debt and most possessions. funny thing is that I'm at that point in my life/career where I could seriously consider purchasing a house, but there is something almost stifling about that thought to me. I had about two months of buyers remorse after I bought my car. I can't imagine what buying a house would feel like. Lol.

Fire & Rain, I totally get your experience with family guilt trips. My family is similar, especially my mom.

Dances with Wolves, I like your idea of waiting 2-4 weeks before buying something and only then if you still feel it's necessary. I try to have that same mentality about buying new things, too. And, of course, I find that I don't really need almost all those things I wait on. :)

[Xavy]

About 6 months ago, I made a concerted effort to be more of a minimalist. I sold and gave away my stuff and moved to a smaller, fully furnised apartment close to work. I sold my car and I now walk wherever I need to go (which is easy because I live in the city).I dont even have a cell phone anymore :), but I know I am not real minimalist yet.

[gekkosan]

I have never been much of a minimalist but the lifestyle does appeal to me. I am in the process of moving over the next couple of months and I have decided to go as minimal as possible with this move. Any suggestions on the best way to do this? I have started already by going through all clothing and donating anything that is not absolutely necessary/enjoyed. I think planning to donate most of what I don't keep will help with letting go. I like the idea of being able to pass on things to others who may need them more than myself.

I plan to have the last of my student loans paid off by the end of this year along with minimizing all of my possessions. I am really looking forward to being uninhibited by all debt and most possessions. funny thing is that I'm at that point in my life/career where I could seriously consider purchasing a house, but there is something almost stifling about that thought to me. I had about two months of buyers remorse after I bought my car. I can't imagine what buying a house would feel like. Lol.

Moving is always a great opportunity to shed your life of stuff you don't need. As for buying a house, I think that a house is one of the worst investments you can make - here's why. So I'm totally with you on that one.

About 6 months ago, I made a concerted effort to be more of a minimalist. I sold and gave away my stuff and moved to a smaller, fully furnised apartment close to work. I sold my car and I now walk wherever I need to go (which is easy because I live in the city).I dont even have a cell phone anymore :), but I know I am not real minimalist yet.

This sounds pretty minimalistic to me. Way to go!

[TophBeiFong]

I own a small suitcase, a 1' x 10" x 6" box with a few tools in it and a mountain-bike. If ever I "go on the road" I suppose I'll have to add and subtract things to create the proper tool kit for that lifestyle.

My inspirations to become minimalist were: Winnie the Pooh, William J. Strunk, (author of the Elements of Style) Marie Kondo, Jesus, Buddha, my brother, Tao Te Ching, the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, Thoreau, moving 30+ times as a child, and being part Blackfoot.

[TophBeiFong]

To TealWater:

Having moved 30 + times + being an "extreme-zombie-minimalist" I have suggestions.

Donation is one of the easiest ways get rid of things. Way to go!

I learned a lot from Marie Kondo's book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
Sort by category. Choose only your favorites from each category. This is more of an instinctual process than it is a mental one. If you find yourself trying to decide whether to keep or toss something, ask intuitioun. Toss the rest.

Divide your personal things into 5 basic categories: 1: clothes, 2: books, 3: papers, 4: miscellany, 5: nostalgia. Sort in the order given as it saves "harder" categories for later in the process when you have already learned how to choose and let go of things.

Repeat in other areas of the house. Take each room and divide the things in it into categories, such as pots, pans, knives, funiture, etc. sort each category separately.

When you have finished with a category, hustle the "leftovers" into containers, then out of your abode for speedy discard in whatever method you choose for disposal.

*tip for fellow bibliophiles* do not open the books, do not read the papers. You instinctively know which ones are favorites without reading. Keep only those.

[newgirl]

I think of myself as a minimalist .I hate buying clothes,shoes ,rent or buy a house or apartment.I want to travel around the world in a RV/van

[TophBeiFong]

Note: if you haven't lived in an RV before, they mold easily. You really have to keep air circulating at all times to keep them dry.

[Gentle Giant]

I am not a minimalist. Though I do think having less stuff is good. It can be stressful to have too much stuff. I've been gradually weeding out things I have that I don't need or want anymore. I love books, but after I've read them I will then donate them for others to enjoy and free up space in my home.

[Somegeezer]

"a suitcase full of clothes" is not one thing. ;D

But you really shouldn't feel like you have to literally bring yourself down to a certain number of items. It's a good way to find yourself going too far.
But also, "a house fully furnished" is many more items. =P

Minimalism isn't a game of numbers. How little "stuff" you have doesn't trigger some win condition.

Are you happy with what you have? That is what matters.

[ace11]

Note: if you haven't lived in an RV before, they mold easily. You really have to keep air circulating at all times to keep them dry.

SO TRUE...i rented one in an RV park for about a year. it was in a temperate rainforest climate. I ran a dehumidifier every night and it filled up with water almost as often. certain areas still got moldy and i would go after it with tilex at least once a week. but i think that had more to do with the temperate rain forest climate and the fact that it was already moldy when i moved in there. but yeah...i definitely liked rv living enough to consider doing it full time. preferably not in a rain forest though.

[TophBeiFong]

I agree with Somegeezer. :) Minimalism is definitely not a game of numbers. It merely means, the true minimum that an individual can possess and happily function. The actual possessions and number of possessions are different for everyone.

[TophBeiFong]

akace, "I feel ya!" I live in a semi-tropical climate, in a camper. Much dampness is the result.