less is more

The minimalist lifestyle has slowly been growing on me. My natural inclination has always leaned that way, and I routinely go through clothes, kitchen items, and home decor to discard things I don't use. Although I seem to enjoy shopping a lot less than most females, I used to not think twice about running to Amazon and clicking "add to cart". 

Several years ago I was amazed to see that the numbers on our tax return should have translated into a better financial position than we found ourselves. One day I took action and enrolled in Jordan Page's Budget Boot Camp. It's intense and takes a lot of time and hard work (do not attempt if you're unwilling for this!) but we had astonishing success. One of our wins was being able to pay over $15,000 extra on a loan. I learned a lot of valuable lessons in addition to the savings, though. It wasn't really anything new, but finding it out for yourself is still an eye-opener! Since then, I've fallen back into some of my old habits, although I'm much more aware that I do not need at least 50% of the things that I might actually use. I'd like to find ways to cut back even more. Here are a few things I've learned and items I've eliminated.

- More than 1 set of sheets per bed. Simply not necessary. Wash and put them back on in the same day. No need to store extra sets. In the same line, I've eliminated extra pillows and blankets. I do have a few spare blankets, but if I need more for company, I borrow from Mom. I guess it's a good thing some people DO have extras! 😄 Granted, this particular cut-back probably won't work if you host a lot of company. 

- Books that I've never read or don't really like. Although I read a lot, I decided I only need to own my top favorites. In the past, I've bought books thinking I'll read them someday, but never do. One exception for me is the books I got as a child/teenager, although I probably will never read most of them again. I kept the ones that were written inside saying who they were from, and the ones I loved most. 95% of the books I read now are from the library.

- Extra kitchen items. Serving bowls I don’t use, specialty cake/bread pans, items that were wedding gifts but I don’t really like, and such. Again, on the rare occasion I need a specialty pan (bundt cake, for example) I borrow mom's. I gave my sis-in-law Kait a splatterware pan I never used, and noticed she uses it a lot! With our kitchen remodel, I've had to box up over half my kitchen items. It's amazing how seldom I have to go dig something out! It looks like I could eliminate a lot more yet. 

- Expired medicines. Just take a look at the dates in your medicine cabinet, I promise you'll be surprised! I used to not pay attention to the dates, but working in a pharmacy where we could not use outdated drugs and checked dates on everything made me hyper-aware. Although they might still be good for a couple months after their expiration, drugs do lose their potency. Buy smaller quantities so you use them up before they expire. 

Be realistic, don't hold on to things you don't need for the lifestyle you have. Think about it, if you don't have much company now, will you have more in the future? Most likely not. For me, that meant I didn't need extra bedding. Likewise, don't buy things that don't fit your lifestyle. This spring I mentioned a couple times that it would be nice to have a fire ring. Cliff was ready to hit "buy now" when I put on the brakes. How often do we sit outside in the evening NOW? True, we might do it more often if we had a fire ring, but we don't really have a good place for it and we're both usually tired by evening. I don't think it would get used enough to justify the cost. 

Don't buy trendy home decor. I've done this and seen my folly. No matter how "in" it is right now, it WILL become outdated. I've learned I'm happier with just a few things that I love, no matter if it's in or out of style.

DO buy quality furniture you enjoy using. Go ahead and use some of the money you save by investing in furniture that is comfortable. This might not be attainable for everyone, but don't hold on to the same couches, chairs, or beds for years and years. 

Some people are happier with more, I am happier with less. I get a thrill out of discarding unused items and seeing mostly bare walls. Don't get me wrong, my definition of minimalism includes surrounding myself with a few select things I love. LESS IS MORE.