I’ve been listening to some random podcasts on how to develop a “minimalist” mindset. What I’ve liked about these podcasts is that it has required me to think about my buying behaviors, and the reasons why I sometimes impulsively purchase things that I simply don’t need. It’s a worthwhile venture right now for me as I would like to get away from consumerism, and make better buying choices. I’m applying some of the ideas and already seeing a difference. Also, the podcasts discuss why people hoard, and how to stop habits that hinder us in the long term. (I don’t struggle with hoarding, thankfully.) So, do you consider yourself to be a minimalist? * Not a fan of “isms” but for the sake of simplicity, we’ll use the term “minimalism” for the discussion.
Years ago I read "Small is Beautiful: Economics as if people mattered". It's a classic. I don't consider myself a minimalist in the sense that it's not a mould that I'm trying to fit into but I do have a small house, don't buy a lot of stuff unless I get rid of other stuff (throw away as in clean house or donate things with value). I'm not highly materialistic. I don't just put things in boxes and then hide them away. If it can't be out where I will use it, I get rid of it. I cut my own hair, I shave with either a straight razor or a non-disposable old school metal double edge razor. I keep my car until it has to be gotten rid of. I like the concept of minimalism but I don't get too carried away trying to see how "minimal" I can get. I like "stuff" but I like to feel that I'm in control it and not the other way around.
i am all 3 they are somewhat conflicting and it has taken some time to get to grips with the intricacy's of each to some degree. its a constant learning curve. impulsive spending to service emotions is a very tricky subject more so how people mask it into different aspects of non selfishness vaguely similar in concept to a chemical drug addict saying they serve the world better while they are under the influence of the drug, even if they have to cheat others to get money to pay for it. the trade off is very very similar unfortunately general trade relys on exploiting human weakness to create profit the greater the human weakness the greater the profit as you walk away from the impulsive consumerism you will walk straight into various other issues you must in turn learn to deal with those other issues(im not going to get into that stuff publicly as its tools for trolls)
I know better than to bite but... When the question is "Are you into minimalism" how is "I'm into all 3" an answer? You are into buying too much, hoarding? and what else? You allude to something and then say you aren't going to discuss it so why bring it up in the first place? Is your point that you want to be a minimalist because you buy too much stuff and capitalism is making you do it and by slowing down your spending it drives you to other unspecified things?
I have been a minimalist. It was great. I would be it again in a flash but circumstances prevent it. I was living on 200acres of bush in a small cabin that I built, water was gravity fed from a rain water tank, I had a 100 amp hour battery with an 80 watt solar panel, a 450watt Genny for rainy periods but only to charge the battery, a tv that fitted in the palm of my hand..minimal furniture..bed, table two chairs, pantry cupboard, and an open fire to cook on. I had one plate, one pot, one bowl, one pan, two knives, one for eating one for preparation, one fork a small spoon and a large spoon. I had three track suits, two were hanging in the clothes line inside out and when I washed the one I was wearing I would hang it out and take the dry on off the line and put it on. I had a jacket and one set of rubber boots and one pair of sandals...a drawing pad and four pencils...one cake of soap to use for washing clothes and the plate and spoon stuff another two spares. I think I covered all of it. Benefit..my mind was so clear, I saved so much time, laundry, dishes, no folding clothes, no working out what to wear. I lived like that for three years and the only reason I dropped it was to look after my father. I did a bit of art walked in the forest and thought about things. Alex
There's a lot to be said about minimalism. Food intake is a classic in my opinion. Most people compromise their metabolism and immune systems by over eating. A few years on a minimalist diet and not only do you resett your metabolism, improve your immune system function, you loose an awful lot of uneccessay weight and associated cardio-vascular stress. Just focussing on reduced quantity, with reasonable quality/diversity, capitalizing on availability etc. does amazing things, or so I have discovered. Simply throw out (recycle) the big dinner plates and the rest takes care of itself.
When living that way I had no fridge and shopped every second week. So I could only buy meat on shopping day, cook it when I got home eat half then and the rest the next day keeping it somewhat cool in a car cooler And so I had to eat sardines, and vegetables that would keep as well as raisins nuts seeds ..I was one healthy chap I just last week started getting serious about good food...spent a small fortune in nuts, seeds, and various vegetables, good olive oil, healthy juices, lean meats, salmon and trout, . .I can't eat all they say you should eat...but only after a week I feel so much better but I think it's in the head because I must be eating twice as much..I eat a breakfast now..before I would have a banana..now a banana, an apple, two boiled eggs, seeds, a green tea, a lemon juice with ginger, garlic and tumeric, ..lunch...sardines which are great with the healthy dressing that I make up, or salmon etc, leafy vegetables, cucumber, tomatoes, celery, whole meal bread, fruits seeds and nuts..I can't eat dinner until about nine because I feel so full from lunch...but dinner some fish, or lean meat, more vegies, nuts seeds, and a slice of fruit filled cake ..more juice and green tea. Food bill has doubled. But I seem to be preparing stuff all the time...I wonder how long I can keep it up. Alex
If trends go on the way they are, then minimalism wont be a choice. yeah, it's amazing how well the body can feel if given a little room in the gut....Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
No. I don’t have expensive tastes, I don’t buy frivolously, and will tend to use things until they fall apart rather than buy new. I don’t hoard deliberately - I have little emotional attachment to anything I own - but I’m also just too lazy to throw stuff out, and so do manage to fill any available space with years-old junk I’ve rarely if ever used in the past decade or so. I’ve promised myself that when (or if ever) I stop working then I’ll treat myself to an almighty cathartic decluttering. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! And finally see how much space my house really does have!
Curious that you associate minimalism with buying things, or not buying things. Aren’t there other dimensions to minimalism. Or do you just mean it as an anti-consumerism stance?
Well, consumerism is part of it, for me at least. I’m not really a hoarder so where I need to improve, is in impulsively buying things that are trendy and that I lose interest in quickly. There are tips of how to overcome this and some psychology that goes into our buying behaviors. I think that minimalism can serve as a catch all word to mean - trying to live simpler, with less clutter and waste.
Yes that would be my interpretation. I don’t buy much stuff, but maybe that’s because I am in a big house already full of stuff - and I have only recently cleared out and sold my father’s house, in which I and my four brothers grew up. A terrible warning about how much stuff accumulates over a lifetime - it took me about 9 months to do it all. Getting rid of the books was the worst. The problem in my house is going to be the pictures. My wife collected them.