How to Live as a Minimalist, Save Money, and Save the Planet
Pursuing a minimalist lifestyle does not require a grand plan. Turning your resolve to live more simply and less expensively into a stage or an agenda — or outspokenly encouraging everyone to make the same shift that you are making — can actually interfere with the process of reducing the clutter in your life. Quietly and thoroughly considering the changes you desire, and implementing them in the same manner, will help you in your effort to identify and exist with only that which is essential.
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Instructions
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Start off with your house. Go through each room and see what you can eliminate. Give whatever you don't need to friends, family, or thrift stores, or put a sign in the front yard that says "Free stuff."
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Review your pending purchases while still in line but before you reach the checkout clerk. Ask yourself, "Do I really need this, or do I just want this. Is it going to end up in a garage sale before long, or a landfill?" Ask yourself, "Would a minimalist buy this?" Do this on every shopping trip and spend much less than you would otherwise.
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Make your wardrobe simple. Give away clothing you no longer wear. Create a list of what would be in your ideal wardrobe, but restrict the contents to essentials only.
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Mend clothing instead of buying new clothes. Have that old leather purse repaired. Pay for refurbishing of shoes rather than buying new ones.
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Stay away from shopping malls. Avoid exposure to temptation to buy a product by shopping on the Internet only for the item you need. When you go to a website to purchase a pair of pajamas, for example, you do not have to pass by several other sections of clothing.
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Tips & Warnings
Engage all family members in this endeavor. Make sure your children understand why you are becoming a minimalist.
References
- Photo Credit FreeDigitalPhotos.net
