Minimalism, Simplify, Downgrading

I got very inspired by an article on NY Times with the title "Living With Less. A Lot Less." http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/opinion/sunday/living-with-less-a-lot-less.html?_r=0



The essence for me was the fact, that having less and needing less ressources gives you more joy, hapiness and freedom. Instead of working hard to buy stuff you don´t need and that makes you even more occupied to care about the stuff you are owning, you can accomplish to be no longer a victim of a consum oriented lifestyle.

Taken by pinkston in Castellon, Spain.

 Here are some easy, useful hints:

Think twice before buying 

It´s useful to write lists before you go shopping, stick to the list at the market and don´t go there hungry ;) If you think about a bigger investment and rush into ordering it online, give yourself some consideration time - e.g. a week. If you are still sure that need this item in your possession, buy it. Also ask yourself, if you don´t already own a thing similar to the item (esp. with clothes) or ask yourself if you can´t borrow it somewhere.

Some other import question when buying an object: how and where was it produced? Is it good quality or will I have to throw it away soon? Concerning single-usage objects ask yourself, are there alternatives available that can´t be reused?

Own only things you really love

Once you look around in your home, you´ll probably find a lots of things around you, that have been gifts you never really wanted, books and folders you haven´t looked at in years, some tools that are broken, clothes that don´t fit anymore or are anyway completly out of season.

These things need space, you probably had to buy more furniture for this stuff and at the same time you pay rent each month to keep these things. Sell it, give it away to friends or donate them to charity organizations. Be surrounded by beauty and loveable objects.

Declutter on a regular basis

Chose one room after another. Make it a rule to have half a day each week or twice a month to focus on getting rid of stuff you don´t need anymore. Be proud of every object you feel no longer attached to, because needing less means more freedom.

In Vienna you  find the "Kostnixladen", where you can go shopping without money. The idea is about sharing and giving away stuff, which is maybe useful for someone else.
http://www.kostnixladen.at/

Share, lend and borrow

Offer the usage of things you own to other people and become part of sharing platforms.
One interesting initiative in Vienna is Talentetauschkreis Vienna http://www.talentetauschkreis.at/ where people don´t only share stuff, but their time, talents and skills.

Giving non materialistic gifts

Especially children own too much toys and for every occasion all relatives add new "clutter" to a families toy-cluster. Here you find a lot of warm and joyful gifts with time:

http://www.zeit-statt-zeug.de/

Freebie - really?

Be careful with freebies. Only because you get it for free, it doesn´t automatically mean you need it. Especially advertising and merchandising articles fall in this category. You don´t want to be a walking advertising sign.

If you like the ideas presented so far, go on by reading about:

• Upcycling
• Do it yourself
• Electronic paper
• Living without a TV
• Doing Less
• Minimizing magazines
• How many shoes are enough
• Steps to a minimalist office 

 

Book recommendation:

Miss Minimalist: The ebook from Francine Jay