The Only Guide You Need To Start Living The Minimalist Lifestyle

Living a minimalist lifestyle appears to be a new trend, but in reality, it’s so much more than a fad. The minimalist lifestyle should be a way of life for those who want to become less attached to the idea of owning stuff, and more attached to the idea of living with less and enjoying what’s truly important – like friends, family, and your hobbies.

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[ctt template=”4″ link=”25xy7″ via=”yes” ]The minimalist lifestyle should be a way of life for those who want to become less attached to the idea of owning stuff, and more attached to the idea of living with less and enjoying what’s truly important – like friends, family, and your hobbies.[/ctt]

Starting off on your minimalist journey can be a little daunting, but the idea is to start off small and build your way up. You need to take the time to change your mindset over the long term, so that you fall in love with this way of life and it isn’t just a fad to you. Here are some pointers you can use to help you to live your minimalist lifestyle in the best possible way:

Start Off Small

Don't throw out all of your belongings and expect your life to change right away. You first need to work on adopting the minimalist mindset, and to do this, you need to start off small. Perhaps you could start by cutting up your credit card, clearing out your wardrobe, or taking one baby step that you know will help you on the way to a more minimalist life.

Reading books on the subject and watching YouTube videos can help you to see from a minimalist’s perspective and get into the right frame of mind.

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Work On Dressing With Less

One of the biggest things you can do to start living a minimalist lifestyle is work on dressing with less. If you’re the kind of person who feels like they always need to buy new clothes, this is for you! Dressing with less can be tough, but if you can work on building a capsule wardrobe, you’ll be able to mix and match outfits easily. You’ll never say ‘I don’t have anything to wear’ again, either!

Here are some things you need to do before working on your capsule wardrobe:

• Get rid of everything you don’t wear.
• Work out why you don’t wear certain items. The color? The material? The way it makes you feel?
• Figure out what styles you like best. Know your best colors and themes well so you know exactly what to look for when you go shopping.
• Identify the gaps in your wardrobe so you can figure out what you need to purchase. Do you have plenty of jeans but not enough casual t-shirts?

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When creating your capsule wardrobe, you need to make sure you have just enough of everything so that you can mix and match accordingly. Pretty much everything should go with everything, so it’ll help you to determine your favorite style and color scheme and ensure that everything fits in with this. Ideally, you should be able to get to a stage where you barely need to buy new clothes at all, and you only update your wardrobe using seasonal pieces.

When you set out to create a capsule wardrobe, it helps if you invest in pieces and spend a little more. Avoiding throwaway fashion ensures that your capsule wardrobe stands the test of time. Remember, stay away from fads and the latest fashions and instead work on developing your own sense of style.

Get Rid Of All Duplicates

Grab a bag or a big basket and go around your home filling it with duplicates. If you have two sets of measuring scales for instance, get rid of one. Absolutely anything that you have two of, put one of them in the bag and either sell them or take them to a charity store. You might think that you should keep some of these items ‘just in case’, but it’s actually rare you’ll use them. Think about it. Would it be an emergency if you lost or broke one of the items? If the answer is no, be smart and get rid.

Sell Or Give Away Things You No Longer Use

You probably have at least a few things in your home that you no longer use. Sell these items or give them away and make some space. You can sell things like old DVDs and books to places like Buyback Express, or you could list things separately on selling sites if you can be bothered. However, you have to take into account things like selling fees and the fact you’ll have to go to send them off yourself. It can be less hassle to sell everything at once to a buyback site.

Dedicate One Clutter Free Zone And Expand On It

If you’re a messy person, it can be easier to dedicate one clutter free zone to begin with and then expand on it. For example, you could start with a simple draw or table, and then begin expanding to the whole room. Make sure you take at least 10 minutes a day to keep clutter at bay and get rid of things that you no longer need.

Stay Mindful And Live Intentionally

The key to living a minimalist lifestyle is to stay mindful and live intentionally every single day. For example, before bringing anything new into your home, you should ask yourself whether this is something you need or want, and ensure you have the room for it. You should also make sure you deal with things that could clutter up your home as soon as you can. So, if you get letters coming through your door daily, open them and decide what to do with them right away. Don’t open them and leave them lying around for a while, or leave them unopened. The faster you can deal with stuff like this, the better.

Create A Savings Account

The reason people spend so much money on things that they don’t need is because they don’t know what to do with their money. They feel like they have to spend. They have to own the newest clothes, gadgets, and other things like everybody else. Well, you don’t. Why not set some sensible savings goals instead? This way, you haven't got money to burn and you can get the satisfaction of watching your money build up in your savings account instead. Coming up with goals for your money can help to keep you focused. How much do you want to have saved in 6 months? A year? Do you want to be able to buy a new car, or a fancy computer? Write these goals out and have them somewhere you can see them everyday.

Only Buy High Quality Stuff

As you’re a minimalist now, you’re not going to be spending money on cheap things that break after one use. When you do actually need to buy something, make sure you set out to buy high quality stuff. This stuff will last far longer than lower quality stuff, so in the long run, you’ll still be spending less. Whether you’re looking to buy a new mixing bowl or a shirt, make sure you invest in something that you’re going to be able to use for years to come.

Purge Regularly

Make sure you purge regularly – your work when living as a minimalist is never done. Think to yourself most days, is there something I can get rid of today? The better you get at living the minimalist lifestyle, the better you’ll get at knowing when it’s time to say goodbye to something.

Appreciate All You Have

One of the important parts of being able to live a minimalist lifestyle is appreciating everything you already have. When you learn to do this, you’ll want to buy less. Think of at least 3 things you have to be grateful for in the morning, and do the same at night. If you can snowball this list and think of as many things as possible, do it! Think of things that are both material, like your comfy bed and your car, to not material, like your health. Take the time each day to appreciate all you have and you will feel less of a need to buy meaningless things.

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Try The One In, One Out Rule

If you can’t always help yourself when it comes to buying stuff, how about the one in, one out rule? This rule states that you have to get rid of something before you bring something else in to your home. Make a pact with yourself to stick to this and you should really start to think about it before you spend.

Identify What Is Truly Important To You

Make sure you know the real things that are important to you. Is it your career, your hobbies, your family? Spend more time on these things instead of buying things and constantly consuming, and you’ll live a much happier life. Never forget what’s truly important, and stay aware of the fact that consumerism never makes you happy for long!

Are you ready to adopt a more minimalist lifestyle? Use these ideas to get started and you could find yourself much happier in no time!

This is a contributed post.

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