Maximum Gratitude, Minimal Stuff

Consumption matters.  We probably see this most easily with the food we eat.  For example, when I eat fewer carbs, I weigh less without losing muscle.  When I eat more carbs, well....  Our bodies respond better to good fuel. But this truth applies to more than food.  Consider everything you consume on any random day – books, music, television, websites, news, and more.  If we can worry so much about smog or second-hand smoke when we're forced to breathe them, we should care at least as much about everything else on the menu of our lives. What we consume determines who we are. Think about the difference in worldview between someone who consistently reads The Wall Street Journal and books about investing, and listens to podcasts about business, and another person who gets news from The Guardian and reads about minimalism and gratitude.  I'm not saying that one is "bad" and the other is "good."  But it's true that those two people will think and ac...

You might wonder....  Does minimalism have anything to do with Halloween? When we think of simplicity and the holidays, we tend to focus on gift-centered celebrations like Christmas and Hanukkah.  We might try to simplify a child's birthday party.  Some people are looking for simple, low-cost ways to have a beautiful wedding.  But Halloween can be overlooked, even though spending on this holiday increases every year .  If you're curious about how to make your spooky celebration a simple one, read on. How to save money, time, and hassle this Halloween 1.  Turn to nature for your décor. There's no shortage of plastic, made-in-China-and-shipped-halfway-around-the-world décor in the stores, but do you really want to store that stuff for 50 weeks every year?  It's much simpler and environmentally friendly to use what nature so bountifully supplies. Pumpkins, gourds, and decorative corn are in every grocery store, and your backyard or local park can provide ...

Decorating your home should be fun, inexpensive, and a breeze to change for the seasons.   And I think some of the best decorative items are also functional.  Minimalist or not, we all have things we need to store, so why not make that storage attractive as well as accessible? What I've learned from some expensive past mistakes is to stick with neutral colors and subtle patterns in large home purchases like sofas, rugs, and bedcovers.  But this doesn't mean everything needs to be ivory, beige, or gray!  Navy, chocolate, and earthy olive green also work as neutrals.  With a neutral base you can add colors and patterns you love with less expensive accents.  If your preferences change, you can change a few accent pieces.  That way, you'll always have a room you enjoy without constant shopping or expense. * As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase through my links. 10 super-simple home enhancements ...

Does the idea of minimalism seem cold and harsh to you?   All-white rooms, steel-and-glass furniture, stark modernism, no kids, no pets, no friends.... Maybe you like the idea of less clutter and more space, a schedule that's less crazy and more rewarding, and finances that don't keep you up at night.  But you think "minimalist" means all or nothing – an exclusive club that you don't belong in. If that's you, I get it – because that's not what I mean when I talk about minimalism. To me, minimalism isn't about living with as little as possible.  It's not about some magic number of possessions.  It's about balance – just enough, but not too much – and intentionality – living with purpose so that your home, calendar, and finances reflect your values. The result is that the things you care about are protected and emphasized, and the things that are less important (or keep you from pursuing what you care about) have been removed to increase your p...

I thought I had a small home until I met a couple who live in their van.   I don't mean a top-of-the-line, custom-converted van.  I mean an old, beat-up van that barely runs, with a mattress and trash bags full of belongings in the back.  It makes my 800-square-foot apartment look palatial. I saw this "home" in the Walmart parking lot.  On hot summer days this year, it was parked under a tree at the farthest end, with both doors open to catch any hint of a breeze as the temperature climbed above 95℉.  My gifts of a few dollars and cups of McDonald's iced tea might have helped this couple a little, but couldn't change their situation. When I drove away in my 2024, paid-off, air-conditioned, recently-cleaned Kia sedan that doesn't have to carry everything I own, I reflected on my wealth. A changed perspective My father worked 60 or more hours a week because he had to.  My mother budgeted carefully for food, clothing, and household costs.  We never h...

Recently, the 20th anniversary of my father's death came and went.   Dad died unexpectedly one evening after my husband and I and our teenaged children had been visiting.  We drove the 70 miles home, happy about our plans to visit again the next week. My mom went into their bedroom to get Dad's bed and other stuff ready so she could help him settle for the night.  (He had ALS and was confined to a wheelchair.)  She went back out to the living room and found him.  The paramedics who came within minutes after she called 911 pronounced him dead.  Then she called me.  The phone was ringing as we walked in the door of our home. ALS is a horrible disease with no cure.  I had been mourning my father for more than two years already as he gradually lost his ability to walk, swallow, and even sit upright or turn his head.  But I wasn't prepared for him to die.  None of us were.  ALS is a slow death – and then it's sudden. Why we hang on ...