Maximum Gratitude, Minimal Stuff

We're all consumers.  We eat, we need clothing and shelter, we use tools and supplies to accomplish our work.  In fact, the typical definition of "life" includes the abilities to eat, metabolize, and excrete.  In other words, life requires consumption . But consumerism is a social and economic order that "encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts," according to Wikipedia.  It's that last phrase that should grab our attention. Forever dissatisfied Our society teaches us that we should consume more and more as time goes by.  We aren't supposed to establish a sustainable level of consumption, but are expected to meet increasing desires.  By almost every measure, we consume more per person now than we did 60 years ago , yet most of us still have long lists of things we want or believe we need. Our supposedly "robust" economy requires us to be forever unsatisfied with what we have! We have to consume in order to

Now that I've written more than 460 posts for Maximum Gratitude Minimal Stuff , I'm starting to go back and revise my older writing.  And some of those older posts are really useful! I'll admit it – I'm proud of the work I've done, and I sincerely hope you've received the benefit.  But many of you are newer readers and have never seen posts that were written in 2018, 2019, or even last summer or fall.  And if you've been a faithful reader for quite a while ( thank you , by the way), you've probably forgotten. I wrote the stuff, and I've forgotten parts of it! So on selected Thursdays, instead of posting new content, I'm going to direct you toward posts of the past that I think are worth a re-read.  I hope you enjoy them! 14 Ways to Cheer Up, Minimalist Style , from January 14, 2019 Many of us get depressed in winter weather, and by this point are longing for signs of spring.  But meanwhile, we may eat, drink, or shop to feel better.  Here are mo

I know there are articles out there saying that minimalism is bad.  To many people, the idea of getting rid of stuff or downsizing your lifestyle in any way can sound a little crazy.  They picture the minimalist life as an exercise in deprivation:  all white rooms, mattress on the floor, no chairs (or a couple of weird-looking modernist perches), three plates and a couple of chipped bowls, raw food, no comfort, and no joy. I've intentionally painted a super-bleak picture, because I guess some people believe it!  These are the downsides to minimalism that people get nervous about: Why would anyone want to live in one of those tiny houses?  I'd go crazy. Why would anyone want to keep only 30 pieces of clothing?  How boring. Why would any want to get rid of family heirlooms?  How heartless. Why would anyone want to own only what they can fit into a backpack?  It doesn't sound "minimalist" to travel all over the world, and isn't it just cheap to sleep on people&#

Maybe you got zealous about decluttering, filling bags and boxes with clothing, kitchen items, books, and décor you no longer wanted in your home. And that's great.  What's left is hopefully the stuff you use and love – each item with a place to belong, easy to access and put away again.  Your home is more spacious, organized, peaceful, and beautiful. And you felt – admit it! – a little virtuous about how much "perfectly good" stuff you donated.  I don't mean that in a judgmental way.  But as you took all of your stuff to a charity shop, you felt good about giving things that someone else would be able to use. The origins of decluttering guilt Yes, cleaning out and donating made you feel pretty good.  At least until you read statistics like this one :   While you may donate your old clothing to charity,  the truth is, even then, a whopping 84 percent of our clothing  ends up in landfills and incinerators. We want to declutter, but selling our items can take a lot

Minimalism offers all of these benefits:  A clutter-free environment that lowers stress and reduces the time you spend managing your belongings, freeing your energy for pursuits that matter more to you. A more intentional schedule that lowers stress and reduces the time you spend doing things you regret saying yes to, freeing your focus for things you deem more important. Conscious consumption that lowers stress and reduces debt and waste, freeing your money for things that add true value to your life. A more thoughtful use of screens that reduces the time you spend following, comparing, and being sold to, freeing your mind for thoughts of gratitude and satisfaction. Except when it doesn't. It's possible to be so excited about a fresh and spacious home that you paint everything white and keep only a couch, a bed, and your ( naked ) dining room table. It's possible to declutter so much that you get worried when a piece of clothing is getting worn out or you break a dish.  Wi

Here's a minimalist mantra you've probably heard:   Choose experiences over things.   Multiple studies show that spending money on experiences makes people happier than buying yet another tchotchke.  Experiences don't need to be impressive. "Experiences over things" isn't news.  I've written about it myself in posts that talked about making holidays more about experiences and less about gifts  and  expressing love in more ways than simply buying a gift . How many times have you relived fun and funny (or even not so fun and funny at the time) experiences with family or friends?  Experiences are the gifts that keep on giving – wonderful to look forward to, participate in, remember, and share. Experiences have the added bonus of keeping clutter out of your home.  Nothing additional to store, nothing to dust, nothing to fix or care for.  Perfect for a minimalist. Of course, instead of keeping up with the Joneses by buying a new car or the latest iPhone, you mi

Have you had to help settle a parent's or grandparent's estate?  I have.  My mother lived in a typical middle-class suburban home filled with furniture, china, crystal, art, clothing, collectibles, and more.  There were plenty of things that had simply been stored for several decades.  Mama was a tidy housekeeper.  Her house didn't look cluttered.  But it was packed with stuff that wasn't used more than once or twice a year, if that.  Every room, every closet, every shelf, every drawer was full of a lifetime of stuff.  And something needed to be done with all of it. What do you do with a lifetime of stuff? Losing a parent is hard enough.  Deciding which belongings should be saved, which have some resale value, which can be donated, and what will have to be hauled to the landfill adds even more stress.  And if you can't manage it yourself, the cost of hiring a company to go through everything, separate trash from treasure, and hold an estate sale might actually be m

Before I was a minimalist, my two biggest areas of acquisition were my house and my wardrobe.  I was constantly buying new home décor and planning updates and upgrades to our space, and I bought new clothes nearly every week. I always thought that a new outfit would make me look more attractive, more stylish, more professional, more successful – just more than what I felt I actually was.  I thought that scoring supposedly great deals would make me look financially secure and savvy.  (As if spending money I didn't have on stuff I didn't need was a smart money move!) Looking for satisfaction It's amazing the power I attributed to my wardrobe.  Based on my behavior, I obviously thought my wardrobe could reflect who I was – my strengths and abilities – better than my choices, behaviors, and what I actually did and accomplished . I thought that having all of this would make me happy, but then I'd have to go back out and buy something else, something more... so my wardrobe w