MINIMALISM FOR BEGINNERS

Why I Live a Minimalist Lifestyle

7 Practical Steps On How To Be Less Materialistic

Photo by Jacqueline Munguía on Unsplash

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” — Socrates

I belong to a very moderate family. I always had enough to eat, a good place to stay, and a good education. Whoever is living this life, consider yourself blessed! Maybe we must have done something good karma in the past!

Moderate Earnings!

Moderate Expenditure!

Moderate Living!

My parents never took me out to eat. Nor we went anywhere! No travel. No outside food! I ate pizza for the first time when I was in 8th grade. That was the time when my uncle (my mom’s younger brother) shifted to London and he cannot stop talking about video games, pizza with coke, and coffee.

He had worked almost in every country. He has been in the United States and worked for a short period of time and then shifted to London finally. Settling there with his family. And that’s how I was introduced to the outside world.

I got to read Harry Potter Books.

I first saw Ratatouille Movie.

I came to know about the engineering and technology field. (Yes, I was inspired by him to pursue my engineering degree)

For the first time, I ate the best chocolate in the world. (London has a really nice collection!)

Even though my Uncle is now a Britisher, he still lives a really minimalist life.

What did minimalism do to him?

1. He has a house in London (his very own house!).
2. He invested in a few businesses. He is an angel investor himself.
3. He travels around the world with his family!

We all want that, do we?

Own Less and Live More!

I cannot talk enough about him and how he and my family has inspired me to admire minimalism. I cannot talk enough about the level of freedom it gave me.

I was reading the New York Times, and there was an article where it was seen that the modern family is actually the most stressed-out and tired generation of all time!

I will disagree with them a little because it’s not the same everywhere. Some actually are living a really peaceful life but that comes down to how their finance is and the family environment matters a lot too!

Things that affect our living-

1. Our family environment
2. A place where we are living in. City lives can be tiring. People work multiple jobs and it’s really costly too.
3. Personal expenses — Shopping has caused me lots of problems in the past

All the crazy city life often causes so much trauma that most of people retire to the mountains and small towns forever!

Earn a lot! Buy the things you need! Minimalism is not against this!

Minimalism is all about living a life where you can enjoy your freedom more than ever!

Minimalism in my view means -

1. Buy only when you need.
2. Pull yourself back when you see heavy discounts on those things that you don’t really need.
3. Not all are happy with the luxurious life. Camera life and real life are actually different.
4. More freedom from our Laptop. I know most of you have specs like me!
5. Not all need expensive cars. Even cheap cars can drive you to the same destination.

So if you are looking for more freedom from this bondage, look no further. I have a few tips for you so that you can be less materialistic and live more freely in your life.

Here are 10 ways adopting a minimalist lifestyle can help you be less busy:

1. Less Shopping

I used to buy a lot when I was working as an engineer. City life has been a blessing and a curse to me.

So many opportunities to make money and so many ways to spend!

The heavy discounts used to make me crazy and I always dream of buying this and that when my salary would increase.

Thankfully, that never happened during my job or I wouldn’t have been a writer now!

If we break free from this materialistic life then we will spend less time in stores and less time browsing all those items on the online marketplace which actually we don’t need.

When we turn into a minimalist, we pay more attention to our needs. We learn how to prioritize them and which of course results in less expenses!

2. Fewer Distractions

You have surrounded yourself with too much work? Or maybe you have too much physical clutter around your house?

There is a reason why “How to declutter my house” has become so much popular on the internet!

Declutter those things which you don’t need anymore.

I have a few items on my working table now. This has increased my focus on my work even more! Physical decluttering is needed in case you aren’t able to concentrate on your work!

Decluttering helps to -

1. Accomplish more task
2. More productivity
3. Free up more time for our family!

3. More Efficient Wardrobe

I used to have lots of clothes during my college days. And even after having a wardrobe full of clothes I still felt like I don’t have the proper dress for the day!

So, now I have a minimalist wardrobe and this means I am not going to waste my time deciding what to wear.

Less time to do laundry! I know we don’t like it.

4. Less Cleaning and Organizing

If you are a minimalist then chances are that you require less time to do the cleaning around your house. Organizing items becomes so much easier. Once you remove those things you don’t require, you will see how much space you have in your little home!

If you really want a clean home then just remove the items you don’t need.

5. A New Appreciation for Quiet Moments

When was the last time you spend on your terrace or on your balcony embracing the sunset or sunrise?

I don’t think so! Many of us don’t remember.

We have missed so much in our lives and so it’s time to pull back and see what we should do in order to get our life back.

6. Less Financial Stress

I have to pay the bills.

I don’t have the budget.

Arguing with our spouse.

Eating pills for anxiety.

Familiar right? Because we are suffering from this. We all are in the same boat. So if you want more savings and less financial burden then minimalism is the only solution. No one wants to live under stress even in the last stage of our life.

7. Less Decision Fatigue

Mental energy is degrading.

Buy clothes and then if that doesn’t fit, go back to the shop and return.

Argue when the bills are not paid on time.

Conclusion -

For me, minimalism is just a journey where I want to live life with more freedom and less stress. Thinking about money and luxury all the time is not what we want.

There is no problem in living a luxurious life. But if $5 dollars do the same work as $50 then why spend more?

Interested in tracking your reads? I have made a simple and beautiful Reading Tracker using Google Sheets!

Ultimate Reading Tracker [Google Sheet]

Gardening to Boost My Writing