Anyone practice minamilism? The art of owning less stuff/ less clutter etc

sxt

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PARlance

sxt wrote: »

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You're a credit to minimalists everywhere.

osarusan

Yes but I have no money, so it's involuntary.

I'm an inmin.

Persephone kindness

In visual arts, music, and other mediums, minimalism is a style that uses pared-down design elements i like the look of it for clothes and things sometimes.

But as a lifestyle choice no not personally.

But good for those who do

Winterlong

No. Stuff is great.

biko

I am a minimalist if that means the opposite of hoarder.
My house and everything else (car etc) is very clean from clutter.

Noveight

Minimalism is so 2012, extravagance is where it's at.

368100

I try to....but others thwart my efforts by reclaiming what I throw out or by buying even more crap. I've seen my father stop the car to pick up a broken umbrella at the side of the road and take it home.....:eek:...that's what i'm up against.

blow69

I saw a documentary on Netflix about it recently.

It definitely appeals to me and ever since, I've been donating quite a bit of clothes that I no longer want or have a need for.
I have a fair few knick knacks that I have for no reason and hold no monetary or sentimental value so need to sort through those also.

If I ever get around to owning my own place, I would like it to keep the furnishings functional and minimal.

Basically the opposite of my parents house. If their house was ever set on fire (touch wood) it would burn for weeks.

Persephone kindness

PARlance wrote: »

You're a credit to minimalists everywhere.

I just got that. Word minimalism. Hmm no ..i chatter! :P

Duff

I've so much clothes I need to get rid of but I'm too lazy to sort out. My spare room is a disgrace and will continue to stay that way for the foreseeable future.

Lau2976

Yep. I've been trying this for about two years now. It can be challenging on occasion but mostly it's easy. It gets easier after the first few months of really thinking about your purchases.

I lived in a a lot of excess from when I first got a job as a teenager and suddenly had the ability to buy tons of stuff. I purged maybe 85-90% of my belongings by donating, selling or giving it to friend who I thought would enjoy it. That was probably the hardest part.

Renting makes it easier for me to own less too because my landlord rents with furniture. I could preobbkg pack all of my belongings into 2 suitcases and a medium sized box. It's not the smallest I could go but where I'm comfortable.

Gbear

I was visiting my mother recently.

Like many people heading towards the elderly neck of the woods, she's managed to accumulate a load ****. Just random ****.
They put it up on the walls and the counters. In the jacks and all that. Little figurine, random plants and other assorted knick-knacks.

I was in the jacks and did a bit of a stretch and knocked a whole shelf of all this ****e over. Soap she'll never use, a cactus, for some reason, little porcelain duckies. It was pretty much all destroyed.

None of it was of any practical use. It just was sat there, occupying space.

I don't like the practicalities of voluntarily making an obstacle course out of your house, but I don't like the idea of spending money on stuff that's fundamentally useless even more.

o1s1n

No. I love collecting/acquiring cool ****

Persephone kindness

In terms of life baggage. I try to. Does that make sense?

I was given advice once ..keep life light. I agree.

mrcheez

I only buy stuff I know I'll actually use...
e.g. it's tempting to buy that Hawaiian shirt while abroad but I think "will I actually wear this in the office at home" ?

Only buy clothes when my existing ones have worn down and are ready to be thrown out.

Also try to go for Digital instead of Physical... games / books / music


So like... I buy lots of stuff... but in a thought-out way

mrcheez

blow69 wrote: »

If I ever get around to owning my own place, I would like it to keep the furnishings functional and minimal.

Basically the opposite of my parents house. If their house was ever set on fire (touch wood) it would burn for weeks.

This is actually the situation I'm in now... have my own place and it's so neat you'd swear I suffer from extreme OCD (well maybe I do a little.. but that's from the trauma of living in the chaos that was my parent's place )

There has to be a fine balance.. so I'm gradually trying to make the place a little less tidy, but it's so damn nice to have no clutter... it's like a frickin showroom in one of those furniture magazines.

Maybe when I have kids I'll finally achieve the balance... or a dog.. think Turner & Hooch

SarahMollie

Ha, I'm the same, my parents keep so much stuff. When I got my own place I vowed to be the opposite. I've been 50% successful. Downstairs is neat and tidy, no excess furniture and everything has its place. I won't even buy things I want sometimes - like I'd love an airfryer but I just cannot stand the look of them and my desire for a clutter free kitchen is stronger than my desire for chips. Upstairs however, different story. I'm non stop donating to charity yet I still have wardrobes overflowing with clothes. I recently gave away two suitcases full but it hasn't made the difference I'd hoped it would.

Moved from a two bed with attic to a one bed without attic recently and tbh I've enjoyed getting rid.

Would aspire to clearing out a good bit more over the next while, clothes wise I'm in good shape but hope to get rid of the car this year, clear all DVD's and books from the shelves and go full digital bar a few sentimental/good editions I'd keep.

I could move house in one carload (while I still have the car obv)

Eire Go Brach

Used to be. Then I got a GF and had kids. I could hoover the apartment in 10 minutes. Now it takes like and hour. With lifting and putting stuff back down. Don't mention the pictures. Sure dusting takes for ever. All just dust collectors.

LirW

I do.
When I moved to Ireland I decided to fit everything I have and is important to me in 2 suitcases. Including all my work stuff, 3 pair of shoes, a few clothes, my art supplies, handful of other things.
It appealed to me so much, that I left it this way. I consider every purchase very carefully because it makes things so much easier. Hell, I even have less clothes and shoes than my man.
Also for kids, I really consider what they need and buy a lot pre-owned (like my babies clothes).

For some reason, I do not have this thing that I build up sentimental value with things. When something doesn't suit the current need anymore, it goes and frees up space. If one day I really need something else instead, I'll get it.
I love it and wouldn't do it in another way anymore.

Lady is a tramp

Everything I own would easily fit in one large suitcase.

I just don't see the point in accumulating "stuff" or clutter. I don't do sentimentality.

I love photos etc, but they're all online these days so don't take up space.

I'm ruthless when it comes to clothes and shoes etc, I do a thorough clear-out every 6-8 weeks. I mostly only buy from charity shops anyways, and donate very regularly too. If I haven't worn something in the last two months, I'm unlikely to wear it again, so I get rid.

It would bother me a lot to have any item lying around that I don't use. So I just don't let it happen!

I wouldn't consider it an "art", just common sense. Don't see why you'd be any other way!

mzungu

I try avoid unnecessary clutter.

Biggest lickspittle on boardz

I practise an extreme form of minimalism by being stone broke most of the time. I'm hardcore, me.

pauliebdub

It's difficult but can be achieved. I've stopped buying crap I don't need, throw out clothes I haven't worn in a year and get rid of books that I've read.

NIMAN

I have too much stuff in my house too. The amount I have taken to charity shops in recent months is frightening..and as a result I definitely think twice before buying things now.

Now my mothers house is on a completely different level. Nothing gets thrown out.....just in case it might come in useful. It never does of course, but a hoarder is a hoarder.

She has also started buying random things in the pound shops. These shops are a curse. Getting people to buy cheap junk from China that they don't need. Anytime I see things sitting around her house that she has bought I would ask why she bought it. Her answer is always, "sure it was only a pound".

Problem is, she has a couple of hundred of these useless things, and if she'd kept her money instead she could have had oil in her oil tank, or better clothes on her back.

Esel

biko wrote: »

I am a minimalist if that means the opposite of hoarder.
My house and everything else (car etc) is very clean from clutter.

Read that as 'very clean for a culchie'!

Irish Guitarist

No

pangbang

The government not doing a good enough job already?

Carry

I finally found out why the box room is called box room: It's a box full of stuff I can't even step into :rolleyes:

I moved to Ireland just with my small car full of essentials, left everything behind and lived in a small apartment. It was liberating not having stuff.

Then I bought a house and the rest is stuff history.

During the recent weeks I renovated the place and needed to clear everything. And I found stuff, and more stuff I never knew I had in all the cupboards, wardrobes, shelves and storage space in the house.

Three carloads off to the dump, two carloads off to the charity shop - space! air!
About clothing: with less choice in the wardrobe there is never a moment of "I have nothing to wear". True.

I'm now addicted to get rid of stuff. And the result is that the house looks cleaner even if I don't clean more than usual. And I buy nothing new, unless it's essential, because I don't ever want to get back to stuff.

jimmycrackcorm

Stop thanking the OP, it's an anti-pattern.

NIMAN

I maintain you fill the space you have, doesn't matter how big it is.

I have a garage full of stuff...if I had a garage twice the size, I wouldn't have more room, just twice the amount of stuff.