When there's nothing left to minimize
Wednesday, November 9, 2011

The past month has proven to be quite an effective exercise in minimizing our material posessions (house tour here). How do I know it's worked? We have more room to breathe. Oh, and this morning when I was looking for my "one a day to throw away" (slash donate to the thrift store) I came up empty handed.



Sure we have multiple plates, bowls, spoons, pots, pans, dish rags, jackets, pairs of jeans, etc. But everything in our home has been widdled down to only those things we love, use, and don't see a need in getting rid of (so - I don't use our muffin pan more than once a month, but I kind of like muffins!). Minimalism does not have to be a life of extremism, living with only 100 posessions, out of a suitcase, etc. It is about finding what works for you and your lifestyle. I, for one, am not about to get rid of any of my handknit socks just because I don't need all 18 pairs!

One blog I adore is The Everyday Minimalist, who puts it quite well:

No one needs to get rid of anything they don’t want to get rid of as long as they love, use and/or display them regularly.


Throughout the month of October we did not spend a single penny on non-consumable items (food, gas, and bills are the only transactions in our bank accounts!) and surprise surprise, we do not feel restricted at all. To be quite honest, our bank accounts are a little bit heavier than usual, and we're feeling less restricted because of it!

While I do love the purge, I feel comforted in the fact that life is fluid. Stuff will continue to enter into our lives, and stuff will continue to need resassing and purging. It's all about balance. In the words of Frank Chimero:

Add things until it starts sucking, take things away until it stops getting better.

posted by Sarah-Mae @ 12:05 PM,

4 Comments:

At November 9, 2011 1:21 PM, Blogger Melissa said...

Ooohhh Mae! You've inspired me to try going a month without spending a cent on non-consumables! I think this is such a brilliant idea! Although, I think I'm already doing that...I realized that all October long my bank account showed nothing but food, bills, yarn (which needs to be reigned in...I think I smell a major destash coming out of this!), sewing notions, and my Friday night coffees. I think I might have to dedicate the month of January to giving this idea a try...since December will be all about Xmas and trying to weather proof the house!

My purging still continues...Congrats on yours! :D

 
At November 9, 2011 8:04 PM, Anonymous Chantal said...

Not spending any money on non-consumables is a good idea. I think I'll also make it a New Years resolution, though I already don't buy much except food. Occasionally if I see a really good sale I buy a pair of jeans or a cardigan, but I reccently went through all my old jeans at home and washed them and am planning on bringing them to Sudbury's shelter! Aunt Lorraine also snagged a lot of my old shirts, sweaters and pants because she's starting a quilting project and was looking for fabrics. :)

 
At November 11, 2011 9:42 AM, Blogger Christine@100things100days said...

What a great quote and exactly what I needed to hear this morning. I'm looking forward to taking on new challenges once my possessions have stabilized. I think I'll start at a week of purchasing only consumables. I'm a toe dipper! Thanks for the inspiration.

 
At November 15, 2011 12:00 PM, Blogger Natalie B said...

What a great idea! Especially leading up to Christmas :)

 

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