Minimalist Habits I Skip (and what I do instead)

Minimalism is becoming more and more popular these days. I know I have spent hours of my life watching the satisfying videos of people decluttering and clearing out their homes. I believe this trend is gaining momentum because people are getting overwhelmed. Life is stressful! There is just not enough time to work, exercise, take care of kids, take care of pets, have some form of self care, have a social life, see family, AND spend a day cleaning the house. On top of all that, we add having a budget and not spending excessively. Becoming minimalists is the answer to many of those woes because minimalism allows for:

Some may still be hesitant because they think minimalist means getting rid of 90% of your stuff and living in a bland simple home. I’m here to tell you that minimalist is not that, but it can be if you want it. Minimalism is about what works best for you and your household. There aren’t certain rules you must abide by, but rather an overall mind shift that happens when you decide to simplify your life. Here I present to you some traditionally minimalist habits that don't work for our household and some that do!

Minimize spending on tv subscriptions.

We have them all! We have a YouTube TV subscription for live tv and then every streaming service out there. We love tv! Bingeing a good show is how we like to unwind at the end of the day. We’ve tried to cancel some services in the past citing that we don’t use them enough, but we always come back when a new show comes out. In the end, we’ve accepted that it brings us joy to be able to watch whatever show we want.

Use a kindle or any eReader to cut back on book clutter.

I need physical books in my hand. I can’t explain it, but I need that visual and physical object permanence. In my nonfiction books, I like to mark pages when I learned something that I would like to refer back to. In my fiction books, I like to be able to see how much of the story I have left in this thriller I can’t put down. I like to have all my absolute favorite books on a shelf together as a sense of accomplishment for reading them, and a reminder that I can refer back to them anytime. What I do to combat having a massive and overwhelming collection is to only keep the books I absolutely love. The rest go to our little free neighborhood library, book swaps, or I donate them. I also utilize my town library for any popular books I’ve been recommended.

Don’t overdo it on holiday decor that you have to store.

While holiday decor storage is a frequent cause of clutter, especially for those without ample storage space, I go all out for Halloween. Halloween is my favorite holiday and I love all things spooky. I try to go for a different theme each year, last year was haunted house and this year will be witches. I like every room to have a touch of the theme no matter how big or small. Even the hallways get the Halloween treatment with spiders and webs. I certainly don’t limit myself when it comes to decorations, but I do try to stick to pieces that can be utilized for many different themes (and aren’t big and bulky). For example, gauze and black lace can be draped on anything, pictures can be printed or hand drawn to replace the usual frames you have out, and black lights can replace regular light bulbs. It doesn’t take many knick knacks or large figures to transform your home for the holidays. Just be creative with it!

Clear off your kitchen counters for less visual clutter.

For the most part, we do this. However, there are some things that we use just about every day, sometimes multiple times a day, that are either easier to grab if they’re out or would be left out so often we might as well keep them there. The air fryer, olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, and the knife block are all daily uses. It makes life easier to always have them out, so I decided to make sure they’re pretty.

I also love to use my cheese boards as kitchen counter decor. During shutdown in 2020, we all found new hobbies or projects and mine was making my own cheeseboards. I’m proud of them and they’re pretty so they get space on the counter.

Have no spend months.

I want to take this moment to applaud the families who have been able to have so spend months. Seriously, kudos to that self control... I do not have it. I love the idea of cutting back on spending and to bringing less stuff into your home. So, in our household, we have certain spending days of the week. We try to limit our spending to either Monday, Thursday, or Saturday. Of course, if there's a necessity or emergency that comes up then we spend what is asked, but doing things this way has helped us majorly cut down on impulse buys.

…And things I do instead

1. One extra sheet set per bed

   Nobody needs several extra sets of sheets per bed. (This includes our guest beds and couch) Just switch them out once a week and do laundry within that week. In emergency situations, we just borrow a sheet set from another bed. We’ve never been without and we’re not overflowing with linens. 

2. Try out travel sized toiletries before buying big ones

   So, if I don’t like the product there is little waste and my cabinet isn’t full of half empty regular sized products.

3. One in/one out

   This applies to shoes, clothes, toys, pillows, decor, and kitchenware. If I bring something into our house, something else has to go. It’s an easy way to get rid of broken or out of date items that you just don’t need taking up space.

4. Deal with mail immediately

   In order to keep the counter clutter to a minimum, we don’t let papers stack up. We immediately toss or file what we need to.

5. Experiences over things

   For holidays we prefer trips or experiences over things. Instead of a valentine’s, mother’s day, and anniversary gift, I prefer a trip from my bucket list. Instead of a birthday gift, let’s go try a new activity or have a beach day. 
   

Embracing minimalist habits is an invitation to simplify your life, let go of excess, and find peace among the chaos of life. This looks different to every person, every household, and every year. Minimalism is a personal journey, and it's about finding the right balance that aligns with your values and aspirations.